Newbie questions about SW Plants & Algae

[Hurgoth]

Hello all,
I have been briefly browsing this area of the forums and have some questions for you. I just purchased my first SW tank a week ago (2 yr established). It is a 50g Hex w/o a sump. I currently do not have a HOB refugium because I do not have room for it between my canopy and skimmer.

I would like to know if it is possible to keep beneficial plants and such in my tank w/o them overtaking everything. Keep in mind I do not want to be pruning everyday as well. In addition, I prefer not to have a big floating clump of weeds either, as the tank is in my living room.

I have had many FW tanks with live plants over the years and they have always done well. I will not mind keeping plants in my SW tank as long as they are not troublesome to my present, and future corals, etc... They also have to be somewhat aesetically (spelling) pleasing.

Let me summarize:

1. Names of plants that I can keep in my display tank.
2. Pictures, if possible, of tanks that have these plants in them.

Is it true they will help lower my nitrate levels?

Thanks in advance!

P.S. Here is a link to my refugium design for my hex tank. Comments/advice is greatly appreciated!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=419619

 

[mellen]

For the display I would suggest calcerous algas like Halimeda spp and coraline clusters. Get some encrusting coraline samples from GARF to get that started in the tank, too. Some macros could care less about nitrate, some love it and that can depend on where even the same species was collected or at what age, so your best bet for the refugium would be a mixture of fleshy species. I would recommend Chaetomorpha spp and Sargassum spp - they are happy to free float and thrive in good flow, which it appears you will have in the sump/fuge design you linked. If you plan a DSB in the fuge area, too, the only Caulerpa type I would recommend is C. prolifera - superb grower for nutrient export and much milder in behaviour than a lot of other Caulerpas. This Caulerpa prolifera loves to be rooted in sand and is one of few macros that actually pull nutrients in through their holdfasts, or pseudo roots, through a structure called a siphonophore; it will keep a sandbed from stagnating, in other words, as it likes sulphide compounds.

Just be sure to pull out chunks of any fuge macro regularly to keep it growing and working its magic for you. The Halimeda types in display don't grow that fast but are easy to keep where you want them. Coraline clusters look like mini Acros and the very colorful encrusting coraline is gorgeous, especially the species mix GARF provides. By having algas from all major divisions and different genera, you get the best toxin/nutrient absorption spectrum. Just use a good quality salt mix, good base water and dose a little iron (or have a little laterite gravel in fuge - it releases iron ions slowly) and dose magnesium now and then. Calcium dosing will be needed for coraline and calcerous algae, but your corals need it anyway, so no big deal - Kalkwasser is cheap and calc reactors are dang handy! If you get phosphate issues from your new Live Rock, use Sea-Chem or Rowaphos phos sponges until the algas get established and PO4 levels test out nil or nearly nil (PO4 will encourage lightning fast micro algae growth and inhibit desireable coraline algae). By starting a brand new tank with fleshy macro algaes in the fuge of sump, along with your other choices for filtration (skimmer, etc.), you will notice either a fast "cycling" of nitrifying bacteria or never experience testable spikes - 'cause the macros love ammonia and other N compounds.

Most likely, you won't go through unsightly cyanobacteria and filamentous micro algae blooms; the micros will be there, just not enough to notice much or become problematic (being out-competed by macros). Make sure you light your fuge on opposite of the tank and I recommend 6500K for it - better temp K for plant growth. The deeper the fuge, the stronger the light, just like a reef, though...The recommended display species will do fine and adjust to whatever you give your corals for lighting - they occur at nearly all depths in the wild.

 

[hmott]

I don't have a reef tank but I've thought about it plenty If I was going to do a reef tank I think I would stock the display with shaving brush, halimeda, mermaids fan for macro's. These are all calcifying algaes and shouldn't overtake your rocks. I would not use any caulerpa, no ulva, none of the bubble macros, these all seem to enjoy overcrowding and wild growth. If I understood your tank is new to you but 2 years old, so purchased used? If so and the sandbed is deep I would also consider some seagrasses most likely turtle grass because its my personal favorate of the grasses.

 

[Hurgoth]

Good info guys!

Thanks for the help.