Interesting growth on rocks

[Paul B]

I love it when something new grows in my tank, even if it is something that many people think is a plague. I just find it interesting. This is the stuff that stirs my interest in this lifelong hobby.
This stuff started growing on my rocks a few months ago and at first I thought it was some type of coral. It turns out it is some sort of invasive bubble algae but for some reason it is not that invasive.
It only seems to grow in certain places and I think it makes the rock much more facinating. I really don't like the look of new, clean, sterilized rock and know that if my rock ever gets like that I know something is wrong.
This is a DIY, hollow cement "rock"

Here is another piece with a little tuft of hair algae growing on a frayed string. It is the only hair algae in the tank and I also find that interesting so I leave it alone.

There is very little algae in the rest of the tank but I do have a nice growth of short turf algae in some places. This comes from where I collect rocks and water in the Long Island Sound.

 

[Troylee]

nice as always Paul... i see the copperband is still around yeah!!1smile1

 

[Paul B]

Yes, I just love copperbands. Very cool fish.

 

[_Alex_]

awesome as always paul!! is that a yellow clown goby on the right in that picture?? it looks huge!!

 

[boehm742]

Probably looks about like this?

I had it and caulpera take over my biocube, ultimately had to tear it down because it took over the coral. Its some type of red bubble algae, very similar to the common green.
'Bubble' Alage: Selected Descriptions, Controls and Comments by Horge Cortes-Jorge, Jr. - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Paul B]

Cool bubble algae, looks a little invasive though.
I do have a clown gobi but it is not in those pictures.

 

[Electrobes]

Paul! Do you know what it is in the first pic? I have the same thing... same shape and crazy start-looking designs on the top. It doesn't spread like bubble-algae.. and I decided to keep it since it is pretty.

 

[Paul B]

Yes, it is a bubble algae but I also forgot the name. I read a lot about it and it is supposed to take over my tank. So far it doesn't seem to be taking over anything but a couple of rocks. Maybe in the future the stuff will be growing up my walls.