reedman
Well-known member
It's official. I'm now an insomniac. Unable to sleep for fear of the images that show up on the inside of the eyelids. Make it stop...please...I think I'd rather see dead people.
Do macros inhibit corals?
- Thread starter dnjan
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jojo
Well-known member
What about doing a zenia fuge? I have read in a couple places that zenia has similar uptakes to that of macros with no risk of going sexual. Do you know anything about this Anthony?
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
heehee... well, my GH brood colony for farming Xeniids numbered as much as 8,000 full sized colonies. A couple thousand gallons just for that family 
Despite my love for the animal... nope, its nowhere near as good of a vehicle for nutrient export as Chaetomorpha for example.
The problem with Xenia (elongata, for example) is that it is nearly fully autotrophic. It feeds little by absorbtion and essentially not at all organismally. Just a fast growing light monster. Harmless, but not that helpful. Many better choices indeed.
Despite my love for the animal... nope, its nowhere near as good of a vehicle for nutrient export as Chaetomorpha for example.
The problem with Xenia (elongata, for example) is that it is nearly fully autotrophic. It feeds little by absorbtion and essentially not at all organismally. Just a fast growing light monster. Harmless, but not that helpful. Many better choices indeed.
jojo
Well-known member
Thank you for the quick response Anthony. If you dont mind my asking what would you consider a better choice for a 100% sps tank?
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
always welcome my friend...
as for refugium species, it really depends on so many factors. There are dozens of possibilities. What are your primary interests? Which refugium benefits do you seek to exploit the most? Plankton production... Nutrient Export... Natural Nitrate Reduction, etc.?
You can enjoy some of all, but there needs to be a focus and certain species will serve this better than others.
Looking for recycling nutrients instead? (many herbivorous fishes like tangs, rabbitfishes, angels?) Then go high light, high water flow and Gracilaria.
Looking for moderate to strong nutrient export via vegetable filtration plus strong pod production? Chaetoporpha for you... but still needs strong flow (to keep it tumbling in motion for best health) and it is near useless for recycling nutrients back (few fishes will eat this, but it itself is as great matrix for growing microcrustaceans instead). Lower light is Ok here.
Numerous possibilities with other target organisms... but the above two get my strong vote for species in vegetable filters/refugia.
Anthony
as for refugium species, it really depends on so many factors. There are dozens of possibilities. What are your primary interests? Which refugium benefits do you seek to exploit the most? Plankton production... Nutrient Export... Natural Nitrate Reduction, etc.?
You can enjoy some of all, but there needs to be a focus and certain species will serve this better than others.
Looking for recycling nutrients instead? (many herbivorous fishes like tangs, rabbitfishes, angels?) Then go high light, high water flow and Gracilaria.
Looking for moderate to strong nutrient export via vegetable filtration plus strong pod production? Chaetoporpha for you... but still needs strong flow (to keep it tumbling in motion for best health) and it is near useless for recycling nutrients back (few fishes will eat this, but it itself is as great matrix for growing microcrustaceans instead). Lower light is Ok here.
Numerous possibilities with other target organisms... but the above two get my strong vote for species in vegetable filters/refugia.
Anthony
jojo
Well-known member
Thank you Anthony. I would have to say my goals would be split between nutrient export and natural nitrate reduction. It looks like Chaetoporpha would probly be my best choice? Maybe in combination with Gracilaria?
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
avoid combining algae... just like coral in unnaturally close confines, they waste energy in allelopathic combat rather than use that energy for growth, vigor, etc.
Pick one or the other my friend.
Pick one or the other my friend.
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
I have... enjoy seeing/keeping it... but in culture it is rather precarious. It commonly occurs in the shallows (even intertidally) but under ledges, overhangs, etc.
