Plant or algae for nutrition export

[SMS76]

For non sump, non refuge nanos, what plant or macro algae do you use IN YOUR MAIN TANK to export nutrition. I use chetomorpha in refugium for my big tank but i don't think i am going to have sump or refugium for my 29G.

-> Is there any attractive plant who won't take over your tank if you keep in your main tank?
-> What do you use?
-> How is it working out?
-> What do you recommend?

[jedininja]

There arent any mocros that are very good for nutrient export that I would use in my tank. Chaeto doesnt look very good. Calurpea will take over your tank and will grow on top of your corals and block too much ligh.
Shaving brushes and other "display" macros arent very good for nutrient export since they dont grow very fast.

[King-Kong]

sure you arent willing to even try someting as simple as AC500 modified to become a fuge?

Halimaeda is a very attractive plant, but requires lots of calcium and also suffers from what the above poster stated: slow growth with low nutrient export compared to other macros.

There was someone on this forum who used chaeto in their display tank, but placed it BEHIND the rocks so it was hidden from view, yet was given light -- i thought it was an interesting idea if you can stop it from taking a swim, and not being visible.

[jdieck]

You may try green and or red gracilaria but if you have herviborous fish they will love it too much.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Shaving brush and mermaids fan plants

[jedininja]

shaving brush and fans will look great in the tank, but do very little for nutrient export.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Well mine grow an entire new plant every week, so i figured they were getting nutrients from somewhere.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I had a halimeda plant turn my old minibow into pea soup. To be honest, the only one IOd recommend would be the chaeto since it won't go sexual and stays in a clump rather than attaching to the LR and overtaking the tank. It's easy to trim back too - just pull the clump apart. I have some in my AC 300 fuge on the 2.5 and a big clump stuffed in the rockwork in the cube.

[jedininja]

Yes they can grow new plants often, but those plants are small. With Chaeto, under good conditions, they can literally double every week.

[SMS76]

Thanks guys gor replies. For grape culerpa, if they are attached to the piece of rock and if i isolate the rock by sand. Will they grow over sand. If they stay isolate, i don't mind pruning them everyweek. What do you think?

I like idea of cheato clump hidden behind the rock work. Any more ideas? please keep them coming..

[jedininja]

Yes it will grow over the sand. I really wouldnt put any calurpas in my tank. If they even get thier "roots" into other rocks, even after you yank it out it will regrow back. Too much of a hassle.

[SMS76]

So what's the best way to do this? Use cheto behind the rock?

[Stevan]

Originally posted by SMS76
Thanks guys gor replies. For grape culerpa, if they are attached to the piece of rock and if i isolate the rock by sand. Will they grow over sand. If they stay isolate, i don't mind pruning them everyweek. What do you think?

I like idea of cheato clump hidden behind the rock work. Any more ideas? please keep them coming..


Play with Caulerpa and you will PAY BIG-TIME. Every few months I have to take apart my entire tank rock by rock to try...just try to hold it at bay.

[ghostbear29]

Thats funny! I mean not really but you know. Anyhow, I had grape caulerpa that ended up in the tank. Every crab attacked and ate it. I cannot keep any macro in the tank for over 24 hours. Everything eats it! As for the ac 500, I agree. That would work the best. Throw in some LR rubble and some cheato and now you have a refuge. Good luck.

[jedininja]

Cheato beind the rock will work, but you have to make sure theres enough lighting behind the rocks.

You wil also have to deal with little pieces of broken chaeto that will break off and float around your tank.

[skipm]

The biggest problem with running macros in the tank for nutrient export other than it taking over is that if you have any herbivorous fish in the tank they will release the nutrients back into the tank as they eat it. Any macro that you harvest will still be removing some nutrients. I just wanted to point out that growing macros in the display tank is not as efficient for nutrient export as growing them in a refugium.