It seems the go to is cheato, while available online, not so much at my Local stores. Locally seems different variations of Calurpala are king. Can I get some quick reccomendations for some macro. And their specific Benefits?
Macro recommendations
- Thread starter DudeBruh
- Start date
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Local reefers give chaeto away sometimes. Look at your local club.
Chaeto; I can not make it grow. I dont have enough flow to tumble it. If you get it to grow it grows fast and is good for nutrient export, a place for pods to live and does not go sexual usually.
Ulva; My fastest grower. Likes high nutrients, strong lighting and not so strong flow. Good for nutrient export and a place for pods to live.
Caulerpa; Some types good some types bad. Esp if in your tank.
I recommend you read up on them at this web site before making a choice.
https://www.live-plants.com/
I like the red macros for in my display tank.
Chaeto; I can not make it grow. I dont have enough flow to tumble it. If you get it to grow it grows fast and is good for nutrient export, a place for pods to live and does not go sexual usually.
Ulva; My fastest grower. Likes high nutrients, strong lighting and not so strong flow. Good for nutrient export and a place for pods to live.
Caulerpa; Some types good some types bad. Esp if in your tank.
I recommend you read up on them at this web site before making a choice.
https://www.live-plants.com/
I like the red macros for in my display tank.
I do calurpala. I keep on 24 hour light schedule, if not WILL go sexual and die off and has a great possibility of crashing tank with nutrient release. On the other hand I think it’s an excellent phosphate sponge. My light is off more than three hours through away 90% of the algae.
It depends on what you want the macro for . . .
For filtration, I like chaetomorpha as mentioned above. It grows quickly, filters the water well, and while it has a tendency to break if handled, is just fine in a refugium.
For looks, I like dragon's breath and gracilaria (and am trying to grow some blue Hypnea in my refugium). They don't grow as quickly as chaeto, but they are nice display macroalgae. For a sumpless system, a bunch of dragon's breath and gracilaria would work decently well for nutrient export.
I hate Caulerpa - I tried it a decade ago, and once it grows past a certain size it disintegrates into spores and seeds the entire tank; when that grows, it wipes your tank out. The water was clear and my tang certainly seemed happy, but I lost all of my coral. Never again.
For filtration, I like chaetomorpha as mentioned above. It grows quickly, filters the water well, and while it has a tendency to break if handled, is just fine in a refugium.
For looks, I like dragon's breath and gracilaria (and am trying to grow some blue Hypnea in my refugium). They don't grow as quickly as chaeto, but they are nice display macroalgae. For a sumpless system, a bunch of dragon's breath and gracilaria would work decently well for nutrient export.
I hate Caulerpa - I tried it a decade ago, and once it grows past a certain size it disintegrates into spores and seeds the entire tank; when that grows, it wipes your tank out. The water was clear and my tang certainly seemed happy, but I lost all of my coral. Never again.
What does the “go sexual” entail? Thank you all for the support.
Dragons breath and blue Hypnea are nice looking, are they effective on there own... like if I had a small amount in the display?
Do any fish eat them and at a rate that would kill it?
Dragons breath and blue Hypnea are nice looking, are they effective on there own... like if I had a small amount in the display?
Do any fish eat them and at a rate that would kill it?
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https://www.live-plants.com/
Will give you a ton of info on what will eat certain macro. What macro consumes what. How fast it grows ect...
"sexual" is what it does when it reaches a point where it has "outgrown its space" so to speak. Dies off and releases a tons of spores so the blood line will continue.
Will give you a ton of info on what will eat certain macro. What macro consumes what. How fast it grows ect...
"sexual" is what it does when it reaches a point where it has "outgrown its space" so to speak. Dies off and releases a tons of spores so the blood line will continue.
Does anyone have any hands-on exp with the DT algea... seems just as demanding as some corals 
Bryothamnion triquetrum or Laurencia iridescens or any of the calcified hard algea. I’m looking on the sugggested website. Some require high flow and light, which led to my “demanding as some corals” guestion. Some are very nice looking, and affordable. Wouldn’t mind ordering some to try after i get the Fuge situated
"Going sexual" means that all of the Caulerpa turns transparent and disintegrates, then starts to regrow everywhere. I didn't have mine under 24 hr lighting (or prune it so that it stayed in a very small area), so I don't know if that would work or not.
I have had hermit crabs and a cleaner shrimp go bananas attacking Hypnea (I think that it had lots of pods or something) to where it wasn't there 24 hrs later; I don't keep herbivores as my tank is small enough to be cleaned by snails alone so I don't know if dragon's breath would be eaten by, say, a tang. Gracilaria is essentially tang food (I think), so a tang would very happily munch it into nothingness.
Hope that helps!
Esquire805
Well-Known Member
Turbo eat it watch out
Esquire805
Well-Known Member
I keep all kinds ulva red chaeto 4 types of caulerpa gracilaria etc depends on your tank
