Coral ID

[umdaquarist09]

What is this? It has grown from just being visible to this size in less than 2 months

[travie]

To me it looks like a pink Hammer Coral, which is an LPS coral. Others should be along eventually to give more opinions.

[rageybug]

I agree on the hammer coral. Careful, they are pretty aggressive corals.

[umdaquarist09]

I appreciate your input guys, thanks a lot. But after a trip to the best lfs i have found so far this weekend I am not sure it is a hammer coral. The Hammer corals there moved freely in the current while this one in my tank is hard. None of it moves at all. I also have not been able to find a picture of a Hammer coral anywhere that looks like this. It is getting bigger every week and is alreaduly way bigger than when originally posted this. My first thought was some type of macro algae but I dont know. More input please!

[coachfraley]

Can you take another picture?

Are you saying that the coral is hard to the touch, or that it doesn't move around in your tank? It's movement (or lack there of) could be a result of the amount of flow in your tank.

[kaybee]

...My first thought was some type of macro algae...

That's my impression as to what it is, some sort of pink bubble-type macro algae. I used to remove this sort of macro algae during routine tank upkeep at the LFS when I worked there.


..The Hammer corals there moved freely in the current while this one in my tank is hard. None of it moves at all...

Euphyllia (and probably all coral) tentacles are not hard at all. Additionally a skeleton isn't apparent (quick euphyllia polyp growth is accompanied with skeletal development).

If you're able to remove that piece from the water and it remains semi-rigid then it is definately macro algae.

[umdaquarist09]

yes coach it is hard to the touch, like green bubble algae. i think it makes sense that it could be be some type of macro based only on the rate at which it is growing. it is doubling in size every month almost.

[umdaquarist09]

sorry for the double post but, kay you say yoy have removed something similar from tanks before... would you recommend i remove it? (i kinda like the way it looks)

[coachfraley]

If it is indeed a variety of bubble algae, it could take over your tank fairly quickly. Kaybee might have a better idea of how quick it can jump around a tank.

Whether or not you take steps to remove it will be up to you. I know that some people don't mind having green bubble algae in their tanks, and they just leave it alone. I like to have every square cm available for coral, so I would try to find a way to control it.