starting a macroalgae tank

[IsmailB]

Hi Guys

ive decided against keeping a reef tank because i mainly stock local fish - i feel that there is a great deal of joy in catching your own.

i was thinking about keeping them with macroalgae (idea given by lord blackadder - thanks) to enhance the beauty of the display tank and make things a little more exciting, does anybody have experiance with this and could maybe help with information as well as where i can get my hands on some?

Thanks

 

[the fish]

some good lighting and they will grow like bossies.

 

[ccwilke]

It will look real nice had a nice piece and my Regal Tang decided its nice food...

 

[dallasg]

Nice idea, get in touch with @lord blackadder

 

[pkc]

Good choice of variant to the hobby, that’s my passion, has been for some years now.

These are a few of the algae and coralline variations I keep and use, there are so many in my tanks.

There would need to be many photos to get each variation in the two tanks that I keep.

The beauty of algae and the importance of it for healthy waters still amazes me after all these years.

Chaeto amongst it all as well

Sea lettuce

Trimmed

I use a separate intense algae area for up take of all toxins and nutrients.

Both tanks are abundant with algae.

All life in and connected with my aquariums I have collected my self.

Top tank
Roughly 40 non-symbiotic and three other than coral,symbiotic algae forms




Bottom tank
Roughly 23 non-symbiotic algae forms and one simbiotic other then corals.

There is some work to get it going very well,but this type of thing works better at helping your water quality then anything else and it looks nice,lol.

Good choice of tank style. go for it!

 

[belindamotion]

Hi Guys

ive decided against keeping a reef tank because i mainly stock local fish - i feel that there is a great deal of joy in catching your own.

i was thinking about keeping them with macroalgae (idea given by lord blackadder - thanks) to enhance the beauty of the display tank and make things a little more exciting, does anybody have experiance with this and could maybe help with information as well as where i can get my hands on some?

Thanks

I've also been playing with this idea...I basically have a FOWLR Tank.....I have a nice Red Algae growing in my Tank..I always scrubbed him off, when scrubbing and treating my LR to get rid of my Aiptasia Infestation...but he keeps on growing back.....so I have decided that THAT alone should entitle him to a place in my Tank......he is now so gorgeous and I love the colour, which has made me also think about going this route...it's loaded with Bristle Stars...but alas...also houses some of the Aiptasia......this is my BABY...roughly 8cm heigh and say 6cm wide...I could be wrong..

I OBVIOUSLY love this Pink one...

 

[IsmailB]

Great! thanks guys, everything seems to be going in the direction i wanted it to. Gotta get my hands on some of this stuff and get going

@pkc, love your tanks man

and @belindamotion, you inspire me

 

[pkc]

I've also been playing with this idea...I basically have a FOWLR Tank.....I have a nice Red Algae growing in my Tank..I always scrubbed him off, when scrubbing and treating my LR to get rid of my Aiptasia Infestation...but he keeps on growing back.....so I have decided that THAT alone should entitle him to a place in my Tank......he is now so gorgeous and I love the colour, which has made me also think about going this route...it's loaded with Bristle Stars...but alas...also houses some of the Aiptasia......this is my BABY...roughly 8cm heigh and say 6cm wide...I could be wrong..

If algae is growing well and non invasive and is a plus to the display tank, then it can only be of a benefit.

The more algae forms the more varied vitamins, minerals and amino acids in your water and your fishes diet as well

I have to trim most of mine; I just get at them with scissors and cut it the same as you would a plant in the garden.

Nearly all the ones I have came from rock pools and the rest of everything came from our marine aquarium club collecting trips.

All algae imports-osmotically absorbing or you can call it up take, they all equate to the same thing, the algae is taking out what you are better of not having in your water!

Each individual algae is better at removing its signature nutrient-toxin, so as many varied forms as possible will purify your waters to a high quality and host an abundance of protists, these will consume their weaker cousins, white spot and velvet as their off spring move past.

This is our library of pics on all life we find here in SEQ,check out the one on caulerpa and other algae!

http://southeastqueenslandm.aforumfree.com/f20-fish-invertebrates-found-near-brisbane-in-seq

 

[Lord_Blackadder]

I've also been playing with this idea...I basically have a FOWLR Tank.....I have a nice Red Algae growing in my Tank..I always scrubbed him off, when scrubbing and treating my LR to get rid of my Aiptasia Infestation...but he keeps on growing back.....so I have decided that THAT alone should entitle him to a place in my Tank......he is now so gorgeous and I love the colour, which has made me also think about going this route...it's loaded with Bristle Stars...but alas...also houses some of the Aiptasia......this is my BABY...roughly 8cm heigh and say 6cm wide...I could be wrong..

