Macro algae in BC29

[agomez5885]

Posted this on reef central and no one answered so I figured I would try here now...

 

 

Hello everyone! I have a BC 29 and I was looking into setting up a refugium in the back chamber but after reading a lot of it not working and very few people having success I had a revelation:

 

What if I were to build a "condo" of sorts out of egg crate, add some LR rubble to the bottom and put some macro in that and build around it with LR. I want to house some pods in the tank and figured this would be a good way to have a "house" for the pods and a safe area for macro to help with nutrient export.

 

I would build this right around the center of the tank under the stock lights used for the BC29, which i just purchased new.

 

If I built this and used a hydor koralia 425 pointed at the area to help increase flow. Does anyone think the chaeto would thrive in something like this? It would get light from the hood and flow from the hydor.

 

Would a red macro be better suited for this? Has anyone done anything similar? I am just worried of getting something and it possibly becoming a nuisance or even going sexual and then madness ensues.

 

I decided to use the second chamber in the BC to use the intank media rack and get the tunze 9002 skimmer.

 

Please help! any advice or even pics would be great!

[1.0reef]

One of our members just made a "pod condo" out of some mesh with LR squeezed in.

IMO Macro Alone (Ulva, Chaeto, Etc) will grow, house, and breed pods pretty well, similar to a bag of LR but a far smaller chance of it being a nutrient/detritus factory. Plus it would probably look nicer.

Also, you can do the same thing with a pile of rubble with no mesh/eggcrate on the outside, then plant macro on that.

[agomez5885]

Well as I understand it, Chaeto is more of a floating algae, so would a different algae be it another green one or a red one that can be planted on rock work better? Is there anything that would not be problematic and still do a decent job at nutrient export? I do like the idea of some marine plants in the tank to give it that realistic/natural feel to it and still be functional.

 

I am a bit cautious though from some of the things I red of certain caluerpa going sexual and things dying off in the tank. I am going with a Caribbean setup since I am here in Miami so I would have warmer water so obviously I have to pick something that would work.

[Subsea]

If pods are the goal, it s not necessary to grow macro. Microalgae needs very little light and pods consume the biofilm. This could be done in the back compartment of your BC29 with rubble.

What livestock do you have in your display? Will macro grow with your display tank?

[soulsurfer]

ive got a big handful of cheato in my bc 29 in the 2 chamber next to my media rack from intank with a 10 watt light seems to be doing well 2 months old now. I put filter floss in the hole at the bottom keep the return pump from sucking it up .mine is more of fish tank with beginner frags. I have 7 small reef safe fish 3 shrimp 30 lbs of live rock pretty cool I love it . in the corner next to my tv lay on the couch watch my fish and tv .sweet. I don't have a thread yet cause im just a beginner oh yeah im in cocoa beach so its hot here

[Tamberav]

There are tons of choices for "safe" macro to have in the display.

 

Ochtodes, star grass, dragon's breath, gracilaria and taitan macro are some of my favorites.