Anyone have experience w/ red kelp?

[Mikey Donuts]

Lighting, growth rate, etc.... I searched the forums but didn't come up with much. Any info appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[ClamIAm]

Not really sure what you mean by red kelp. If I'm not mistaken kelps are in the class of brown algae and mostly temperate/coldwater. There are plenty of red algaes you could be referring to, and they generally aren't too hard to care for. Lighting would be the same as the green algaes pretty much, but whichever species you're referring to probably does not grow as fast as things like chaeto or caulerpa.

 

[Mikey Donuts]

It's on liveaquaria.com and they have it listed as "red feather kelp" (haliptilon)

 

[YoitsArson]

I had it and my snails ate it.

 

[malsavant]

I have haliptilon or red feather kelp. I think the most important part about red feather kelp is getting a nice healthy specimen. It typically does not grow very fast but in the right conditions it can grow quite well. Make sure when selecting it to avoid the ones with greenish white die off on the leaves. If that's all they have then you can still get it and it will heal up but it will take longer for it to really start growing. It is more of a decoration algae rather than a nutrient export. The new tips are a nice bright red. I think it is a very beautiful macroalgae with practically no drawbacks.

As for lighting, I've had better luck putting them under soft light like pc's. I think halides are a bit too much for them but if you keep it far enough from the fixture it can grow under halides as well. Make sure to dose iron for them.

 

[Mikey Donuts]

Thanks for the great info!