What plants take up nitrates?

[saltymist]

I've got a simple 20 gallon tank and have no desire to put in a refugium, but my tanks only inhabitants are a dwarf lion fish, a couple snails and a bristle green star, so I bought some calurpa, which the LFS said would help to reduce nitrates.
But Im just double checking if thats correct. I dont really have a nitrate problem, my nitrates measure at < 10ppm but I'd rather keep it that way. So Im wondering if the addition of this huge wad of caleurpa will help to keep low levels of nitrates.
I do of course realize that there isnt really any substitute for water changes, but I'd like to see if the water changes can be put off to 2 week instead of weekly with this small bioload and some caleurpa in the tank.
Any thoughts on this?

 

[saltymist]

Oh yeah, and on a side note, am I supposed to actually plant this stuff (in the traditional sence of like planting a rose bush in my garden), by weighing it down somehow to the livesand, or will it eventually root itself in the tank and all I need to do is tuck it behind some liverock for it to take hold.
Im clueless on this plant stuff, I've never kept plant life in any tanks before
//Unless you consider plastic plants to be plant life

 

[007]

I would never put any form of macroalgae in a display tank.

 

[beaslbob]

Your are on the right track and 10ppm nitrates is easily handled by adding Caulerpa profilera.
It is advisable to "plant" it in the sand. It does grow much better that way. But with some plant life you don't even have to do that. Brillo pad does not have "runners" or "roots" for instance.
I have found that with extensive plant life water changes become optional.
the main problem with macros in salt tanks is that fish like to eat them. So you might try culturing them in a seperate container then transfering the new growth to the display.
I know you will be amazed as to how effective and easy to grow plant life is. After all the ugly hair algaes are plant life and sure do well in our tanks. And Caulerpa profilera is just an organized from of algae.

 

[bang guy]

To answer the original question, all Plants & Algae will consume Nitrate.
Be very very careful with macro algae in your display tank. It grows fast and dies fast if not controlled closely.
Coralline might be enough. Other safer option IMO are Chaetomorpha and Halimeda.
On the flip side - Xenia can also be invasive but it's easier to control, and it consumes more Nitrate than most algae.

 

[saltymist]

So when you say it dies faster, what is the signs of dead caleurpa? so that i know what to trim off and what to keep.
Also how do you plant this stuff in the sand, I see no obvious signs of roots on it to begin with, so I assume just get some more livesand, hold some plant branches to the bottom and pour some more livesand on top?
Also I was under the impression that since the Dwarf Lion is a carnivore, he wont bother with the plant life whereas *IF* i had a tang, he would shred or eat plant life of some sorts. But I have no plans on getting a larger tank or any other fish for this tank (unless they are fish food, buahhahahahaaha).
Thanks for the replies.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by SaltyMist
So when you say it dies faster, what is the signs of dead caleurpa? so that i know what to trim off and what to keep.

Some of the leaves will turn clear and die off. As long as the "runners" are still growing and forming new leaves, that is not too much of a concern. Best advice is just remove whatever is ugly to keep it looking nice. If it gets really really thick and nitrAtes are near 0.0 then simply reach in a grab a handful. Or better yet use tongs with a lionfish in there.
Also how do you plant this stuff in the sand, I see no obvious signs of roots on it to begin with, so I assume just get some more livesand, hold some plant branches to the bottom and pour some more livesand on top?
Basically just bury the horizontal runners between the leaves in the sand. So the leaves are vertical. Once established the runners will stay in the sand.

Also I was under the impression that since the Dwarf Lion is a carnivore, he wont bother with the plant life whereas *IF* i had a tang, he would shred or eat plant life of some sorts. But I have no plans on getting a larger tank or any other fish for this tank (unless they are fish food, buahhahahahaaha).
Thanks for the replies.
Hope you are correct and my tang does an excellent job of "trimming" my Caulerpa. the lionfish my actually feel more secure because of the plant life all around him. It would still be a good idea to culture some in another container just in case. My first batch was a suction cup Caulerpa which lasted only three weeks. My anemone crabs were constantly eating it. So if you have a cleaner crew they my eat some.
BTW what type of Caulerpa do you have. The Caulerpa profilera has solid kelp like leaves. And it has proven the hardiest in my limited experience.

 

[007]

Originally posted by Bang Guy
On the flip side - Xenia can also be invasive but it's easier to control, and it consumes more Nitrate than most algae.
. . . and its more valuable when removed from the system!

 

[saltymist]

The calurpa that I have, it's leaves rearly arnt leaves ata ll, they are kind of little green bubbles like grapes growing in clusters.
The LFS said it is calurpa and since I have no plant life experience i went on what he said, hopefully he didnt lie to me.

 

[bang guy]

Your LFS is correct. Your algae is Caulerpa racemosa, it's commonly called Grape Caulerpa.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by SaltyMist
The calurpa that I have, it's leaves rearly arnt leaves ata ll, they are kind of little green bubbles like grapes growing in clusters.
The LFS said it is calurpa and since I have no plant life experience i went on what he said, hopefully he didnt lie to me.
I have had some problem getting grape established. Hopefully yours will. In my case I have so much brillo pad and Caulerpa profilera, those crowd out the grape. And I have only tried to get the grape established twice.
Wish you the best.