New Guy Question

[TwoShoesOrOne]

Hi,
Very new here. I was just wondering why I never see any plants in a reef aquarium. Is it not possible or just a bad idea. Google does not yield any results.

Tank You!

 

[Pslreefer]

Plants are certainly available, especially green hair algae and bryopsis, lol

There are macro algae that some use in tanks that are nice, the problem with plants though is they die, take over your entire tank or just out get too big.

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[Small Heavens]

Hi & welcome

Plants are a question of nutrients.
Oceanplants are all categorised as algae. Algae will deplete oxygen during night and make it during day, therefor mostly they are kept on a "reverse night cycle" thus helping bigger tanks keep stable pH during night.

If you stock lots of algae the pH swings might be a little much.

That being said, you can keep mostly any algae from the right temperature zones, as soon as you have some Nitrates available in the water column.

Here is a page offering some suggestions of what types are available and differences in their upkeep needs

 

[Small Heavens]

https://www.livealgae.co.uk/

 

[Small Heavens]

When I started keeping marine aquaria, one could buy LR with dense natural growth, usually people would buy cheaper liverock to set up formations in their reefs. After finishing the reefscaping, people would then buy the expensive rock and add it to the tank after the cycle finished and allow the mixed algae and zooplankton to spread before adding too many fishes that will graze on it. But the trade has been closed now and we are all trying to rebound and spread whatever was salvaged into captivity.

If you look at the first close-up of this LR, now no longer available, you can see how dense the natural growth could be on freshly supplied rocks, and how varied.

https://www.whitecorals.com/en/whitecorals-supra-rocks---handpicked,-sulawesi-(per-kg)-ls-sr02

With sufficient seeding of natural growths into the aquarium, most reefers got discreet but incredibly natural algae growth throughout their DT.

 

[Small Heavens]

...actually the live algae shop (https://www.livealgae.co.uk/macroalgae/) usually have a great selection but I just looked through it and it seem like it is mostly sold out now, so less information about different varieties for you unfortunately.

 

[ThRoewer]

This is one of my sump/refugium tanks:

 

[mcgyvr]

Quite a few planted marine tanks or those with a decent amount of display quality macroalgaes.. Sea grasses, etc...
Search this sub forum for some cool examples...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=176

 

[Lessa1]

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get algae soon enough, whether you want it or not LOL

 

[TwoShoesOrOne]

Thank you

Thank you

Plants are certainly available, especially green hair algae and bryopsis, lol

There are macro algae that some use in tanks that are nice, the problem with plants though is they die, take over your entire tank or just out get too big.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Thanks for the tips. Do you know where I and buy some green hair algae? All mine died. :wave: