Is there a down side to Shaving Brush Plant?

Is there a problem/down side issue with having Shaving Brush Plant (Penicillus sp.) in a reef tank, and in the display area?

 

Not that I have heard of, but they are usually hard to keep alive long term. Most reef tanks are too clean for them, and therefore they starve from the lack of free nutrients.

 

Yes, because you have taken them from the wild, fish populations will no longer be able to shave.

 

Yes, as Atticus818 said, it is tough to keep them and other macro algae alive in a reef. Algae and Corals don't always mix well, when nutrient levels are low enough for corals, they are often too low for algae. It can be done, but it is a delicate balance IME.

 

Thanks

Thanks for the responses!

 

Shaving brush and halimeda (money plant) need calcium to grow, unlike a lot of the other macros that thrive on nutrients and take over tanks via runners and spores.