Macro attachment

[AquajunkieMD]

I am lucky enough to live in coastal South Carolina. As such, I have easy access to whatever storms wash up on the beach. As such, it occured to me that I might try putting together a tank featuring local macroalgae with the possible addition of some seahorses and/or pipefish. I have been keeping aquariums for over forty years but this will be my first effort at a marine macroalgae tank (and first effort with seahorses!).

As such, I have the usual set of stupid newbie questions. But one seems most pressing. Since what I will be gathering will have been freefloating specimens broken off by storm and wave action and will have no intact holdfast, I will need a way to anchor these algae in the tank. So, I am looking for suggestions from those with experience. Super glue to live rock? Rubber bands? Thread? Some, I know, are best anchored in the substrate by simply burying them there (or so I believe anyway). How do the experts do it? Any tricks to getting these macros to attach themselves? Anyone know a site that will list those macros that do better on rock vs in the substrate?

As things develop, I will post pics as a thanks to those helping along the way.

Doug

 

[graveyardworm]

I'm not too familiar with SoCarolina water temps, but wouldnt it be considered temperate? Its South enough that macros may do okay at reef temps, but not other animals ( I would steer away from trying to keep other marine life found in your local in a standard reef tank, you will be dooming them to a shorter life). As far as attachment goes I have had luck with super glue, placing in the sand, and wedging between some LR pieces. It does depend somewhat on the macro, but for the most part its pretty easy. Many you find may not have even been experimented with enough to give you a clear answer.

 

[AquajunkieMD]

Thanks for your thoughts. I should have clarified. My intention is not to set this up EXACTLY at reef temps. I am not planning ANY "typical" reef inhabitants so whatever I find here should do OK as I plan to hold temps at about local levels.

 

[ladyfsu]

I have over a dozen types of macros that I found, and most have attached to something. I may have just gotten lucky, but this is what I always do now and it usually works.

I have lots of rock rubble. I buried some pieces in the sand. Then I simply put the plant on the sand, making sure any holdfasts (if they are visible) are buried. Then I also put a piece of little rubble on the plant to hold it in place --- if it's long enough I'll do it every 3-5". Within a week it is usually holding on to several pieces of rock. Whenever I pull some up to give it to a friend, all the holdfasts are attached to rocks, so the next person that gets it already has it secured to little rocks to bury or place.

My experience is that my greens (not ulva or codmium) like sand and/or rock. My reds prefer rock. No matter what I use, if they can attach to the rock, then they will.

I am a newbie sorta that lucked into some beautiful macros that grow like crazy off of my live rock that someone donated. This is what worked for me. Check out my little red house to see some of what I'm talking about.

 

[Lpabsolute]

Hey...Where in SC do you live?

 

[AquajunkieMD]

Lpabsolute. I live in Mt Pleasant. You in the area? If so, want to trade????? (well, I don't have much to trade yet. So maybe I can just "borrow" some macros from you?)