does it matter what kind of algae is growing in my tank?

[abc]

My tank has been cycling now for 4 weeks (5.5 gallon). It has petshrimp.com's algae balls and I had plenty of trumpet snails. Its coral for the substrate. Some lava rock. Ceramic shrimp caves (left over when I gave up on fresh water shrimp). I ordered some micro-string algae from petshrimp.com as well.

I have the salinity at 1.012

My question: the type of algae that grows in your tank... does it matter what kind? I have green hair algae growing in my tank? Is that good or bad or the right type? is there a right type of alge or ideal algae you want growing?

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

[sliphorn]

..
Hair algae is not wanted. Remove it if you can using tweezers. It can be a real nuisance.
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[abc]

..
Hair algae is not wanted. Remove it if you can using tweezers. It can be a real nuisance.
..

Really? why is hair algae bad? So if not hair algae, what algae should I be trying to cultivate?

[Super Jess]

Shrimp larvae can become snared in hair algae and die. The chaeto and mossballs from this site are ok, and the surface algae that grows in your tank is ok. That's about it.

[abc]

Shrimp larvae can become snared in hair algae and die. The chaeto and mossballs from this site are ok, and the surface algae that grows in your tank is ok. That's about it.

Ah, got it. And thought it was a good thing to have the green hair algae. I liked the look of it but OK. It's easy enough to take tweezers and pick it out. Thx

[Dch48]

From what I've read, that type of algae is also too hard for the shrimp to eat so it really does no good except maybe for the biofilm that grows on it. If you have the macroalgae the biofilm grows on that too and it's far less dangerous to new larvae.