macroalgae question

[werd2738]

Hey all. Im looking to add macroalgae to my display tank as I do not have a sump. Im looking for something that wont spread throughout the tank, will help lower nitrates, and if possible will look nice. Also I have a yellow tang and am not sure if it will just eat it all so fast that it wont be able to keep up. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

 

[BallinCrew10]

I always liked the look of this.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=490+1478&pcatid=1478

 

[Supa Belle]

Hey all. Im looking to add macroalgae to my display tank as I do not have a sump. Im looking for something that wont spread throughout the tank, will help lower nitrates, and if possible will look nice. Also I have a yellow tang and am not sure if it will just eat it all so fast that it wont be able to keep up. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

You can buy HOB refugiums to add to your tank the tang will eat your macro faster than it can grow. Dragons breath, maidens hair or other hamilide types is a great macro to have cause as you would need to thin it u can drop it into the display and it will be a tasty treat for your tang

 

[werd2738]

I seen those and im just not sure if I would have the room behind my tank. I did however find an in tank refugium on Dr foster and Smith that is 12x6x8 that has a built in powerhead and holes for water circulation. I figure I could do that, and whatever starts growing through the holes would be pruned by the tang. Ill post a link.

 

[werd2738]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3727+3621&pcatid=3621

 

[Supa Belle]

Yea that would be a perfect alternative

 

[TommyP]

Just saw this . I spent 4$ on a small 5x5x5 breeder with like a mesh net and it's all plastic. I have chaeto and caulerpa in there now pretty good population but the mesh is white and has not great flow is very fine so some algae has been building up on the outside of the netting - creating even less flow then there is now. This sounds like a great idea. I have a 55g tank so might go with the small one bc the big one i dont think will fit the width of my tank (with the pump) thanks for the link! helped me out for sure.

 

[werd2738]

No prob. I was really surprised myself how little info there was when i researched on Google. Sometimes I wanna yell at my computer, how am I the only one with this question!? Lol

Im buying this very soon and ill post a new thread on my findings.

 

[marsh]

Subscribed. I almost ordered the hob refugium but my skimmer took up the available slot so that internal one may be my best bet for my 55.

I have a scooter blenny who happily eats bloodworms but I want to provide the best diet so he stays happy. Also want to add to my stock, lots of Copepods and algae eaters.

By the way, what is the difference between Copepods and macro algae or is one a type of the other?

 

[TommyP]

To my understanding copepods are the little white bugs that are great snacks for blennys and mandarins as well as all fish, macro algae is like algae whether it be chaeto or caulerpa or any other form of plantish type that protects and helps breed the copepods. The macroalgae sucks up nitrates in the system. Now im thinking if the algae eats the nitrates, and it's still sitting in the tank, would it really make a difference? I guess by pruning it, it would. Idk?

 

[TommyP]

I'm worried about space and how it would look cosmetically in my 55 gallon tank. Im thinking about going for the smaller one. But hesitant on spending the $41 + any shipping if it's going to look stupid.

 

[TommyP]

Mine looks like this now, not very pleasing on the eye. It's in the top left back corner with a power head I front of it so its not too noticeable but the clear container would be much better.

 

[TommyP]

Here's another picture.

 

[marsh]

To my understanding copepods are the little white bugs that are great snacks for blennys and mandarins as well as all fish, macro algae is like algae whether it be chaeto or caulerpa or any other form of plantish type that protects and helps breed the copepods.

Good breakdown thanks. Well that makes sense, I was told that chaeto would be good to put into a refugium, and I was looking into Copepods at the time.

The green netting would bug me too. On my planted Betta tank I made a plastic bottle baffle over my filter that is nearly clear but I still notice it

 

[marsh]

Here's another picture.

Is that a real living seaweed plant in the front left corner if your tank? My searches haven't led to many for sale

 

[TommyP]

It was actually a purple sea whip. I bought it off reefs2go.com for about $9.00. It looked so nice in the tank but did not last very long. I thought it was a filter feeder but I was supposed to feed it. It slowly disinigrated. Now it looks like a burnt brown stick in that corner... It's a gorgonian.

 

[marsh]

Purple sea whip, thanks. Sounds like a mermaid bachelorette party toy

 

[TommyP]

bahahaha good one lol

 

[werd2738]

Tommy your tank looks fantastic. You look like you have zero algae. Did adding the chaeto make a difference? Do you use rodi or a skimmer? Im adding chaeto to help battle nitrates and phosphates, cause im getting quite a bit of green/Brown film algae.

 

[TommyP]

Wow thanks. I've always wanted my tank to look good I feel like it doesn't bc I always see these really nice tanks on here. I do have algae growing on the back wall , the ghetto mesh fuge and the power heads but nothing on the glass bc I clean it every day or every other day with my magnafloat