Something on the strands of chaeto.

[Girthrockwel]

I know it's hard to see. It's got to be some sort of filter feeder. It's tiny hairlike strands coming off of the strands of the chaeto. If I pull it out of the water it flattens out. Put it back in the water and it instantly pops back out. I'm seeing it on maybe 5% of my chaeto. What is it?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Try if you can, to get the closest look that you can. You want to make sure it's not cotton candy hair algae.
It comes in pink and red.

 

[Girthrockwel]

Try if you can, to get the closest look that you can. You want to make sure it's not cotton candy hair algae.
It comes in pink and red.

On your suggestion I pulled up some pictures of cotton candy hair algae up and compared them to what I'm seeing. I don't think it's the same thing. All of the hairs on my chaeto are the same length and very short. No tufts of hairs or anything like that. It's all attached in the same manner to the strands of chaeto. Imagine a really tiny pipe cleaner.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

On your suggestion I pulled up some pictures of cotton candy hair algae up and compared them to what I'm seeing. I don't think it's the same thing. All of the hairs on my chaeto are the same length and very short. No tufts of hairs or anything like that. It's all attached in the same manner to the strands of chaeto. Imagine a really tiny pipe cleaner.

Got it.
I would think long and hard before keeping it in my reef.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

It might be some sort of marine epiphyte (algae that grows on other plants). I think the most that it will do if it is an epiphyte is shade out the chaeto so that it doesn't receive as much light.