Growing Red Macroalgea

[Shystev99]

Hi, Think this post is in the right category

I'm thinking of adding some of the red feeder macroalgea to my 30 gallon tank. At first my main reason was basiclly to naturally balance the tank out more than it is now. The more I've been reading about it the more I learned it also fights or prevents lateral line disease in tangs. I don't have any tangs in the tank, Will it fight off diseases in other fish other than Tangs? I assume it can't hurt. I just mainly have damsels but would love to find new ways to keep them healthy as possible. Just a little fishtank, nothing fancy.

It's an eclipse tank with 2 NO florescent bulbs. I was hoping to just add it to the tank and hopefully it will just float and grow. Also one last question  how do you prune it? Do you need tools like scissors or other cutting tools or can you just reach in with your hands and pluck unwanted growth off?

Thanks

Steve

P.S.

Just for the record none of my current fish are sick. Just looking for ways to keep them and future additions healthier if possible.

[thegr8tdane]

Hi Steve,

I dunno about the red feeder algae, but the other macro algaes will help keep your tank heathier by absorbing some of your trates. Are you trying to feed them red feeder algae? And then thinking that by consuming it it'll make em disease resistant?

[Shystev99]

No I wasn't expecting by adding it that I'd never have another sick fish. This was like a week or so ago so don't remember the links or exactly what I was reading but one website had the red (looked like feeder algae) as something called "Tang Heaven" They had it advertised as when you add it and it grows it will detur against lateral line disease in Tangs. I found something similar on another website and they had what looked like the same thing only advertised as red feeder algae for $5 a bag. I even e-mailed them and speciffically asked if the red macro feeder algae would reduce the nitrates any, They seemed to say yeah it would.

    I was just looking for something that I could preferably float in the tankand have it grow, It's about 24 inches deep so figured something floating on the surface would be ALOT easier to prune. Mainly adding it not that the fish will eat it, If they do...Fine. Mainly adding it for nitrate reduction. I was just more curious than anything since I had read what looked like the same red feeder algae helped battle lateral line disease in tangs, Was more curious if there was anything else it battled as well in other fish. Or if that was just a myth advertised by that website.   I don't expect to add a single plant or algae to the tank and have all my fish diseases cured. But If it helps add an extra layer of defense then it'd be nice.

Steve

[pulpsmack]

My understanding of the subject is that there is talk of a diet with plenty of vegetable matter will help prevent LLD, but this is not proven. Regardless, caulerpa in or out of your tank does nothing but good. Those animals that do pick at it will have a natural source of marine vegitation to eat.

[gabe3eb]

Caulerpa = Good, nothing else to worry about there. It is also extremely hardy, as in, it won't die. Haha. I mean, take it out of your tank for a week, it will dry out, but when you put it back in your tank it can regrow... The stuff is great and as to pruning, just rip off whatever you dont want, remember that is just algae, not a plant. You won't be able to hurt it easily, but as for damsels eating it??? I dunno about that. HTH

gaber

[MKramer]

For the record, red macroalgae is not Caulerpa.  But the benifits of caulerpa are found in almost all macros, so the same perks apply.

 

As for LLD, to expand on what pulpsmack said, it's never been successfully tied to any particular cause or deficiency.  The prevelant theory now is that it is caused by a virus, but like ich, it  only takes hold in fish with stress problems.  Therefor the better diets and other "cures" people have come up with over time merely reduce the fish's stress levels.

 

And not to get picky, but algae is technically a plant.  Just not a vascular one.

 

Matthew