Going green....making the case for macro algae and seagrasses...

Rispa · May 3, 2018

This is a great article. Thank you for it I'm rebooting and possible taking my mom's 55g. When I originally set it up I did so with seagrass in mind, but it's so hard to find the stuff. My deep sandbed will be waiting until you or someone else gets serious I guess.

Rispa · May 3, 2018

By the way do you know who owns/owned the tank with the razorfish?

vikinglord13 · May 24, 2018

Great thread! I'm wanting a display refugium alongside my display tank one day. Do you know of seagrasses that tangs would or might eat? I'd feel bad having a refugium and not including the grasses.

Subsea · Jul 27, 2018

I have been growing seaweed, macro algae, for almost 50 years. I tried seagrass which is a true vascular plants that uptakes nutrients with root system. Seagrass is much more difficult than macro algae. Seagrass also requires intense lighting which cost money to operate and adds heat to system water. If you want benefits without all the work, I suggest differrent macro algae.

I like Caulerpa Prolifera because it resembles Oar Grass and makes a nice emerald green forest meadow undulating in the breeze.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookprolifera.htm

See what Russ from Gulf Coast EcoSystem says about macro and seagrass in this guide. By far, this is my best source of practical info of macro.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/

Chalice Kingdom · Jul 27, 2018

I had one of those bubble corals in the eighties. I think I paid around forty dollars for it!

Having seagrass sounds great idea. But my next tank is going to be bare bottom. Not sure how that would work.

Rispa · Jul 27, 2018

Chalice Kingdom said:
I had one of those bubble corals in the eighties. I think I paid around forty dollars for it!
Having seagrass sounds great idea. But my next tank is going to be bare bottom. Not sure how that would work.

Add in a clay pot with sand in it?

Rispa · Jul 27, 2018

Subsea said:
I have been growing seaweed, macro algae, for almost 50 years. I tried seagrass which is a true vascular plants that uptakes nutrients with root system. Seagrass is much more difficult than macro algae. Seagrass also requires intense lighting which cost money to operate and adds heat to system water. If you want benefits without all the work, I suggest differrent macro algae.

I like Caulerpa Prolifera because it resembles Oar Grass and makes a nice emerald green forest meadow undulating in the breeze.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookprolifera.htm

See what Russ from Gulf Coast EcoSystem says about macro and seagrass in this guide. By far, this is my best source of practical info of macro.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/

Why was seagrass so much harder? I mean aside from the fact that with macroalgae pretty much throw it in and it thrives so long as nothing is eating it.

Chalice Kingdom · Jul 27, 2018

Rispa said:
Add in a clay pot with sand in it?

That’s a good idea!

mmw64 · Jul 27, 2018

TJ's Reef said:
Very nice of you to bring this back into focus again Scott, I am planning my trip to Kauai and will definitely be collecting some of the more interesting Macro Algae from there to bring back. Lots of interesting little inverts within the Algae as well worth collecting like a variety of Shrimp and Porcelain Crabs.

One of my old systems mainly Softy with Macros

Cheers, Todd

Gorgeous tank! Very envious!!!!

Mark Gray · Jul 27, 2018

I remember the tanks with sea grasses had one but no digital photo's I started salt water in the 70's

lzrlvr · Sep 3, 2018

Then I am keeping my caulerpa.

Subsea · Sep 3, 2018

Rispa said:
Why was seagrass so much harder? I mean aside from the fact that with macroalgae pretty much throw it in and it thrives so long as nothing is eating it.

If you have had stellar results with all macroalgae and no problems, my hat is off to you. Coral is easier to keep than most macro algae. Macro is messy. Macro can get temperamental and go sexual on you.

For proper sea grass growing conditions requires 8” dirty sandbed loaded with nutrients because seagrass get their nutrients thru extensive root system like terrestrial plats. Some use garden soil deep in sandbed. In addittion to extensive substrate required by seagrass, the intense lighting require > 10W per gallon. I can grow coral & macro with a third of the electricity as seagrasses.