Macro won't grow, Micro flourishing

[scotmol]

I'm just about to give up here on Macro's. I have a 29 gal remote DSB that I set up as a Macro grow out as well. I have tried, Tang Heaven Red (Gracilaria parvispora), Tang Heaven Green (Ulva sp.), Tang Heaven Gold (Gracilaria sp.), Feathery Caulerpa (C. sertularioides) and Halimeda (Halimeda sp.) and my last attempt was with Chaetomorpha (Spaghetti algea). None has ever grown and after a couple of weeks is dead. However, I have a very healthy crop of hair algea growing on the sides of the tank and on the egg crate I originally set up to prevent the macro's from getting sucked out. The copepod and worm population in the DSB has exploded. I have no hair algea in my display which looks quite good right now (atleast I can keep fish and corals alive).

I use two 18" NO flouresent "grow lights" which originally were on a reverse light cycle but that has been changed to 24/7. The flow through the tank is pretty low because I don't want to disturb the pods and worm population (I suspect that might be part of my problem). I also dose chelated Iron supplement. My phosphates and Nitrates are undetectable (is that a problem for growing macro's?). All other tank perameters are right where they should be. I have what I consider to be a fairly high bio load and I feed fish and corals regularly and heavily (I like fat fish and corals).

Is my water just too clean to support macros or is more light or flow the answer? Or should I just give up on the Macro and use hair algea as nutrient export?

I guess I should be happy that I have healthy animals and quit my whining but it's just got me frustrated...

Thanks,

Scott

 

[kmk2307]

Hey scotmol,

If your phosphates and nitrates are zero then I am afriad that is a problem for growing the macroalgae. Does your skimmer remoive a lot of gunk? What I would advise is doing your best to manually remove all the hair algae from your tank and doing a huge water change (or a series of moderate changes) and then try to get macros established in the fuge. That way the macroalgae has a better chance to get established and grow exponentially before the microalgae really comes back. Do you "dust" your rockwork? You might want to take a turkey baster and get all the sediment / algae you can before doing a water change. If you have any rocks that are perticularily covered with hair algae you might want to move them to the sump. Do you have any pictures of your tank?

This is just my $.02 but I think that sometimes it takes drastic measures,
Kevin

 

[scotmol]

Kevin,

Thanks for the reply...I have no hair algea in my display, just the fuge. My skimmer does remove a lot of gunk..(built it myself, a 6' CC skimmer based on Snailmans design). I also regularly "dust" my rock work in the display as you described. Sorry, no pictures yet, gotta get a digital camera but most of my "disretionary funds" seem to go into the reef.

I'm very happy with my system over all, like I said, the display looks very good to me and all corals and fish thrive. Maybe I just need to leave well enough alone and be happy that I have a healthy system, but not one that will support Macro's.

Kevin, can hair algea be used as a nutrient export? I'm thinking that if I regularly remove the egg crate from the fuge (which is where about 90% of the hair is growing) and scrub it clean, that will accomplish something. It seems that I read somewhere that basicaly an algea scrubber is composed of hair algeas. Maybe its not such a bad thing if it only grows in the fuge and can be managed. I don't know, grasping at straws here...if nothing else, my pod population sure seems to like it.

Thanks again for your reply Kevin,

Scott

 

[kmk2307]

scotmol,

If it is just growing in your fuge and your tank is doing well then I would just leave things how they are. You might want to try experimenting with removing some - most of the hair algae and seeing if caulerpa or another macro would grow. How fast does the hair algae grow?

Kevin