macroalgae

PokeFish

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hi! I am keeping a maco planted tank and i was wondering if anyone had any tips. I had macros before and they always died!
 
Maybe you needed to increase nitrate/phosphate and light. Would help greatly if you described your current setup
 
Maybe you needed to increase nitrate/phosphate and light. Would help greatly if you described your current setup
of course:)
 

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so i have an aqua knight and for filter I have a seachem tidal hob. For flow its the hob and a tiny pump. Im planning on getting another.

Its kinda new (like 2 months) and I dose chaetogrow once a week. I have halimeda and a bunch of red macros.

I also have a rfa

For stocking I have :
One pistol shrimp
One damsel
One clown goby
One watchman goby
Two sexy shrimp
 
I am planning on getting more soft corals once this tank is more established.

i also currently struggle with nuisance algae growing everywhere and on my macros
 
To reduceg amount of sediment in the tank, blast sediment off with water pump and let filter collect the crud on mechanical media, then replace media. Scrub and clean what can be removed outside the tank, in the old tank water, removed with water changes. If scrubbing is done inside the thank, siphon particles out while doing scrubbing. Keep enough snails (astrea, trochus) to work on short algae, see Tidal Gardens videos about ugly phase of reef keeping.

For growing macroalgae:
  • Choose a kind that can survive in your tank, while avoiding species, more suitable for a refugium (chaeto, caulerpa). For me soft macroalgae like dragon breath/tongue didn't work, while wiry ogo (also red gracillaria) did well, and blue hypnea grew well in heavily fed low light tank. Watch for nuisance algae that has to be dealt with, like bryopsis and bubble algae.
  • Make sure that tank has enough nutrients for them, nitrate and phosphate. If not enough, dose them. Reef Chemistry section has options to choose from, from bulk chemicals to liquid fertilizers.
  • If plant requires high light and yours is not enough, choose another plant, that can live under your lighting.
 
so i have an aqua knight and for filter I have a seachem tidal hob. For flow its the hob and a tiny pump. Im planning on getting another.

Its kinda new (like 2 months) and I dose chaetogrow once a week. I have halimeda and a bunch of red macros.

I also have a rfa

For stocking I have :
One pistol shrimp
One damsel
One clown goby
One watchman goby
Two sexy shrimp
Halimeda is a tough choice for new tanks. You'll probably find that it will do well for a period of time, but that it will ultimately disintegrate or decline if you let water parameters slide. It's a commonly-repeated maxim that this macro has the same environmental requirements as SPS...and that's pretty much true.

Red macro -- and specifically, halymenia, is a much better choice. It's a fast grower, has minimal light requirements, and quite pretty. It's also a favourite food for urchins, so keep that in mind if you plan to cultivate it.

I wouldn't dose chaeto grow or, really, any fertilizer since you keep fish. You're just going to throw your numbers out of whack if you do this.
 
Halimeda is a tough choice for new tanks. You'll probably find that it will do well for a period of time, but that it will ultimately disintegrate or decline if you let water parameters slide. It's a commonly-repeated maxim that this macro has the same environmental requirements as SPS...and that's pretty much true.

Red macro -- and specifically, halymenia, is a much better choice. It's a fast grower, has minimal light requirements, and quite pretty. It's also a favourite food for urchins, so keep that in mind if you plan to cultivate it.

I wouldn't dose chaeto grow or, really, any fertilizer since you keep fish. You're just going to throw your numbers out of whack if you do this.
ah i see thank you :) i hear halimeda needs calcium to grow right?
 
ah i see thank you :) i hear halimeda needs calcium to grow right?
Yes, it has a calcareous structure, and needs it to maintain its growth and basic structure. It can be a real calcium sink, which means that it will compete with livestock for this mineral. That's not too much of a problem in mature tanks (or for those who dose), but it does mean that you've got be strict about weekly water changes if you have a new tank. All of CUC went after it (which is not supposed to be common), so I don't have to worry about it anymore. :)
 

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