Macro for nutrient export or not

marino420td · #1 07/07/2007, 06:48 PM

Should I or shouldn't I use macro algae for nutrient export in a refugium plumbed to an sps tank? Why or why not?

spongebobby · #2 07/07/2007, 07:05 PM

I wonder the same thing?

vidrine7322 · #3 07/07/2007, 08:16 PM

i do for sure, and i contribute most of my success to my refugium, when i took it off line for a month or so i have a horrible algae outbreak and im still recovering from it nearly 3 months later. I use chaeto in my fuge, it simply out competes the micro algae for nutrients and aids in keeping phosphates down, with it you shouldnt have as much if any algae in your display. I wouldnt use calepra as it can go sexual and spawn everywhere in your tank, happened to me.

DarkXerox · #4 07/07/2007, 09:11 PM

There seems to be a debate on this with somepeople saying that chaeto is a nutrient trap and that it shouldn't even be growing if you have your nutrients down enough.

The other option is to run GFO (granular ferric oxide) to bind phosphates.

Would be neat to see a poll on the recent TOTM's on what they use.

ITR · #5 07/07/2007, 09:43 PM

I use Chaeto as well.

My tank was initially set up without a refugium and I had major hair algae problems. I tried and changed everything I could to remedy the problem including moderate weekly water changes.

I talked to one of the LFS's that I visited and advised I thought my not have a fuge was possible culprit in my case. The owner of my LFS stated that fuge's are over-rated and suggested I use ROWA Phose which I was already running with no success.

Within weeks of adding a refugium with Chaeto to my system, hair algae started to disappear. Now, I have no more issues with nuissance algaes.

I am currently doing bi-weekly water changes at 10% each and Chaeto has tripled in size in a 6 month time frame. I rarely have to clean my glass on my tank. I have a small bio-load and feed my 4 fish maybe once every 2-3 days (they hate me).

Two days ago, I decided the Chaeto was getting too big and took half out with the fear that it may crash in my reef. Within a day, my glass needed to be cleaned.

Not saying Chaeto was the only thing that solved my hair algae problem, because I improved my husbandry techniques, but it certainly helped. End of novel.

acroman76 · #6 07/07/2007, 09:45 PM

macro is related to rtn and coral disease, release nasty pathogens into the water. bad,bad,bad, good skimmer , and levels in check. if you have cyno these microbs are in your tank,that can be a problem.macro also raises your doc.

aquarius77 · #7 07/08/2007, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by acroman76
macro is related to rtn and coral disease, release nasty pathogens into the water. bad,bad,bad, good skimmer , and levels in check. if you have cyno these microbs are in your tank,that can be a problem.macro also raises your doc.

What?

This is the first i have heard of macro alge causing rtn and nasty pathogens. What is doc?

Marcio · #8 07/08/2007, 07:47 AM

I also intend to put some chaeto in my sump in order to help exporting nutrients.

kev apsley · #9 07/08/2007, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by acroman76
macro is related to rtn and coral disease, release nasty pathogens into the water. bad,bad,bad, good skimmer , and levels in check. if you have cyno these microbs are in your tank,that can be a problem.macro also raises your doc.

and how did you come to this determination?

acroman76 · #10 07/08/2007, 03:42 PM

from reading many articles. check the new issue of aquarium fish .that is why i dont run it. when i did stop i got great pe. but what works for me ,might just work for me alone. i am just a idiot in a big world.lol

RobTheReefer · #11 07/08/2007, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by acroman76
i am just a idiot in a big world.lol

I agree.

murphreef · #12 07/08/2007, 04:52 PM

i run cheato in my tank in the sump i prune it regualarly like every 3-4 weeks i cut out about half of it and let it regrow all levels test good and no algae in tank....

i also run a phosban reactor on the tank i dont think id run my tank without macros again

as u can see my corals seem to do fine with macro

siropa · #13 07/08/2007, 08:40 PM

obviously murphreef tank is suffering from the macro

fishdoc11 · #14 07/08/2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by acroman76
macro is related to rtn and coral disease, release nasty pathogens into the water. bad,bad,bad, good skimmer , and levels in check. if you have cyno these microbs are in your tank,that can be a problem.macro also raises your doc.

Your talking about Caulerpa going sexual right?..... not Cheato.

acroman76 · #15 07/08/2007, 09:18 PM

no his tank is not suffering. but did you read the part about him pruning, that is key .some people dont prune ,but i would rather not run it . it does compete with coral .it takes trace elaments out of the water. that corals use. would you agree that cheato grows faster than corals. cheato does not grow in my tank it dies. dont get your panties in a buch just cuase i disagree .

acroman76 · #16 07/08/2007, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishdoc11
Your talking about Caulerpa going sexual right?..... not Cheato.

when cheato is shaded it does die off or lack of nutrients it will die off. same as going sexual i think. but i could be wrong.wich releases nasty things into the water. in a large tank impact would not be real bad but in a small tank would be real bad . ps sorry to here about your tank doc it was very pretty.

fishdoc11 · #17 07/08/2007, 09:34 PM

Thanks

Caulerpa can indeed go sexual and cause problems but there are ways to avoid it. Chaeto is pretty safe.

Chris

marino420td · #18 07/09/2007, 12:40 PM

I currently have a mixture of chaeto and caulerpa. Should I remove the caulerpa?

For the record, my chaeto does not grow very fast. I see some posts on here about chaeto doubling in size in a week. I can barely get it to grow at all.

RichConley · #19 07/09/2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by acroman76
t does compete with coral .it takes trace elaments out of the water. that corals use. would you agree that cheato grows faster than corals.

You mean like corraline? Or fan worms? Or sponges? Dont they all compete with corals? And Take trace elements out of the water?

tasos · #20 07/09/2007, 02:29 PM

Chaeto is good for refugiums, gracilaria(red macro ) is even better!Any macro needs pruning.Any aquarium needs resplenising of trace elements(through water changes-the best way!!!).Caulerpa needs attention as it may go sexual.!

dzhuo · #21 07/09/2007, 02:38 PM

i guess the question really comes down to: if your chaeto grows like crazy, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

E-A-G-L-E-S · #22 07/09/2007, 02:38 PM

I think he might be talking about many BB reefers feeling that the chaeto collects the deitrius and becomes a sink. Since the idea of BB is to keep it all suspended and removed before it breaks down this can be a problem.
For a system with a sand bed I feel chaeto is awesome.

Serioussnaps · #23 07/09/2007, 04:00 PM

Its best to just try chaeto...it can't hurt unless it is trapping deititrus over months time. I ripped mine out...im a GFO junkie.

sailfish2 · #24 07/09/2007, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by marino420td
I currently have a mixture of chaeto and caulerpa. Should I remove the caulerpa?

For the record, my chaeto does not grow very fast. I see some posts on here about chaeto doubling in size in a week. I can barely get it to grow at all.

Me too how do you know if caulerpa goes sexual can you tell when by looking and how do you prevent it spead when it does.

My chaeto does not grow much but my caulerpa does. HMM

JackKerouac · #25 07/09/2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by marino420td
I currently have a mixture of chaeto and caulerpa. Should I remove the caulerpa?

I would remove Caulerpa.
I had it in main tank (Caulerpa racemosa) it did come with live rocks and one day it was collapsed.....it can release all the nutrient it got in a while in few hours.It has a bad impact on the tank system.
Chaeto is safe.