Good macroalgae to add to DT w/ mediocre lighting?

Sheol · 03-11-2008, 01:10 AM

Hiya.

I don't have a refugium, nor do I have a good place to set one up, but I'm struggling with nitrates and would like to add some macroalgae to my DT.

What is a good one to use that isn't likely to completely overtake the tank?

My lighting system is weak - just 1 48" T12 bulb - a 10,000K 40-watt fluorescent and a 24" (I think) blue actinic fluorescent. (My tank is an 80-Gallon.)

Is there a good macroalgae out there for me to get that fits my needs and restrictions?

Oh also - the macroalgae should be quarantined, right?

poppin_fresh · 03-11-2008, 01:17 AM

Adding a macro to the DT can be a risk IMO. Some of them can be extremely aggressive and can take over a tank if not kept in check. What are your nitrates at and with what test kit??

Sheol · 03-11-2008, 01:22 AM

My nitrates are at 80 ppm, and that's the lowest they've gotten since I inherited the tank. (When I inherited the tank, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates were high, and the nitrates were an unknown amount over 160 ppm - that was the deepest color on the card, and it took at least 2 months of many water changes and substrate vacuumings to finally even get it to read a different value on the card. Also, DO was probably a problem, and I've since added a protein skimmer and 4 powerheads on a wavemaker.)

I'm using the API Saltwater Master Test Kit.

PhotoJohn · 03-11-2008, 02:45 AM

I would go for cheto in your display. It seems to be easy enough to control. colerpa is nasty and will attatch to every rock you have if given the chance. The cheto also gives great hiding places for pods

THEJRC · 03-11-2008, 11:09 AM

eh go with one of the red kelp like species, maybe some sargassum or a sea grass if you do something in the display, chaeto can get just as out of control if little bits of it float off the bunch.

I keep caulerpa in my display but I do need to trim it to keep it under control. Everyone is right, it does take a little more effort (but for me I dont mind). Biggest thing to worry about with any species is that when you trim it up not to let peices float off.

I've had to pull chunks of rock out to retreive out of control chaeto that had sunk underneath, since it doesnt attach like caulerpa it can actually be more of a problem if it gets away. The caulerpa is easy to track and trim since it attaches and follows the rock. If you miss a trimming though expect it to be a lot more effort to pull the attaching roots up from where it went else it'll come back.

Stick with things like the bottlebrush and some of the more fancy macro's that dont grow as fast and prolific and you'll be alright. Chaeto belongs in refugiums and culture systems IMHO and caulerpa as much as I like it definately is NOT for those who want low maintenance... it is a high maintenance algae for sure!.

Bobby2 · 03-11-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THEJRC

eh go with one of the red kelp like species, maybe some sargassum or a sea grass if you do something in the display, chaeto can get just as out of control if little bits of it float off the bunch.

Stick with things like the bottlebrush and some of the more fancy macro's that dont grow as fast and prolific and you'll be alright. Chaeto belongs in refugiums and culture systems IMHO and caulerpa as much as I like it definately is NOT for those who want low maintenance... it is a high maintenance algae for sure!.

sargassum and sea grass ime need a lot more light than what you have.

is this going to be a reef?

how deep is your substrate?

when you vacuumed your gravel you may have made the nitrates higher by killing off the anaerobic bacteria at the bottom.

PhotoJohn · 03-11-2008, 12:51 PM

Cheto may float around and hide in rocks and whatnot but it does not attach to rocks like caulerpa. caulerpa will sink roots into rock and can be difficult to get rid of once established in rockwork. I have also had caulerpa grow over zoos.

Sheol · 03-11-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby2

sargassum and sea grass ime need a lot more light than what you have.

Thanks - Maybe I could figure out how to build an external refugium NEXT to the DT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby2

is this going to be a reef?

One day - after I spend about $1200 on new lights - OR a new tank with new lights.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby2

how deep is your substrate?

Only about 2 ½ - 3 inches.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby2

when you vacuumed your gravel you may have made the nitrates higher by killing off the anaerobic bacteria at the bottom.

I doubt it only because I made sure to do small areas each week, specifically to avoid getting rid of it all.

PhotoJohn · 03-11-2008, 04:32 PM

you might want to look around this web page, I think its great

Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation Home Page

Bobby2 · 03-11-2008, 11:12 PM

Caulerpa may grow slow and easy to take care of in your tank. Ohh but when you get your new light LOOK OUT!! It will most likely explode and dominate every thing in the tank. I recommend not to try it at first or at least until you decide if that is something you might want. Because this might happen.

(((by the way I tried to do this and succeeded...................... until i failed.)))

I would also add more sand 3-4 inches has been fine in many of the tanks I have set up. I might also invest in a little more live rock.

How much and what are you feeding your tank?

At this point your dealing with 80ppm No3
What are your phosphate readings?
If you plan on getting a new light I would wait until No3 and Po4 are 0 to avoid a large algae bloom.

Sheol · 03-12-2008, 03:17 AM

I do plan to add more live rock - I'm just pacing myself. I added a 35-lb (cured) piece just 4 days ago or so... Wouldn't want to cause a spike.

I am feeding 2 - 3 times a day of a mixture of flakes, Spectrum marine pellets, frozen brine shrimp, and freeze-dried vitamin enriched brine shrimp. My cardinals will only eat the brine shrimp... everything else seems less picky. For the spectrum pellets, since they sink quickly, I drop in a few pellets at a time over the course of a couple minutes. Everything else, I drop in an amount that takes the fish about 2 minutes to eat. If I feed them the third time, it's usually about an hour before the lights go out and a scarce amount of food.

I don't have a phosphate test kit, but at least I have ChemiPure Elite in my canister filter, which claims it will lower phosphates for less algae growth, and my tank has MUCH less algae than it used to. The hair algae used to be so long on one of the rocks that the sebae clown used to snuggle up inside of it like it was his anemone... Then I switched to the ChemiPure media and added 15 more (previously only had 4) small hermit crabs, and I'm not sure how much each contributed to the decrease of the algae.

Sheol · 03-12-2008, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhotoJohn

you might want to look around this web page, I think its great

Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation Home Page

Thanks - I looked a little bit - sleepy time now. I'll leave it open for next time. The people around me think I'm crazy, obsessing over all this new fish information day and night.

PhotoJohn · 03-13-2008, 01:05 AM

I have been in the hoby for about 2 years and I am still obsessing!

**Amphibious** · 03-13-2008, 09:22 AM

I have been in this hobby for 61 years. There have been countless changes in methodology, equipment, aquarium materials, availability of species, technology, and more. You name it, it has changed. It's forever evolving and it will continue to evolve. We are still learning how to keep delicate critters, from an alien world to us, and keeping them successfully in cubicles in our homes. Critters of such beauty as to inspire awe in the hearts and minds of anyone that looks upon our creation. I'm sure you have had a friend gaze into your reef and say, "That's alive?", "That's real coral?" or something similar.

What's not to obsess about? What's not to get excited about? After this long, I'm still like a kid in a candy store when I go to