Refugium Macroalgae

[the_bandit]

Is grape caluerpa a good choice for macroalgae in my refugium? I dont have another algaes available to me where I live and I dont feel like spending $20 on a bundle of algae when I can get a nice clump of grape caluerpa for $2 a clump. I was told its very invasive but I dont have anything else growing down in the refugium. I just need something that will really absorb nitrates.

 

[jackri]

It really works great... but if it gets rooted in the display area its a major pain trying to get out with a tweezers and mildly toxic for fish so tangs won't touch it either. As far as absorbing trates it does great.

 

[the_bandit]

Now this is going to look bad on my part but its from the dreaded Pet co....
Should I still get it? I dont see any harm being that the guy I talked to said he grows it in the sump in the back and occasionally sells some of it.
Still a go ahead and buy?

 

[jackri]

Are the tanks full of ich or have any ich? I would personally only get it from a closed completely healthy system as it won't host the parasite, but the parasite could be in there and thus your 2 dollar macro algae can cost much much more and lots of headaches.

 

[the_bandit]

Im not sure if it is or not. He says he grows it himself. I would think that since he costanly grows it from the same group, it wouldnt have a parasite but im not 100%. Is there any way to clean it of any parasites?

 

[jackri]

It's either there or it's not. If it happened to be in the macro in whatever larval stage there would be no way of seeing it.
I'm just saying be cautious because I know what the "pet place" tanks look like locally and no way would I bring anything from there home and not just fish -- invert, coral, anything

 

[the_bandit]

I understand and appreciate the warning. Ill have to ask if I can see what the sump looks like. I doubt he would be honest and say that there are parasites in the algae. I'll just have to find out tomorrow. Thanks

 

[jackri]

You wouldn't find them in the sump, it would be whatever the sump is being used for. Look at the fish, health of the system, ask when the last time fish were added. Just some history. If he says oh they're healthy and I haven't seen ich for 2 or 3 weeks -- thats a good warning to stay away.

 

[the_bandit]

Well I have decided to stray away from murky waters, so to speak. I just ordered it offline when I ordered my new mantis. It was free, so what the heck

 

[cranberry]

Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3166399
It's either there or it's not. If it happened to be in the macro in whatever larval stage there would be no way of seeing it.
It's actually the tomont stage that you have to worry about on objects. That's the stage where they are encapsulated and stuck to things like macro/rock/coral/etc.
I love caulerpa. I consider it very safe to place in a fuge.

 

[the_bandit]

Ive read a couple different places that Spaggehti algae is the best you can get for a refugium. Thats what I ordered.
Good choice?

 

[cranberry]

It's cheato. It's okay. Doesn't remove nutrients like fast growing caulerpas, but I also have it in all my sumps. The only thing I don't like about the stuff is that it fragments and you have little broken green strings everywhere.

 

[the_bandit]

What kind of flow and lighting does it need? Does it need to be attatched to a rock or does it need to be free floating?

 

[cranberry]

It really should be a tumbling ball. But I jut have I crammed in between some rocks or equipment. I don't think many peeps actually have it tumbling.
It really doesn't require much in the way of light. I've had it in the dark and it still didn't die.

 

[creamhorses]

I had a great ball of cheato, along with some other vartiety in one of my tanks, then I moved it to the sump, where it slowly died off. I attribute that decline to the lack of movement; the tumbling if you will.
I really miss the benifits of the macro algae.....the hiding places for pods, and amphipods, small fish [fry] and the wonderful job it does eating up nitrates and PO4....the later I'm not convinced it's helped me. :^(
SWF is out right now, and some other places seem a bit pricey, or don't have any in stock either. Is this a seasonal thing?
Anywho, I'm going to set up a 10 or 20g tank to be cheato only, gravity fed from the DT's in line to the sump. No pump required, though a small power head will be used to influence the rolling action that the plant needs.
Dave

 

[novahobbies]

I've got chaeto in my sump as well. Sump is lit 24/7 with a fluorescent floodlight (6500k) from home depot. I wind up taking a softball-sized clump of it out every two weeks or so. Mine doesn't tumble either, and I definitely notice that the stuff near the top (most flow/light) grows a heck of a lot faster than the chaeto that is under the main growth mat. Every once in a while I flip the chaeto so nothing gets too old. As stated earlier -- it's not as good of an exporter as grape caulerpa, but it does a decent job. The trick is to to physically EXPORT it -- take some out every once in a while and let it regrow. You won't be doing any good if you keep it in there and let it stagnate. My heart breaks a little when I think of the pods I'm killing when I export it, but what're ya gonna do.....it's got to go!