Nutrient Absorption: Corals vs. Macro Algae

[john.m.cole3]

LPS and soft corals prefer a more nutrient rich environment to thrive and grow in.
Macro algae needs nutrients to grow as well.

Would it be possible to have a refugium set up with LPS and soft coral instead of macro algae? I'm talkin euphyllia, kenya tree, chalice, zoas, acans, xenia, and more.

Would it be as efficient as macro?

Has anybody done both coral and macro in a display fuge?

 

[Bbaz123456]

Yes.
Probably not as efficient as macros but I am no scientist. I just don't think corals can grow as fast as algae. But they definitely help.

 

[john.m.cole3]

This pic in my local reef club got me thinking about this.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Yes.
Probably not as efficient as macros but I am no scientist. I just don't think corals can grow as fast as algae. But they definitely help.

I'm setting up a 46 gallon display fuge on my 72 gallon DT/80 gal total system volume and I was actually worried the macroalgae would do too good of a job sucking up the nutrients. I saw the pic above and was like, hmmm...

 

[john.m.cole3]

My only worry is an invasive species somehow slipping down the overflow and getting into my main DT. Well, that, and this not being enough nutrient uptake being achieved. I guess I could throw in a ball of cheato to help with that.

 

[stevo01]

I'm doing a frag sump, so I support your idea

 

[TaylorPilot]

Julian Sprung's famous book about coral propagation talk about this. He had photos of people using Xenia in raceways and they were everywhere in the system. I think I even saw mention of using aptasia, although I would be hard pressed to purposefully introduce those into my system. Here is a video he did at MACNA a few years ago talking about this. If you don't want to watch the entire thing, start around 9:30. He also makes the point that when you starting trimming it back, the trimmings are worth money!

 

[Hans-Werner]

The nutrient concentrations macro algae and corals need are a bit different. For good growth macro algae need high nitrogen (nitrate and ammonia) concentrations, corals need higher phosphate concentrations. The nutrient demand of these different kinds of organisms is complementary. So macroalgae are good competitors for phosphate to corals when there is a surplus of nitrogen compounds in the system.

 

[Tristan]

People have set up refugiums with Xenia as an export. I personally like caulerpa prolifera(blade caulerpa) in my Refugium as it grown fast, releases good chemicals(or so people say), and doesn't attach to rocks and clingy like racemosa no mexicana

 

[Stigigemla]

I guess the big difference is when it does not work as we want. Every kind of life in a sump can suddenly occur in the main tank.
If it is Xenia or Mushrooms You have problems.
If it is Caulerpa prolifera the tangs will eat it. But You have to check the prolifera for long white ends. When that happens it is going to sexual propagation and is dying. But if you tear of everything more than 1 cm white you will stop it.
Some tangs eat Caulerpa racemosa and others some do not.
If Chaetomorpha gets up in the tank it can be problems. Sometimes it sticks in branching corals so hard that its impossible to clean.
Sometimes not.

 

[Jongalt26]

Did you see this video?

 

[stevo01]

Julian Sprung's famous book about coral propagation talk about this. He had photos of people using Xenia in raceways and they were everywhere in the system. I think I even saw mention of using aptasia, although I would be hard pressed to purposefully introduce those into my system. Here is a video he did at MACNA a few years ago talking about this. If you don't want to watch the entire thing, start around 9:30. He also makes the point that when you starting trimming it back, the trimmings are worth money!

I really enjoy listening to Julian's presentations

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

look at this one. He's here in SD, member of the club
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chronzze-macro-lagoon-120g.256644/
and of course wiz's tank here o r2r.

with some of the LPS they like to spot feed, I think passive feeders would great great.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ummmm. So yea. You can strip the nutrients with a fuge.
If my api can be believed. Yes. Yes you can.
Experiment complete.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Did you see this video?

How neat. I wonder if any xenia makes its way to the dt