Nice one. Would like a snippet of that if you decide to prune it.

I've got mountains of nice Halimeda due for a prune at the moment if anyone wants some.

 

[rudig_masa]

I'm from the tropical side. Always taking flak for encouraging algae growth in my aquarium.

Is there a way to get cuttings in Jhb?
Don't mind having an excuse to go to Durban but petrol is expensive

Was in Durban 2nd week of December. Storms were crazy and washed up all sorts onto the rocks. Collected some alien-looking (to me, at least) plants, but ended up letting them compost back home as I didn't have a marine tank ready and they started smelling really bad after two weeks of dimmed sunlight with opening the bottle for an hour every day.

 

[belindamotion]

@pkc...love some the following...lovely to see algae in such colours/shapes..

Caulerpa lentillifera-sea grape...

Delisea pulcha-red algae....

Dictyotabartay resiana-blue algae...

What is this yellow one...?

 

[Rossi]

Nice idea! It's great catching your own fish!

 

[pkc]

@pkc...love some the following...lovely to see algae in such colours/shapes..

Caulerpa lentillifera-sea grape...

Delisea pulcha-red algae....

Dictyotabartay resiana-blue algae...

What is this yellow one...?

I am in seriously in aw of algae, symbiotic, single celled or multi cellular.

It’s not just its incredible capacity to scrub waters of all that is not wanted, or that the land and sea plants keep us alive and their ancient ancestors gave earth its first oxygen; it is the colours and textures, absolutely wonderful!

I am already a little biased towards algae, due to my profession as a horticulturalist.

My life is plants and the biological functions of them have fascinated me all my life and I have been part of the ocean in most ways since the late 60s,so my love of plants and the ocean are well and truly combined these days.

 

[belindamotion]

@pkc ...what is the yellow one called...?

 

[IsmailB]

I've got mountains of nice Halimeda due for a prune at the moment if anyone wants some.

i'd like some but im actualy in cape town until sunday, would it be possible to hold on to some for me?

 

[Lord_Blackadder]

Yeah no probs.

 

[belindamotion]

Nice one. Would like a snippet of that if you decide to prune it.

I've got mountains of nice Halimeda due for a prune at the moment if anyone wants some.

No problem....the day I prune, will be the day I call you...NEVER "pruned" anything, so wouldn't really know how.. I will gladly share my Red, flat "Gracilaria Mammillaris"...

 

[pkc]

@pkc ...what is the yellow one called...?

Sorry didn’t notice the question.

I have never had that one identified, along with some others as well, I can ask if you like, I have that one in both of my tanks.

It’s a calcified algae, so it’s more or less a flexable coralline,there are heaps of those types around our shoreline.

Very common in shore line rock pools.

 

[Falcon]

Hey Ismail welcome to Masa.

A caulerpra or macro algae tank can be very rewarding if done correctly the biggest issue is that it can crash if the main growth is housed in the main tank under 12 hour lighting,24 hour lighting in a refuge is the preferred method.

I had tones of the stuff in one of my first tanks that basically covered the entire tank.They work very well in reducing phosphates and nitrates as they grow,just trim them to permanently remove the no3 and po4 but only after they have reached sufficient mass to control your levels.

With this method you can go for longer durations without the need for water changes in my experience but monitor your inmates and if something doesn't seem happy then it may be time for a decent water change.

Btw where do you collect most of your stuff?

I really wish I lived down at the coast!

Oh have a look at this link when I just joined up some pix on the second page also:
http://www.marineaquariumsa.com/showthread.php?t=6347&page=2

There was alot more than that at one point i'll see if i can find some pictures.

 

[IsmailB]

Hi Falcon

Thanks alot man, Havent got down to getting the tank started yet but looking foward to soon. Hopefully all goes well. just gotta get down to looking for different types of macro algae now

Btw where do you collect most of your stuff?

mostly along the south coast

I really wish I lived down at the coast!

Haha yeah its the best place to be man