Best macroalgae / plants for display?

awexis · 06/17/2015, 01:27 PM

I currently have a 29g biocube. It's been running for about a year now. I have two false percs along with some invertebrates, no corals whatsoever. A while back I planned on using the middle chamber for a small refugium with chaeto. My LFS is really small and they didn't have anything but caulerpa. I decided to take a 1 hour trek to the much bigger fish store. They were out of chaeto. I decided to buy ulva lettuce and red gracilaria. I put it in my display tank and it looked nice. It added some color besides the purple coralline.
Well, as far as I could see, the copepods in my tank took out the lettuce and possibly also the gracilaria. I could see them walking around on it and the holes started appearing. Eventually both were completely gone.

I'm thinking about trying it out again. Maybe with those, or other plants/macroalgae. Any suggestions?

hotelbravo · 06/17/2015, 02:58 PM

I personally like caulerpa it grows fast and keeps your nutrient levels down in the tank. it is easily trimmed up, it comes in different varieties and looks there isn't just one type of caulerpa. I doubt the pods could eat caulerpa quick enough..

Sk8r · 06/17/2015, 03:02 PM

Caulerpa is illegal in CA, and presents special problems in a tank, because it sends roots into the rockwork and can reproduce from runners, fragments, spores, and can get through your return pump. Aiptasia doesn't worry me. But after a near 10 year battle to try to get rid of it, I would toss a rock that has any hint of bringing it in.

davocean · 06/17/2015, 09:24 PM

Not all caulerpa is illegal here, and I can't recall nor do I really care what kind is legal, pretty much for reasons sk8r mentioned.
The red gracilaria looks really nice
Only thing is most tangs will mow through most macro's
In a fuge I just do chaeto, great for pods.
Halmedia is also great in displays and fish don't eat it, but it does absorb some calcium.

mmittlesteadt · 06/17/2015, 09:30 PM

Caulerpa is even illegal now here in Wisconsin and we don't have any saltwater for about 2000 miles in any direction.

Solar Dragon · 06/18/2015, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmittlesteadt

Caulerpa is even illegal now here in Wisconsin and we don't have any saltwater for about 2000 miles in any direction.

Really if they ban Piranhas i'm moving to some other frozen god forsaken hell hole (i heard alaska is nice this time of year)

its got to the point i have to reasearch everything i buy just to make sure its legal in my state

SecretiveFish · 06/18/2015, 09:15 AM

If you plan on keeping corals in the same tank (i.e. macro algae is not in the sump, in the display tank with the corals), I wouldn't do it. If you are making a macro algae tank on the other hand, that is a different story.

- Macro algae often chokes out corals (especially SPS corals). Some unknown green macro algae came in on a palythoa plug and killed the palythoas.
- Grape calurpa or calurpa mexicana will sting and kill corals. Also spawing events can kill your corals.
- Ochtodes puts out shoots that can be nearly impossible to remove from rocks and corals. We bought a porite that has some on it. Thinking it is pretty, we let the macro algae grow. SO had to use a dental pick to get the shoots out of what was left of the coral, multiple times...
- Some unknown red small leafed only grows up to 1/4" off rock algae came in on a rock. We left it alone until it started taking over, at which point we realized how nasty that stuff is. When out of the water the fumes made our nasal passages burn... somehow we got it out the display rocks but some of it is still living in the overflows.
- Green Turf algae, pretty but will cover live rock quickly and is difficult to remove.
- Never figured out what it was, but it looked like this. http://s73.photobucket.com/user/henr...36f28.jpg.html Also thought that looked cool so let it grow. It is a very fragile macro algae that small pieces fall off easily and help it spread.

If I was just having a macro algae tank, I would have kept most of the above except for the calurpa mexicana (that stuff kills even other macro algaes) and the unknown small leafy stuff. A macro algae tank is on my someday list!

hotelbravo · 06/18/2015, 09:27 AM

i have caulerpa brachypus and my tang and angel mow down on it when i move some over to the display from the sump. i personally will never worry about it becoming a problem because it wont.

toothybugs · 06/18/2015, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecretiveFish

If you plan on keeping corals in the same tank (i.e. macro algae is not in the sump, in the display tank with the corals), I wouldn't do it. If you are making a macro algae tank on the other hand, that is a different story.

- Macro algae often chokes out corals (especially SPS corals). Some unknown green macro algae came in on a palythoa plug and killed the palythoas.
- Grape calurpa or calurpa mexicana will sting and kill corals. Also spawing events can kill your corals.
- Ochtodes puts out shoots that can be nearly impossible to remove from rocks and corals. We bought a porite that has some on it. Thinking it is pretty, we let the macro algae grow. SO had to use a dental pick to get the shoots out of what was left of the coral, multiple times...
- Some unknown red small leafed only grows up to 1/4" off rock algae came in on a rock. We left it alone until it started taking over, at which point we realized how nasty that stuff is. When out of the water the fumes made our nasal passages burn... somehow we got it out the display rocks but some of it is still living in the overflows.
- Green Turf algae, pretty but will cover live rock quickly and is difficult to remove.
- Never figured out what it was, but it looked like this. http://s73.photobucket.com/user/henr...36f28.jpg.html Also thought that looked cool so let it grow. It is a very fragile macro algae that small pieces fall off easily and help it spread.

