Macroalgae

[ahmed_iAM]

I have a corner 45 or 54 gallon tank is my garage. Don't know the exact volume. I would like to use this tank to grow macroalgae for my tang and foxface along with pods for my mandarin. This will be like a freshwater planted tank in some regards. Does anyone have a macroalgae only set up? I might add a small fish so that something can produce nitrates and waste for the algae but thats about it along with 15lb of live rock. I'll probably not run a protein skimmer from it and try to maintain the temperature in the low to mid 70's(might now use a heater at all since my house is usually 72-74 in the summer).

Does anyone has any pointers for me? I'm no trying go out of my way and spend hundreds for miricle mud and great lights either. I have some left over 6500k CREE LED's that I will use. Will be about 30 watts when done. Any advice on parameters or anything else? Picture would be helpful looking to have this running by June. Thanks guys.

 

[joekidwell]

Nutrients, light and flow is all you need. Just keep it out of the powerheads. 30 watts on a 40 to 50 gallon tank is sorta on the low side for macro algae be sure to get species that do well in low light. As for pods the more hiding places the better especially if you are going to add small fish for nutrients.

I keep dragons breath some is attached to live rock some is just floating around in my fuge only maintenance I do is trim once a month.

 

[mcdonous]

I keep macro only tanks and they are just about the simplest tanks you can get. You most likely won't need a protein skimmer or even a heater as long as the tank doesn't get much lower then what you said. My tanks are almost always in the low 70s. I don't have experience with LEDs but most macro can adjust to very large differences of light. I keep a 55 and a 75 with only 2 T5 bulbs. The generic bulbs the fixtures come with I think it is a 10k and an actinic. My other 75 I use a 4 bulb system with Purple+, 10K. 50/50, and actinic+.

You will need some fish or you will have to fertilize as the macros will run out of nutrients otherwise.

If I had that tank I would be very much thinking about getting an angler fish.

-Steve

 

[ahmed_iAM]

Thanks guys. Will put some photos on here when I get it up and running. Any fish you'd recommend? I Dont really know much about angler fish care or I might go that route. Would bengaii cardinals or a copperband be fine? I don't know the housing requirements of a copperband but there wouldn't be clams or tubeworms for me to worry about.

 

[ahmed_iAM]

Would tap water be fine or a macroalgae only tank? Don't see why it would need RO/DI water.

 

[andresht]

this is my first post ..... actually you can use tap water to compensate for evaporation and also add nutrients, nitrogen compounds and phosphates. I think it would be best standing tap water to prevent chlorine.

excuse my english writing is not my native language.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Standing tap water won't work if it has chloramine in it.

 

[ahmed_iAM]

Standing tap water won't work if it has chloramine in it.

Of course I'll be using de-chorinator, I think chlorine would have a greater effect on the crustaceans and plankton than the algae though.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Mine seem to grow better when I add a bit of iron.