Why should I try to battle algae?

[hivelyj6]

Barring kinds of growth that may stifle coral or fish health, why should I try to prevent any algae growth? The look doesn't really bother me, and it feels as if I'm letting my tank grow naturally without much influence. Aside from keeping stable chemistry. Is there a benefit to allowing my tank to just go with the flow (unintended pun)?

My parameters have been stable for a few months now on a new tank
NaCl s.g: 1.025
Temp 77.5f-78f
Ca: 420ppm
Alk: 6.7-7 dkh
Mg: 1300ppm
Ph: 8
NO3: 5-10ppm
PO4: ? No test kit for this yet

 

[Pistondog]

That is a valid strategy. And I think some critters appreciate the extra food and shelter.
(however) if the rocks are bare, coralline algae will grow. The coralline will inhibit other nuisance algae.
Also if there is some nuisance algae it will more easily propagate thru the rest of the tank.

 

[dedragon]

what piston said^. When algae growth starts getting higher increase the amount of hermit crabs, snails, and abalones are all great algae grazers. For hermits specifically small blue(good for hair and cyano, scarlet(great with hair and bryopsis), and electric blues (a little more money better with film algae and some cyano) lots of other hermit crabs are murderers

 

[dedragon]

for snails, margarita, cerith, nassarius, and trochus are all good, abalone tear through hair algae

 

[hivelyj6]

That is a valid strategy. And I think some critters appreciate the extra food and shelter.
(however) if the rocks are bare, coralline algae will grow. The coralline will inhibit other nuisance algae.
Also if there is some nuisance algae it will more easily propagate thru the rest of the tank.

So infestation is basically guaranteed unless I catch some nuisance algae in their tracks?

 

[dedragon]

So infestation is basically guaranteed unless I catch some nuisance algae in their tracks?

nope critters eats specific stuff as i stated before, a good cleanup crew does an amazing job, just need to buy more usually every 1-2 years, but only if nuisance algae persists. Good nutrient control will do the best to curb algae

 

[vetteguy53081]

It depends on what coral you have, if its evasive and amount you have. You mention its food for the fish but realize most fish are algae specific as to type they will eat. Somee algae can grow to the point of being ugly and clogging water path such as overflows. It becomes a issue when the algae is allowed to grow out of control and cover everything in the tank including corals.

 

[Ghost25]

It depends how much you have. Too much algae will choke corals, and algae blooms can drop nutrients very low which can result in dinos which will cause its own problems.

I don't get too hung up on natural vs unnatural, our tanks are quite different from nature. Most healthy reefs in the wild do not have big tufts of hair algae or bryopsis.