Dragons, Macros, and Kessils. Oh my!

[ChimolaFish]

I'm new to macro tanks so bear with me.
So I'm turning my Japanese dragon set up into a macro tank with gorgonians and maybe a very small amount of coral. I just found a real steal on the Tuna Blue Kessils a360w and I'm wondering about the light spectrum. I'm assuming most macros grow best between 6500k and 8000k like most freshwater plants, but I'm wondering if my kessils will be alright for them. I know macros are typically hardy and an intense light like a kessil might be fine despite being a less than ideal spectrum. And since I'm new, Im not too sure about what types I'd like to keep, but I would think a good mix of the green, brown, and red. Can someone give me some more insight on this?

Also, are there any good primers on setting up a macro tank out there? Some quick google searches aren't turning up much more than specific q/a like this forum and I'm looking for more broad scope stuff for right now since Im just starting to plan.

Thanks a ton, guys.

Oh, almost forgot. And how do people deal with the ph difference? If macros are anything like freshwater plants, they lower the ph, and I'm a little worried a tank full of macro algae might be a little unsafe at that point for my eel... am I just being dumb?

 

[ChimolaFish]

Anyone?

 

[GMay]

Typical reef lighting is also very good for macro algae.

Do not worry about the pH as marine algae are use to the elevated pH of salt water.

Do not know of any primers.

Good plant growing!

 

[ChimolaFish]

Cool thanks! I'm not too worried about the ph for the macro, just worried that having the macro will lower the ph of the water. Not sure if they do or not, I just know from my experience in freshwater that plants to lower the ph of the aquariums they are in and figured macro would do the same in a saltwater set up, which would be bad for everything else that needs the higher ph. Can't seem to find any info on that.

 

[saltwater sam]

Freshwater plants actually raise the pH, they need low pH not cause it. Macros are the same way: they absorb CO2 which in aqueous solution is called carbonic acid. Carbonic acid lowers pH, by absorbing CO2, plants and algaes raise the pH.

 

[ChimolaFish]

Hmm, well that gives me something to think about. It was always my understanding that if you wanted a softer ph in freshwater aquaria you added plants. Gives me something to think about.

So the ph swings that happen because of the day/night cycles, they can be offset by lighting a refugium on a seperate schedule, but it usually isn't too big of a deal, correct?

 

[saltwater sam]

I doubt that there will be any significant pH swing in the tank, as long as you do water changes. I would be interested in seeing any data that would suggest the contrary.

High pH and calcium levels in sw tanks have a pretty strong buffering effect on relatively weak acids like CO2, but if calcium levels are being depleted due to lack of water changes or calcareous algaes, that is going to reduce that buffering effect.

Basically: don't worry about the pH unless you neglect water changes or have have large amounts of calcareous algaes or hard corals.

 

[ChimolaFish]

Well great, I do weekly wc so I'm not worried about that. Macro tank here I come ��

 

[phobos2deimos]

In addition to what Sam said, I think you'll find that red macros especially react well to to lighting in the higher spectrum. Good luck!

 

[ChimolaFish]

In addition to what Sam said, I think you'll find that red macros especially react well to to lighting in the higher spectrum. Good luck!

Awesome. I'l make a build thread when it gets going and show you guys how it turned out.