What should I do?

[sunfishh]

I am in the process of converting my 100 gallon FW to a FOWLR. I like the look of macro algae and think it would be cool to have some in the main tank. Since the tank is not drilled I am also playing with the idead of setting up acrylic dividers in the corners and making them into refuguims. Here are my questions:

1) Should I put algae in the main tank or just in the divided portion?
2) I love the look of Ulva and I am wondering which situation works better for it?
3) How do I keep the algae from taking over the tank?

Thanks for all of your help

 

[Pinksteel]

If it were my tank, I think I would have a couple of problems with keeping macro-algae in the main display.

- It needs constant trimming (sometimes weekly), and if not it can quickly take over the tank. As an alternative, some inverts like an emerald crab can clean out all of your macro algae in a mater of a few days.

-In a fuge, the lights are usually never turned off and this can keep the algae from going sexual and releasing spores and that milky white substance into the water along with any toxins (like nitrates) it has absorbe over time. However, with lights on a normal daylight cycle there is always a chance of that happening.

-Even with regular trimming its hard to keep it from spreading to other locations in the tank.

- However, it can lool pretty nice, and the nitrate reducing properties are great so long as you dont have any problems.(some people never have any problems, some ppl have lots)

 

[sunfishh]

Does ulva go sexual?

 

[Pinksteel]

It does release spores to germinate.

 

[dalbrecht]

Ulva groes pretty well in my display, It definately is behaving better than caulerpa.

The one problem is that macro + anything herbivorous is generally not going to work.