Populating my fuge
- Thread starter yetiman
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Dr Begalke
In Memoriam
chaeto
J. Montgomery
Mouth Pipetting
I'll second the chaeto.
pjf
Premium Member
Suspended Macroalgae
Suspended Macroalgae
For low maintenance, I recommend a macroalgae that does not require a substrate and a refugium with an upward water flow.
I have a bare bottom refugium where the water flows under the baffle between the skimmer and algae compartments to suspend the macroalgae. The upward flow will suspend the algae closer to the lighting.
Because my chaetomorpha became infested with red cyanobacteria, I replaced it with gracilaria parvispora. Since the gracilaria is not as buoyant as chaetomorpha, the upward flow is important to prevent it from settling on the bottom away from lighting.
One advantage of chaetomorpha is that it is dense growing like a "brillo" pad and acts as a mechanical filter. I clean it each time I perform a water change.
I don't know how the gracilaria compares with chaetomorpha in maintaining water purity. The advantage of gracilaria is that tangs like to eat gracilaria.
If you want a mechanical filter, get chaetomorpha. If you have tangs, get gracilaria and add a filter sock for mechanical filtration. You can harvest a bit of gracilaria and place it in a feeding clip. I suspect that both macroalgae will maintain water purity if you add enough iron and lighting to keep them growing.
I do not recommend a substrate. If you have a deep sand bed (DSB) or cryptic zone live rock in your refugium, there is no point in putting lighting or macroalgae on top of them.
Suspended Macroalgae
For low maintenance, I recommend a macroalgae that does not require a substrate and a refugium with an upward water flow.
I have a bare bottom refugium where the water flows under the baffle between the skimmer and algae compartments to suspend the macroalgae. The upward flow will suspend the algae closer to the lighting.
Because my chaetomorpha became infested with red cyanobacteria, I replaced it with gracilaria parvispora. Since the gracilaria is not as buoyant as chaetomorpha, the upward flow is important to prevent it from settling on the bottom away from lighting.
One advantage of chaetomorpha is that it is dense growing like a "brillo" pad and acts as a mechanical filter. I clean it each time I perform a water change.
I don't know how the gracilaria compares with chaetomorpha in maintaining water purity. The advantage of gracilaria is that tangs like to eat gracilaria.
If you want a mechanical filter, get chaetomorpha. If you have tangs, get gracilaria and add a filter sock for mechanical filtration. You can harvest a bit of gracilaria and place it in a feeding clip. I suspect that both macroalgae will maintain water purity if you add enough iron and lighting to keep them growing.
I do not recommend a substrate. If you have a deep sand bed (DSB) or cryptic zone live rock in your refugium, there is no point in putting lighting or macroalgae on top of them.
chrismhaase
Active member
I have both cheato and gracilaria. I also added Halimeda.
They all have benefits and do different things. So collect them all. Talk to fellow reefers in your reef club and cross populate your macros. Don't put calurpa in there. It can go sexual with lack of light and can lead to a tank crash!!
They all have benefits and do different things. So collect them all. Talk to fellow reefers in your reef club and cross populate your macros. Don't put calurpa in there. It can go sexual with lack of light and can lead to a tank crash!!
