Macroalgae Display Pico!

[Lorekeeper]

This isn't so much a tank thread as some questions about how to get the best growth and color out of some display macros.

 

The tank is just a 3 gallon jar from Walmart that I threw an internal filter and heater into. I used a bit of rubble from my main tank, as well as a sponge from the main tank's HOB. Insta-cycled! I'll be removing the filter once the tank matures a bit and replacing it with a uniclife 80 powerhead. The tank is lit with a cheap PAR 30 reef bulb, but it'll be switched to an ABI PAR 38 hung above the tank in the near future.

 

Here's what I'm going to stock:

 

Fish:

Yellow Clown Goby (will be moved to 10 gallon if he's unhappy in here)

 

CUC:

4-5 Ceriths

Ornamental Shrimp (?)

 

Macroalgae:

Caulerpa Prolifera

Palm Caulerpa

Red Mangrove

Red Grape Caulerpa

Codium

Blue Hypnea

Green Ogo

Red Ogo

 

Lots of macro, and maybe even too many for this tank. Caulerpa can be a bit iffy, but I've never had it go sexual and have had great growth in the past. I may decide to leave one species of caulerpa out of the picture.

 

So, what can I do to ensure best growth and color? There'll be nitrates available, so I don't think I'll need to dose any sort of carbon. I use IO Reef Crystals, so I'm not sure I'm going to need to dose, since I do weekly 50% WC's on all of my tanks. Should I need to dose a very small amount of a macro-fert? Just looking for some pointers.

 

In the past, I've had algae (short brown hair algae, mostly) grow over dragon's breath macro. I ended up losing most of it, but still have a branch or two of it left. Anyone got any tips in avoiding that? I tried manual removal, as well as trying it around the tank. No luck.

 

Thanks!

 

Tank's first day

 

 

Goby, after QT:

 

[Subsea]

Toooo many differrent macro is an understatement.  

 

Red Grapes, Bortacladia, are collected in 60’-120’ of water.  At that depth, light intensity is very low.  Contrast that with any of the Caulerpa’s.  They are not compatiable with light requirements.

 

https://www.marineplantbook.com/

This would be a good place to study for your quest to excel.

 

 

Your statement about dosing carbon shows a basic flaw in your understanding of inorganic and organic nutrients.  Nitrogen in an inorganic nutrient while vodka is an organic source of carbon.  Organic carbon grows bacteria.  Carbon dioxide gas dissolves in water to form carbonate and bicarbonate alkalinity which during photosynthesis combines to form glucose which is a carbon source that grows macro algae and coral.

 

Redfield Ratio of how carbon/nitrogen/phosphate combine in phytoplankton is 116/16/1.

 

Macro algae combines C:N:P in the ratio of 560:30:1

 

The link that I provided is the best pragmatic source of knowledge about macro.  When it comes to macro, Russ Kronwetter is a Master Gardner that knows what he is talking about.  He is diver/owner of Gulf Coast EcoSystems.

 

 

[Subsea]

With respect to colors in macro algae, it really depends on the specific cultivar. 

 

One generalization about the color in red macro has everything to do with light intensity.  In subdued lighting, Red Grapes takes on a deep burgundy color.  As light intensity increases, Bortacladia goes from burgundy, to fire engine red to red orange to yellow orange.  In many cases, Red Grapes get photo shocked, loose flotation balls than go sexual.

 

one generalization about dosing iron and green macro, it will darken up the green.  After nitrogen and phosphate, iron is a major nutrient required in a reef tank.

[Lorekeeper]

So I'd be best off to either pick a few shallow water species (caulerpa, green macros, and maybe a few hardy reds), go all deeper-water (reds, blues, and browns (?)) or do a species-specific biotope with one algae dominating the tank?

 

I can actually get behind the idea of a Palm Caulerpa dominated tank, with some codium and maybe a red macro or two mixed in. With that in mind, I should be shooting for a 6500K light spectrum (whiter than 10000K, at least), relatively high flow, and if I were to focus on any macro/micronutrient it should be calcium and iron?

 

If I'm missing anything, can you explain? I understand that lighting would be too difficult for a variety of macros, so I should focus in on one color, or even better, one species. So if I optimize the tank for green macro, choose a certain species to dominate the tank, add in a few other greens and maybe some Red Ogo or Red Bush, would that be a doable stocking list?

[Subsea]

All three of the options in your first paragraph are good choices.  

 

On production tanks, I use monoculture to maximize product.  Depending on the monoculture, that could be what you desire.

 

I prefer mixed gardens of macro, softies, LPS, along with numerous filter feeders.

 

Gracilaria Hayi tumble culture in picture.

[Subsea]

Monoculture using a tumble culture method.

[Lorekeeper]

So, if I were to stock with green grape caulerpa, caulerpa mexicana, flame algae, carpet halimeda, blue scroll and ulva, that'd be well-balanced under a 6500K fixture? Of course, I'd keep the caulerpas trimmed back as much as I could. I assume anything collected between 4'-50' would be alright with a very white spectrum.

 

If things were to start to go awry in the tank, the first things I'd need to look for are calcium and iron deficiencies, correct? I'd also want relatively high flow, since these macros are collected from turbulent shallows.

 

I'll read up on your threads, as well.

[Subsea]

• Ulva will outcompete everything you have selected.  Ulva does not often attach.  I would leave Ulva for monoculture, like in a refugium tumble culture.

[Subsea]

John Mahoney at ReefCleaners has a list which recommends fast growers and pulse growers in the same tank.

 

https://www.reefcleaners.org/stocking-the-sump-refugium

[Lorekeeper]

I'm actually ordering from ReefCleaners.

 

So I just need to leave the Ulva out?

[Subsea]

Leave Ulva out of the display tank.

 

If you use it in your refugium, it would grow the fastest when nitrogen becomes available.  It outcompetes everything I have.

Ulva prefers cooler water, under 80 degrees.  Ulvae will thrive in half strength ocean.

 

In my outside growout tanks, I have six 150G tanks plumbed together.  Five of six are Rubbermade brand with one 150G glass tank that is 32” deep about 4” deeper than Rubbermade tanks.  The 150G glass tank evaporates 10G a day to remain cool.

[Lorekeeper]

Thanks!
 

I'll be making my order this weekend. I'll post and questions I have and/or pics when they arrive.

[Lorekeeper]

Okay, so my order came in. Had some issues, but 7 out of the 12 macros I ordered actually came in. I ended up just kinda throwing everything in the tank, since I was short on time. If anyone has any placement suggestions, I'm 100% open. What you see in this pic is definitely not the final placement.

 

 

The biggest question I have is about the blue scroll algae. It came in with quite a bit of hair algae on it. How can I deal with that?

[devaji108]

I love macro tanks I was just playing around with the idea of something similar...I be fallowing along.

 

[Lorekeeper]

12 hours ago, devaji108 said:

I love macro tanks I was just playing around with the idea of something similar...I be fallowing along.

 

Thanks! Here's the actual tank thread: