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Starting a nano macro algae tank


gibs

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Hi guys I have several reef tanks over the past few years. My last one had a catastrophic failure that got me out of the hobby for a while. Well I ended up getting a fluval spec v tank today from a friend, still in box and never used!

 

Ok so my plans are I have been thinking of doing a macroalgae tank for awhile with maybe a leather or some other low light coral, but I have a few questions.

 

First question is does anyone know if the stock lighting will be sufficient for macroalgae to thrive?

If not what would be a good upgrade/replacement?

 

I want some different algaes with different colors. Any suggestions? Preferably maybe something like dragons breath and another bright green speciman? Any suggestions?

 

I have never had a tank this small what would be some good stocking suggestions? I am thinking something like a shrimp and catalina goby? Any other suggestions? I know I will be limited drastically by the small size, and I am ok with this just want some suggestions or ideas on stocking.

 

Any ideas/suggestions are all welcome really just starting to plan this and not sure where this build will ultimately go.

 

Thanks!

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You could go with a shrimp goby and pistol shrimp pair. Catalina gobies are more cold water, so they wouldn't mix with tropical water corals.

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Eclipse you are completely right I was just thinking of small and colorful and it popped in my head. Goby and pistol shrimp is a great idea, thanks!

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Ok so I have decided to go with a coral compulsion par30 bulb and their clamp on fixture. I really like the 20k look but does anyone have any thoughts on what that would look like on macro? Would macro grow good under that light?

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A 20K kelvin color would simulate a deep water enviroment deeper than 50'. Dragons Breath and Red Grapes are both collected in 50'-120' of water. I prefer the look of Red Grapes, For display purposes, lower kelvin numbers would highlight these red macros best. Most macro is highly adaptive to different light spectrum.

Patrick

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Thanks Patrick! Thats good information to know and yes I agree i like the red grape better to. I am wanting something like the red grape and a large feathery type algae to. Hmmm lots to look in to.

 

Ok I ordered the tank, heater, refractometer, salt, sand, digital thermometer, test kit, 18k par 30 bulb and fixture this morning. Got a total of 350$ in this so far. Will pick up some live rock from LFS once everything is in and set up. I already have a DIY ATO and few other things from my previous tanks. Want to keep this entire thing not counting livestock under 400$ and I think I have done that.

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Here is my favorites:

 

Greens: codium, cactus caulerpa, and caulerpa prolifca

 

Browns: scroll algae, sargassum

 

Blues: blue ochtodes, or blue hypnea

 

Reds: Red grape and flame algae

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FWIW. My macros do much better with T5 lighting versus LED. I think it has to do with too much intensity with my nondimmable bulbs. I have a Spec V that I have an LED bar on that kills macros. lol. I did better with the T5 fixture.

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gulfsurfer101

I've noticed stunted growth under my leds. My macros brute best under compact fluorescent screw bulbs. Must be the red spectrum or something. I small two inch piece of dragons breath had not grown an inch in my ten using leds but more than five times it's size in my sump using the screw bulbs. My larger tank also has much less nutrients and nitrates than my ten so you think you'd see better growth out of the ten gallon but that's not the case. My assumption would be lighting.

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jedimasterben

FWIW. My macros do much better with T5 lighting versus LED. I think it has to do with too much intensity with my nondimmable bulbs. I have a Spec V that I have an LED bar on that kills macros. lol. I did better with the T5 fixture.

I've grown most macros at intensity around 500-800 mmols PAR and I've never seen any die because of it. Remember that macroalgae typically grows in just a few feet of water, I've personally collected halimeda, scroll, several species of caulerpa, and several others in less than two feet of water. PAR at their surface is around 1200 on a cloudy day.

 

 

Moar red light moar better.

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+1 Jedi, my macro's were overtaking just a few inches under a full spec value fixture LED running 100%. The brighter the light, the more they grow for me.

 

I'm sure I could do better with better spectrum's though.

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There are several Feather Caulerpa that may suit you. I prefer Caulerpa Paspadoides. It is a very fast grower and would require prunning not to overtake the slower growing Red Grape. I grow it under both T5 and LED. When moved from T5 to LED it took a month to adjust.

In my experience, Red Grapes will not do well at 500 PAR. An intensity of 100 PAR should grow both the RED Grape and Caulepa Paspadoies.

