Recommend macroalgaes for the main tank

[Blood Shrimp]

I've had a tank running for about 2 years now but I am currently doing a drastic rehaul on it. I currently have a 55 gallon with shallow sand bed, lots of LR, and a few clowns and some invertebrates with new inhabitants to come. I am getting a large aquafuge 2 refugium that will be filled with LR rubble, miracle mud (do I mix this with sand or just put the mud?), and of course chaetomorpha.

I want some algae in the tank. I think it gives a nice natural look. It doesn't sound like chaeto is something I want in the main tank. I want something that will give the inhabitants another food source, help with nutrient export, that won't spread like wildfire, and will just look nice. Don't want any culerpa. Anything you guys recommend?

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF!!! Hope you enjoy it here As for an algae for the tank...How about coraline algae (LOL) Naw...Can't think of anything for the main display. Not very many people will want to take the chance with a macro in their display for the simple reason of it getting out of hand. However, there was a member here I remembered a while back that had a saltwater planted tank. Maybe that will give you some ideas. I'm not too positive if I can still find the thread because it was quite a while back when I saw it, but I'll give it a look. If I don't find it, hopefully the member or someone else will chime in. Good luck!

 

[returnofsid]

Hmmm possibly sea-grass or halimedia. Although I don't know of anything that will eat halimedia and it sucks up calcium as it it were a hard coral....lol. Looks really cool though. Oh, there's also Condium....very nice looking, non aggressive but again, I don't know what will eat it. My Yellow Tang does seem to nibble on it once in awhile.

 

[DonW]

Seagrass is sort of cool but thats the only thing I can think of that is display friendly.

Don

 

[Krish]

Found the member Check post# 11 here...
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15163

Maybe you can shoot them a pm to get some feedback on thier setup. Hope that helps and good luck!

 

[nano_reeflover]

I've got a 20 gal planted tank. You could do sargassum, codium, gracilaria, ulva, ochtodes, Halymenia, dictyota, ... a good amount of red macros wont take over a tank... seagrass needs a species specific tank... uhhh.... thats all I can think of at the moment. If you have any questions let me know.

 

[aquarookie]

Welcome to RF . I would say Halimeda is one of my favorites, along with all the cool red branchy things (I think that's gracilaria) . Where are you located?

 

[burning2nd]

Ive thought about that....

what are good kinds of macro aglae...?

 

[JasonD]

I have been keeping this red plant in my reef tanks for 2 years. I have not had any problems at all with it.

 

[burning2nd]

whats that thing in the center lower tube like thing just left under the red algae

 

[ronj]

i actually keep cheato in my frag tank..it grows like crazy!!!! if you have, or plan on having a tang, you will need to watch what macroalgae you keep in there..they will devour most types in minutes!!!!

 

[Blood Shrimp]

I got my aquafuge 2 today. I'm going to pack it with live sand, live rock, and chaeto. The return of pods and mandarins has me excited. I'm considering some halimeda for the main tank. I have a 55 gallon, will that be too small to get a sailfin tang? I want to put a small bit of chaeto in the tank from time to time so my guys can get their greens.

 

[sihaya]

Whatever you pick... do not use caulerpa!! Once it gets in your tank, there's no getting it out!

 

[burning2nd]

did that al rdy

eazyest way to get rid of it, is with it in the sump

 

[Haole]

I have a 55 gallon, will that be too small to get a sailfin tang? I want to put a small bit of chaeto in the tank from time to time so my guys can get their greens.

Hmmm... I’d consider it still a bit too small for a tang. I don’t think you need to bother with putting a little cheato in the main tank from time to time... Not likely that your clown fishes will graze on it. Although they’ll hunt for the pods within it.

Oh, and I wouldn’t suggest mixing sand with the mud... Just choose one or the other or no substrate at all.

 

[btuck]

Oh you people and your hate of caulerpa. :lol: While I do not recommend using caulerpa racemosa, I use caulerpa prolifera in my Seahorse tank and feel as though it looks very natural. It's a nice alternative to using turtle grass which is much more expensive and requires a deep sandbed.

 

[sihaya]

Caulerpa might be ok for a Seahorse tank, but I still think it's evil... especially the "grape caulerpa."

 

[btuck]

I agree on the grape caulerpa, that's why I said caulerpa racemosa. Just out of curiosity though. Why do you not like any of the others?

 

[burning2nd]

what about
Blue-Purple Ball Macro


i want something bright in color...

green, blue, bright red...

whats out there?