Algae (?) on my overflow

[Vitaly]

So I had the habit of cleaning the gutter guard, that I use to block my overflow, overflow every week or so. Lately, I had not been doing it. I started to notice a <U>leafy algal</U> growth around the lip of the overflow.

Recently the growth has become more substantial. I feel that it may be beneficial to leave in place, as I suspect that it provides an efficient means of nutrient export to the tank. However, like many, I worry about allowing something strange to grow "wildly."

Anybody recognize this growth and have recommmendations about keeping ro removing it; is there a risk of it spreading into the tank and causing problems?
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https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Algae/1.JPG
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Thanks!

[philagothos]

My guess is feather caulerpa. Can you get any closer to an individual branch of it? As long as it doesn't clog your overflow it should be ok. I had some, but it was out-competed by caulerpa prolifera.

[epon]

Looks like turf algae. If you dont want it to grow once it's got a foothold replace the pvc piece and gutter gaurd. Otherwise it's a nice place to grow fauna and provide some macro export but have to be careful not let it clog. If it's turf it will peel off in mats once it gets bigger.

[soim34]

Looks like a close cousin of Bryopsis.

Regardless of what species it is, the main question is "Can I remove it easily?"

If the answer is yes, it is of little concern minus some ocassional nutrient export. If the answer is no, I'd consider it a plague condidate and takes measures to remove it entirely.

[Vitaly]

Aight...I will try to pull a small clump out to see how easily it comes out. I will try to get a better image too for identification.