Sargassum - natans

[Ladipyg]

Has anyone used Sargassum Natans either in their fuge or main tank?
I have some that I am currently quarantining in a 10 gallon fuge that I'm no longer using since I set the residents up in my 75 gallon. I also have some possum (?) shrimp in there that are multiplying and lots of different pods. There is also a batch of brillo/ spaghetti algae in there. 65watt PC 50/50 - 24/7 and a HOT filter to keep things moving. Also has heater set to 77 degrees.

Think this would be okay in a main tank- dual 400 mh x 4-96w PC's. I don't want it turning into a pita...Thanks...

 

[piercho]

I've kept a Sargassum sp for years now, in the main tank, in a low flow refugium, and currently in a very high flow vegetative filter. IME the one thing it needs is bright light. Adaptable to current and resistant to overgrowth. I've also found that occasional large water changes help it when it slows down.

It grows well floating or attached. IME it is one of the best plants for the display. Grows upward from a single holdfast. It can spread laterallyacross the rock, but this occurs slowly. I have not had it spread by broken-off pieces attaching to the rock. Development of new holdfasts seem to occur slowly.

So, I would recommend it.

 

[Ladipyg]

Thank you so much, I am getting a dual 400 MH with 4-96 PC's tomorrow so I know I'll be covered on the light spectrum and the kind I have does not have "float bladders" it appears to be the hold fast type. Guess I can use a piece of monofilament fishing line to hold it to some LR and cut it off after it attaches itself. Do you need to feed it large amounts of iron or does it get all it needs from the tank...which gets monitored anyhow...thanks again

 

[piercho]

Do you need to feed it large amounts of iron

My experience is that most plants do better with small, freguent additions of a chelated iron product. I use a iron chelate sold by Azoo, maybe its iron citrate, I don't know. I add iron daily. I can't say that Sargassum, specifically, will benifit from iron. What does seem to help Sargassum is to do occassional large water exchanges. I've seen its growth slow down to nothing in my tank, then take off again after a big water exchange, when other macroalga don't show this response. Or at least that is my perception.

Specific to iron, it seems rarely to be in abundance in our tanks, so I add it. I rationalize that adding iron prevents the tank from becomming iron limited, and helps it take up available phosphate and nitrogen. I don't know that that is the case. Other marine aquarists who have good success with plants also think that regular additions of iron help, so I'm not alone in my thinking.

 

[Ladipyg]

Has anyone heard of a product called Marine Success Green by Red Sea Fish Pharm, Ltd. It is a product for the Minor and trace elements for marine algae, including Caulerpa and Halimeda ( I have both). It contains no phosphates or nitrates. 1 tsp treats 60 gallons of water. It has my Halimeda in my display tank growing like crazy and the Caulerpa & Chaeto (?) in my refugium does equally well. My tests are always at 0. I will see how it does on the sargassum, I'm a nut about water changes anyhow...