Marine & AlgaeIntermediate🌗 Medium light

Golden scroll algae (peacock's tail)

Padina sanctae-crucis · also called Golden scroll, Peacock's tail, Scroll algae, Padina

🐾 Pet-safe

Generally non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Padina is an unusual brown macroalgae that grows as a thin, fan-shaped, concentrically banded frond whose margin rolls under into a scroll — hence 'golden scroll' and 'peacock's tail.' It is one of only two lightly calcified brown-algae genera, giving the fan a pale, dusted, off-white-to-tan sheen. A graceful, sculptural display macro.

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Quick facts

Category	Marine & Algae
Family	Dictyotaceae
Native origin	Tropical and warm-temperate seas worldwide, including the Caribbean and western Atlantic
Care difficulty	Intermediate
Light	Medium light
Pet toxicity	Pet-safe

Light

Medium reef/display lighting. As a brown alga it grows under full-spectrum LEDs at moderate PAR; its light calcification means it appreciates stable, decent lighting but does not need the intensity a fully calcified green like Halimeda or Udotea wants.

Water

Standard reef parameters: temperature 22-27 C (72-80 F), salinity ~1.025 SG, pH 8.1-8.4, alkalinity 8-11 dKH. Because it is lightly calcified it benefits from well-maintained calcium (~400-450 ppm) and magnesium (~1300 ppm) in addition to alkalinity, though it is far less mineral-hungry than Halimeda. Uses some nitrate and phosphate. No CO2 (marine).

Soil & potting

Attaches to hard substrate (rock) with a holdfast, or grows on other seaweeds in the wild. In the aquarium it is wedged onto or glued to rock; the fan grows upward and outward. Not buried; no aquasoil or root tabs — it feeds from the water column and lightly calcifies from dissolved minerals.

Environment — humidity, temperature, placement

Submersed only. No CO2 (marine). Gentle-to-moderate flow keeps detritus out of the delicate scrolled fan without tearing it. A midground/foreground display macro prized for its shape. Reef-safe with corals and fish.

Propagation

Grows by expanding the fan from its margin and producing new fans from the base. It is not easily fragmented like a soft branching macro because of its single thin-bladed fan; generally allowed to grow and produce new fans rather than cut. Remove old, ragged, or bleaching fans to keep it tidy.

Toxicity detail

Reef-safe and non-toxic to fish, corals, and shrimp; its papery, lightly calcified fan deters most grazers. Not invasive or regulated in the aquarium hobby. Remove any bleached/dying fans to prevent nutrient release. Never release into the wild.

Growth stages

How this plant changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.

Photo coming soon

Spore / recruit

Aquatic plants and macroalgae establish from spores, seeds, or drifting fragments that settle and attach to substrate or rock. Many freshwater aquarium plants and marine macroalgae also spread readily from a detached piece that takes root or holdfast.

Photo coming soon

Young growth

Young growth puts out its first blades, fronds, or leaves and anchors with roots or a holdfast. Submersed plants may look different from their emersed form, and growth speeds up as the plant adapts to the water's light and nutrients.

Photo coming soon

Mature

A mature aquatic plant or macroalga reaches its full size and characteristic shape, forming the dense growth, runners, or fronds typical of the species. Established plants spread to fill space and can be divided or trimmed to propagate.

Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — pre-launch draft (pending horticulture review) on 2026-06-10

Sources

Padina (alga) - Wikipedia (encyclopedia)
Golden Scroll (Padina) macroalgae - MosaicMacros (care guide)