It needs to be grazed (or trimmed) harsh and regularly to thrive long term
Most aquarists find it to be too much work compared to other more stable or less demanding macros
a handsome algae though IMO
FWIW
It needs to be grazed (or trimmed) harsh and regularly to thrive long term
Most aquarists find it to be too much work compared to other more stable or less demanding macros
a handsome algae though IMO
FWIW
Angelscrx
Import Fish
I want SPS and LPS from the middle on up and Zoos, ricordeas, and some mushrooms along the bottom of the tank. I think it will look beautiful we will see.
reefer
Well-known member
I like to keep some grape caulerpa in my sump to feed my tangs. Would I be better to set up a separate tank with ony light to grow the caulerpa?
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
grape Caulerpa (racemosa) is one of the most toxic species of an already toxic genera. Demonstrated to induce mortality in some fishes forced to eat it.
Pass on the Caulerpa please... use Gracilaria (AKA Tang Heaven) instead for this purpose. Give it bright light at 5-10 watts of daylight per gallon... and say 20X water flow turnover minimum... and enjoy good vigor overall.
Pass on the Caulerpa please... use Gracilaria (AKA Tang Heaven) instead for this purpose. Give it bright light at 5-10 watts of daylight per gallon... and say 20X water flow turnover minimum... and enjoy good vigor overall.
reefer
Well-known member
Thanks for the advise. Wher can I get some Gracilaria? Is it a fast grower? Should I keep it in my sump? I keep the sump lit 24/7. I figure its good for keeping the oxygen levels up during the night.
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
24/7 lighting only works for rare species that can go into stasis (Caulerpa is one of the only you'll find)... the majority of plants and algae need a (night) period of respiration. And your tank will benefit more by it too.
At most, put the vessel on a reverse photoperiod to help with pH stability.
As for Gracilaria, I suspect someone in your local club/region has some to share... if not IPSF.com sells it.
Inlandaquatics .com too (fab place for refugium species)
Do some keyword searches on this website and beyond for this genus... you'll lean much from the archives
At most, put the vessel on a reverse photoperiod to help with pH stability.
As for Gracilaria, I suspect someone in your local club/region has some to share... if not IPSF.com sells it.
Inlandaquatics .com too (fab place for refugium species)
Do some keyword searches on this website and beyond for this genus... you'll lean much from the archives
Anthony, when you say 20X turnover, this can also be accomplished by using a couple of powerheads in the fuge, would that be correct. I currently have a 75 gallon fuge, being fed by a Mag 9.5, which comes out to about 13X turnover. Can I drop a Mag 5 in there to accomplish what you are saying?
I currently have some razor caulerpa, some racemosa, and a large ball of spaghetti. Do you think it would be advisable to remove as much of the caulerpa as is humanly possible, and then let the spaghetti take over? Thanx for any advice???
I currently have some razor caulerpa, some racemosa, and a large ball of spaghetti. Do you think it would be advisable to remove as much of the caulerpa as is humanly possible, and then let the spaghetti take over? Thanx for any advice???
A way we used to keep these algae that perfer the rough and tumbled life was to just put them in a 5 gallon bucket (or simular) with a PH forcing them to tumble, then a PH feeding the bucket and a hole in the bucket side to gravity feed it back to the sump. It made for great contat time also.
For garcilla check out Indo pacific sea farms or bills reef.
MIke
For garcilla check out Indo pacific sea farms or bills reef.
MIke
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
I not (ever) inclined to add extra powerheads to my systems... I avoid them for many reasons (see my article on wetwebmedia.com "Goodbye powerheads").
in this case... I'm guessing its uneccesary if you can tap the vegetable filter inline with downstream water from the display (overflow) or upstream off the return pump from the sump (teed bleeder line to undertank fuge... or as an upstream fuge above the display which overflows to the display)
for algae species... yes, always best to focus on one only (especially since we generally have such small aquariums to culture them in). Chaetomorpha gets my vote as one of the best all around species for vegetable filtration/fuges.
in this case... I'm guessing its uneccesary if you can tap the vegetable filter inline with downstream water from the display (overflow) or upstream off the return pump from the sump (teed bleeder line to undertank fuge... or as an upstream fuge above the display which overflows to the display)
for algae species... yes, always best to focus on one only (especially since we generally have such small aquariums to culture them in). Chaetomorpha gets my vote as one of the best all around species for vegetable filtration/fuges.
