how to trim macro algae

[e.t.]

hi guys , this may seem a stupid question but, do I trim from the top ? i.e. trim the algae shorter ? or trim from the branches ?

what is the likelihood that trimming may cause the nutrients to leak back ? how about plucking?

and finally, can all macro algae be trimmed ? if not, which are the species not to trim but to pluck (remove) ?

thanks a zillion !

 

[horge]

Most marine benthic macroalgae can be trimmed top-down, though there are some notable exceptions:

Foremost would be the popular ornamental Halimeda green algae. In this Genus, the chloroplasts regularly migrate to where they're needed the most (for growth purposes) ---the fresh young tips. If these 'plast-loaded tiips are then removed, what little is left is often insufficient to sustain the body. It's best to uproot whole thalli, else sever certain branches at their nodes of origin, while leaving others untouched. Highly-branching Halimedas, like the diminutive-segmented H. opuntia, are thus easier to harvest from than their bulkier kin