Wondering if any of the more experienced algae keepers can take a look at this list and let me know which species you think are worth bringing in. I’ve been trying to look them all up and I believe many of these are not commonly kept in aquariums/probably won’t survive.
Any help is appreciated!
I haven't heard of that store and searching for it online hasn't yielded any results. Could you link their website if they have one?
Here's what I could find off the internet/from personal experience. Algae I have kept are starred:
Rare decorative macroalgae:
Actinotrichia sp. - requires calcium, high light and high flow
Amansia glumerata - high light and flow
Amphiroa foliacea - requires calcium, high light and high flow
Boergesenia forbesi - not much information, similar to
Valonia
Bornetella sp. - grows in environments suitable for soft corals, new growth is red while old growth is green, moderate light and low flow
Halimeda copiosa (not capiosa) - requires calcium
Halimeda macroloba - probably requires calcium
Kappaphycus sp. - large and easy to grow, moderate-high light and low-moderate flow
Mastophora rosea - plating coralline algae, I would assume care is similar to other coralline algae, so it should be provided with calcium
Padina gymnospora - grows slowly,
Padina species are known to be difficult to care for, requires calcium, moderate-high light and moderate-high flow
Turbinaria sp. - difficult to care for, should be placed near top of aquarium, can be relatively easily to grow if provided with high light and flow
Popular(ish) decorative macroalgae:
Codium sp.* - prefers water temperatures below 80° Fahrenheit, very slow grower, moderate-high light and high flow, I have found it very hard to destroy
Dictyota sp.* - larger species are more desirable while smaller ones are known to go invasive, quite delicate, some have a nice blue iridescence, moderate-high light and moderate-high flow
Eucheuma spinosum - now known as
Eucheuma denticulatum, very difficult to keep, prefers lower water temperatures, highly variable, moderate light and unknown flow
Galaxaura sp. - requires calcium, high light and moderate-high flow, there is conflicting evidence that this algae is very easy and very difficult to care for
Halimeda incrassata - plant in substrate, requires calcium, grows in clumps or branches, moderate-high light and moderate flow
Neomeris annulata - rarer these days, can be difficult to grow but has the chance to go invasive, requires calcium, moderate light and low flow, looks awesome in my opinion
Peyssonnelia sp.* - often misidentified as "red coralline," plates or encrusts, I think it benefits from calcium, low light and moderate flow
Udotea sp.* - plant in substrate, provide calcium, older growth will eventually die and send up new shoots that will grow up to repeat this cycle, moderate-high light and moderate flow
Valonia sp.* -
Ventricaria is a synonym of
Valonia
Utilitarian macroalgae:
Caulerpa lentillifera* - popular outside the U.S., fast grower, high light and moderate flow, humans can eat this algae so I would assume it could be fed to herbivorous livestock as well
Caulerpa racemosa - must be carefully monitored because it grows fast and more easily goes sexual than others in its genus, moderate-high light and moderate-high flow
Caulerpa serrulata - not very common these days, a small species of
Caulerpa, moderate light and low-moderate flow
Chaetomorpha spiralis* - probably the second most popular
Chaetomorpha species after
C.
linum but is thicker, great choice for refugiums and grows quickly, high light and moderate flow
Ulva lactuca* - has recently been gaining popularity, highly nutritious for herbivores, great choice for refugiums and grows quickly, prefers higher nutrient environments, moderate-high light and moderate flow
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_marine_aquarium_plant_species
https://www.livealgae.co.uk/
https://www.unter-wasser-freiburg.de/Makroalgen
https://www.shopping-charm.jp/category/2c2c2c2c-2c2c-3236-3838-303030303030
http://www.saltcorner.com/
https://www.marineplantbook.com/
https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/plants-macroalgae
