Subsequent to the above, and after I had an ample amount of Batophora growing in my one tank (the other two tanks remained dormant with no growth), I took a small shell with some Batophora attached to it from the successful tank and put it into a forth tank I have. Similar to the other three, it struggled for a month or so, slowly dwindling till nothing was left. That was probably four months ago.
So today I’m trimming back the insatiable micro algae that grows in the tank and what do I see entangled in it on one of the branches of a sea fan - - several sprigs of Batophora punching their way through the micro algae. It’s amazing that it somehow successfully latched onto the tiny limb through the micro algae, which is very fast growing and invasive.
I’ve attached some pics of the Batophora as well as macro shots to show how it appears to be latching onto the limbs. Like my other tank where the Batophora has thrived by propagating on a slowly decaying sea fan, perhaps the nutrients from the fan are helping to foster growth and reproduction in this tank as well. I’ll keep the group apprised on how it does in this newfound environment