Features of red plants.

[Andrey Grodno]

Hello to all lovers of marine plants. It is extremely difficult to get plants for marine aquarium in our country. About 10 years ago it was a little easier and several species used in sampas were available to amateurs. But now everything has changed and even hetamorpha has become scarce. Recently I was given a bush of gracilaria. It is a huge jewel for me. It has increased in size and I have divided it into several parts. However, not in all aquariums it remains a beautiful and red plant. Sometimes it becomes paler. It loses its red color. Why? What do red plants need in an aquarium?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hopefully someone with more hands-on knowledge will comment for you here, but the link below has care info for a few different Graciliaria spp., so it may help too.

@Tigahboy @WheatToast - any thoughts?

Edit: I forgot to post the link, but Subsea posted it below.

 

[Subsea]

@Andrey Grodno
kudos on your unusual 400L member tank, especially with your focus on the bottom of the food chain.

With respect to fast growing red macros, know this general rule; they will consume the major nutrients of nitrogen & phosphate in a ratio of 30:1. Iron as a trace mineral should be dosed.

Marine Plants In The Aquarium: An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

www.marineplantbook.com

Marine Plants in The Aquarium" is an online resource for the identification and care of marine macroalgae and seagrasses in the saltwater aquarium. The guide features over 70 of the most commonly available species of marine plants with full color photographs, detailed descriptions and aquarium care. Many of the species included in the guide are available to purchase online from Gulf Coast Ecosystems. Click on each link below to begin the exploration.

Table of Contents​

About The Author	Introduction	Marine Plants In The Aquarium
The Refugium	Substrates	Selecting Quality Plants
Aquascapes	Lighting	Reproductive Cycle
Filtration	Nutrients	Maintenance
Case For Caulerpa	Green Macroalgae	Red Macroalgae
Brown Macroalgae	Seagrass	Mangroves
References	Glossary	Online Articles

Which red Gracilaria do you have?

The genus Rhodophyta is the largest and most diverse group of tropical and temperate marine algae with more than 2,000 species worldwide. Their dominant pigment is phycoerythrin, which gives off rich shades of red, orange and blue. Red macro algae are some of the most varied and striking of all marine algae and are highly sought after as aquarium specimens. Identification can be difficult in some species, such as Gracilaria, and some have slight variations depending on the location and depth. Although this index is not a complete listing, it represents species that are commonly available or sought after by marine aquarists. As new species become available to the industry they will be added.
Index of Red Macroalgae​ space Acanthaphora Sp.​ Asparagopsis Sp.​ Botryocladia Sp.​ Chondria Sp.​ Dasya Sp.​ Galaxaura Sp.​ Gelidium Sp.​ Gracilaria Parvisipora​ Gracilaria Tikvahiae​ Gracilaria Hayi​ Halymenia Floresia​ Halymenia Floridana​ Halymenia Elongata​ Hydrolithon Sp.​ Laurencia Sp.​ Liagora Sp.​ Lithophyllum Sp.​ Nemastoma Sp. ​ Ochtodes Sp.​ Haliptilon Sp.​ Trichogloea Sp.​
Copyright © 2010 GCE All rights reserved. No part of this online publication may be reproduced in any form by any means without the expressed permission of the author. All images are the property of Gulf Coast Ecosystems unless otherwise noted and should not be reproduced or distributed without permission.

 

[Andrey Grodno]

I don't know what species of this plant I have. It has become very different in appearance. Now some pictures. This is the same plant in different conditions.

 

[Subsea]

Gracilaria Hayi

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

A beautiful species of Gracilaria featuring rigid, flame shaped branches that form a tight symmetrical bush. It is lightly calcified so the addition of calcium is recommended. In shallow water it is often found in very large clumps covered in colonial tunicates or encrusted with epiphytic bryozoans. The coloration varies between deep crimson red to bright orange depending on the amount of light provided. It features a small holdfast that can be attached to rocks or left as a free floating specimen if desired. Overall it is undemanding and will grow well under a variety of conditions even in low flow environments. Due to its lightly calcified branches it is not known to be very palatable to fish or invertebrates.​

 

[Andrey Grodno]

Thank you very much. Now I know where to look for the cause of the problem. First, the light. I do not have a very strong light in several aquariums, perhaps that is why gracilaria loses color.

 

[Subsea]

Thank you very much. Now I know where to look for the cause of the problem. First, the light. I do not have a very strong light in several aquariums, perhaps that is why gracilaria loses color.

What I have found with Red Macroalgae is that lower light causes red macro to become dark burgundy and intense bright light causes red macro to turn yellow orange.

 

[Andrey Grodno]

What I have found with Red Macroalgae is that lower light causes red macro to become dark burgundy and intense bright light causes red macro to turn yellow orange.

Thank you. I already realized that from the description and even started to move the plants further away from the lamps. I thought they didn't have enough light, but it turned out to be too much.

 

[KrisReef]

@Andrey Grodno

I use nitrogen to make my lawn and fruit trees green when they turn yellow. Let us know what you find out about the yellowing red algae. Sorry that they are difficult to get.

Did they make algae import illegal or is it just rare where you are?

 

[Subsea]

@Andrey Grodno

I use nitrogen to make my lawn and fruit trees green when they turn yellow. Let us know what you find out about the yellowing red algae. Sorry that they are difficult to get.

Did they make algae import illegal or is it just rare where you are?

When my lawn grass turns pale yellow, I add iron and it greens up. If I add nitrogen, I mow it more frequently.