Patrick

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jedimasterben

There are several Feather Caulerpa that may suit you. I prefer Caulerpa Paspadoides. It is a very fast grower and would require prunning not to overtake the slower growing Red Grape. I grow it under both T5 and LED. When moved from T5 to LED it took a month to adjust.

In my experience, Red Grapes will not do well at 500 PAR. An intensity of 100 PAR should grow both the RED Grape and Caulepa Paspadoies.

Patrick

I grew a very large bush of red grape under ~600 PAR, until my rabbitfish decided it was a tasty snack <_<

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Red Grapes are a favorite for many herbivores. I am intrigued with your success at that light intensity. When you first introduced it to your tank, did you gradually adjust it to that intensity? Also, was it collected from the ocean or had it already been under artificial lighting. Russ Kronwetter reference guide at live-plant list both Red Grapes and Dragons Breath as collected between 50' & 120'. At that depth, blue and violet are the predominate spectrum with PAR values between 50-100. Perhaps the reason that it flourishes at that depth is because it can not compete at the lower depths where most macro grows.

When I attempted to maximize growth rate of Red Grapes with light intensity, it bleached and dissolved away. I am now growing it under both LED & T5 at less than 100 PAR with heavy emphasis on blue spectrum and purple spectrum. The purple spectrum is a T5 lamp combined with 460nm/620nm.

Patrick

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I had had my grapes and dragons breath inches from my value fixture in my 20g hex and they grew like weeds.

What PAR value? Not being familiar with your value fixture, it is difficult to qualify or emulate your success. What spectrum did your fixture have?

Patrick

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Thanks for all the discussion guys I am writing lots of notes!

 

Greens not really sure but leaning towards the calupera prolifera

 

Blues I really like Patricks suggestion of the blue ochtodes

 

Reds I really like the look of red grape but I may just skip greens and go with red flame.....

 

Thanks guys

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jedimasterben

I much prefer Caulerpa cupressoides, aka cactus caulerpa, to the others. Much less invasive and looks better than prolifera IMHO.

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What PAR value? Not being familiar with your value fixture, it is difficult to qualify or emulate your success. What spectrum did your fixture have?

Patrick

 

Sorry I don't have exact info.

 

Channel 1 consists of 13 4500K neutral whites, 6 480nm blue, 6 420nm violet, and 2 660nm deep reds. Channel 2 consists of 28 450nm royal blues.

 

Light only about 1 cm above the water through clear mesh.

 

I would hope I would be getting more than 100 par at the top of the tank. There are plenty of google images of pictures of this fixtures with par readings.

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Sorry I don't have exact info.

 

Channel 1 consists of 13 4500K neutral whites, 6 480nm blue, 6 420nm violet, and 2 660nm deep reds. Channel 2 consists of 28 450nm royal blues.

 

Light only about 1 cm above the water through clear mesh.

 

I would hope I would be getting more than 100 par at the top of the tank. There are plenty of google images of pictures of this fixtures with par readings.

 

Thanks for the details on the LED spectrum. Those particulars are more helpful than PAR by itself. Are those 2W or 3W LED? On you alls successes, I have moved some Red Grapes and Dragons Breath from low light tank to higher light intensity.

Patrick

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Thanks for the details on the LED spectrum. Those particulars are more helpful than PAR by itself. Are those 2W or 3W LED? On you alls successes, I have moved some Red Grapes and Dragons Breath from low light tank to higher light intensity. Patrick

 

2W

 

I know I turned up my lights slowly to 100% because I was also acclimating a clam.

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IMG_8320.JPG


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Well here it is! Not super happy with the rock work atm but cycle is started.


Using caribsea pink fiji live sand.


The light is a coral compulsion par 30 18k bulb. Really like the color but as you can tell I need to change the optics. Think I am going to need the 120 degree optics but they only got the 90 in stock :-( Got them ordered and we will see how big a difference that makes!


Also hate the flow of the stock pump so I ordered a mini 606 from amazon for 15$, lots of people have made the switch to that pump on this tank and it's supposed to be a pretty easy and good upgrade.

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  • 1 month later...
Holomovement

I'm interested to see what happens with your macros. I also just started a Fluval Spec and plan on setting it up as a dwarf seahorse/macro tank. It is near impossible to find a T5 fixture for that small of a tank. I think I may end up getting the Finnex Fuge Ray to replace my stock LEDs. Best of luck!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

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