If I was just having a macro algae tank, I would have kept most of the above except for the calurpa mexicana (that stuff kills even other macro algaes) and the unknown small leafy stuff. A macro algae tank is on my someday list!

A 200-300 macro tank would be wickedly cool

Devaji108 · 06/18/2015, 09:53 AM

check put the macroalage forum here lots of amazing tanks and ppl who know what thre doing. I think macros get a bad wrap . just like any SW coral it has its up and downs. you have to learn about it before adding it to your tank.
GL

06/17/2015, 01:27 PM	#1
awexis Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Posts: 31	Best macroalgae / plants for display? I currently have a 29g biocube. It's been running for about a year now. I have two false percs along with some invertebrates, no corals whatsoever. A while back I planned on using the middle chamber for a small refugium with chaeto. My LFS is really small and they didn't have anything but caulerpa. I decided to take a 1 hour trek to the much bigger fish store. They were out of chaeto. I decided to buy ulva lettuce and red gracilaria. I put it in my display tank and it looked nice. It added some color besides the purple coralline. Well, as far as I could see, the copepods in my tank took out the lettuce and possibly also the gracilaria. I could see them walking around on it and the holes started appearing. Eventually both were completely gone. I'm thinking about trying it out again. Maybe with those, or other plants/macroalgae. Any suggestions?

06/17/2015, 02:58 PM	#2
hotelbravo Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2,175	I personally like caulerpa it grows fast and keeps your nutrient levels down in the tank. it is easily trimmed up, it comes in different varieties and looks there isn't just one type of caulerpa. I doubt the pods could eat caulerpa quick enough.. __________________ -Hodge Current Tank Info: 180 gallon, 40b sump. 3x OR T247 lighting, Reef Octopus protein skimmer, phosban 550 reactor, tunze ato, gyre xf 150, 2x mag 9.5 returns.

06/17/2015, 03:02 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Caulerpa is illegal in CA, and presents special problems in a tank, because it sends roots into the rockwork and can reproduce from runners, fragments, spores, and can get through your return pump. Aiptasia doesn't worry me. But after a near 10 year battle to try to get rid of it, I would toss a rock that has any hint of bringing it in. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/17/2015, 09:24 PM	#4
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	Not all caulerpa is illegal here, and I can't recall nor do I really care what kind is legal, pretty much for reasons sk8r mentioned. The red gracilaria looks really nice Only thing is most tangs will mow through most macro's In a fuge I just do chaeto, great for pods. Halmedia is also great in displays and fish don't eat it, but it does absorb some calcium. __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

06/17/2015, 09:30 PM	#5
mmittlesteadt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Rothschild, WI Posts: 1,209	Caulerpa is even illegal now here in Wisconsin and we don't have any saltwater for about 2000 miles in any direction. __________________ Every life on this planet deserve respect, no matter how small or insignificant it may appear at first glance. 40 Gallon Build Thread - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2486801 Current Tank Info: 40 Gallon Breeder, Eshopps PSK-100, Kessil A160WE, 70 lbs. rock, 65 gallon sump, 27 gallon refugium

06/18/2015, 09:15 AM	#7
SecretiveFish Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: PNW Posts: 713	If you plan on keeping corals in the same tank (i.e. macro algae is not in the sump, in the display tank with the corals), I wouldn't do it. If you are making a macro algae tank on the other hand, that is a different story. - Macro algae often chokes out corals (especially SPS corals). Some unknown green macro algae came in on a palythoa plug and killed the palythoas. - Grape calurpa or calurpa mexicana will sting and kill corals. Also spawing events can kill your corals. - Ochtodes puts out shoots that can be nearly impossible to remove from rocks and corals. We bought a porite that has some on it. Thinking it is pretty, we let the macro algae grow. SO had to use a dental pick to get the shoots out of what was left of the coral, multiple times... - Some unknown red small leafed only grows up to 1/4" off rock algae came in on a rock. We left it alone until it started taking over, at which point we realized how nasty that stuff is. When out of the water the fumes made our nasal passages burn... somehow we got it out the display rocks but some of it is still living in the overflows. - Green Turf algae, pretty but will cover live rock quickly and is difficult to remove. - Never figured out what it was, but it looked like this. http://s73.photobucket.com/user/henr...36f28.jpg.html Also thought that looked cool so let it grow. It is a very fragile macro algae that small pieces fall off easily and help it spread. If I was just having a macro algae tank, I would have kept most of the above except for the calurpa mexicana (that stuff kills even other macro algaes) and the unknown small leafy stuff. A macro algae tank is on my someday list!

06/18/2015, 09:27 AM	#8
hotelbravo Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2,175	i have caulerpa brachypus and my tang and angel mow down on it when i move some over to the display from the sump. i personally will never worry about it becoming a problem because it wont. __________________ -Hodge Current Tank Info: 180 gallon, 40b sump. 3x OR T247 lighting, Reef Octopus protein skimmer, phosban 550 reactor, tunze ato, gyre xf 150, 2x mag 9.5 returns.

06/18/2015, 09:53 AM	#10
Devaji108 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Jackson Hole Wy Posts: 3,430	check put the macroalage forum here lots of amazing tanks and ppl who know what thre doing. I think macros get a bad wrap . just like any SW coral it has its up and downs. you have to learn about it before adding it to your tank. GL