Red Kelp / Algae questoin

travis32 · 02/21/2010, 04:57 PM

I'm just researching strategies and ideas for my 55 gallon.

I've got beatiful light purple and dark purple combinations of algae and mushrooms doing great in the tank. I would like to expand on that with some additional different types of natural diversity. Would Red Kelp Macroalgae be a good / bad / indifferent idea to add to fishless tank (at this point in time.)

I think adding a deep dark red to the tank would help merge the brown button polyps I have, with the purple mushrooms and add additional color diversity. I just am not sure what, if any, negative effects kelp macro algae would have on water chemistry.

I have corallife 65w 10k actinic lighting (4 bulbs).

Anyways, any opinions, thoughts, on using plants such as these to diversify a new reef tank?

bertoni · 02/21/2010, 05:49 PM

There's lots of algae that get called "kelp" in the hobby. Many algae are harder to grow than one might expect, and some get to be invasive. Can you post a link to a candidate you're considering?

travis32 · 02/21/2010, 06:45 PM

Something like this as just a thought:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...664&pcatid=664

Just kinda looking around. I like the idea of plant life in the tank.. Not sure if macro algae is really plant life, but, close to it. If I eventually have a tang, it most likely would control any overgrowth. If not just devour it all.. Just my initial thoughts.

I would think it would be good for added oxygenation and maybe filtration? Just weighing the pros / cons at this point.

bertoni · 02/21/2010, 06:48 PM

I think that is gorgeous, and I'd try it, but do keep in mind that it might be hard to keep going. It likely grows far too slowly to do anything other than look pretty. Also, some fish might eat it, which would be an expensive meal. A tang might be high on that list.

travis32 · 02/21/2010, 06:52 PM

Yeah, I thought so too.

I have no fish at this time, and haven't decided on a fish strategy yet.. Would crabs leave it alone or would they mess with it if they run out of other stuff to eat (since no fish to overfeed yet.)

bertoni · 02/21/2010, 07:30 PM

Some crabs might be happy to much on it. I never trust crabs anymore.

Frick-n-Frags · 02/22/2010, 12:23 AM

a) no you don't, heh. seriously...
b) kelp is a brown algae. ie no such thing as red kelp
c) keeping large macros is a crapshoot and typically anything neato that hitches in on a rock and sprouts will boom-n-bust for you like those little red macros that grow on LR (FL rock seems to have lots of like laurencia and other small red macros)
d) buying macros is probably a high risk venture regarding actually surviving

reeftanknewbie · 02/22/2010, 06:09 AM

personally I stay away from anything that requires iodine dosing. I have learned the hard way with adding this nutrient to the tank.

02/21/2010, 04:57 PM	#1
travis32 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Fargo, ND Posts: 2,161	Red Kelp / Algae questoin I'm just researching strategies and ideas for my 55 gallon. I've got beatiful light purple and dark purple combinations of algae and mushrooms doing great in the tank. I would like to expand on that with some additional different types of natural diversity. Would Red Kelp Macroalgae be a good / bad / indifferent idea to add to fishless tank (at this point in time.) I think adding a deep dark red to the tank would help merge the brown button polyps I have, with the purple mushrooms and add additional color diversity. I just am not sure what, if any, negative effects kelp macro algae would have on water chemistry. I have corallife 65w 10k actinic lighting (4 bulbs). Anyways, any opinions, thoughts, on using plants such as these to diversify a new reef tank?

02/21/2010, 05:49 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	There's lots of algae that get called "kelp" in the hobby. Many algae are harder to grow than one might expect, and some get to be invasive. Can you post a link to a candidate you're considering? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/21/2010, 06:45 PM	#3
travis32 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Fargo, ND Posts: 2,161	Something like this as just a thought: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...664&pcatid=664 Just kinda looking around. I like the idea of plant life in the tank.. Not sure if macro algae is really plant life, but, close to it. If I eventually have a tang, it most likely would control any overgrowth. If not just devour it all.. Just my initial thoughts. I would think it would be good for added oxygenation and maybe filtration? Just weighing the pros / cons at this point. Last edited by travis32; 02/21/2010 at 06:45 PM. Reason: Forgot link

02/21/2010, 06:48 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I think that is gorgeous, and I'd try it, but do keep in mind that it might be hard to keep going. It likely grows far too slowly to do anything other than look pretty. Also, some fish might eat it, which would be an expensive meal. A tang might be high on that list. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/21/2010, 07:30 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Some crabs might be happy to much on it. I never trust crabs anymore. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/21/2010, 06:52 PM	#5
travis32 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Fargo, ND Posts: 2,161	Yeah, I thought so too. I have no fish at this time, and haven't decided on a fish strategy yet.. Would crabs leave it alone or would they mess with it if they run out of other stuff to eat (since no fish to overfeed yet.)

02/22/2010, 12:23 AM	#7
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	a) no you don't, heh. seriously... b) kelp is a brown algae. ie no such thing as red kelp c) keeping large macros is a crapshoot and typically anything neato that hitches in on a rock and sprouts will boom-n-bust for you like those little red macros that grow on LR (FL rock seems to have lots of like laurencia and other small red macros) d) buying macros is probably a high risk venture regarding actually surviving __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

02/22/2010, 06:09 AM	#8
reeftanknewbie Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Effort PA Posts: 1,067	personally I stay away from anything that requires iodine dosing. I have learned the hard way with adding this nutrient to the tank.