Who uses different types of macro in their fuge?

[wickedfish]

I have the regular super thin chaettomorphia. I was wondering if anyone here has multiple types of macro in their fuge and what kind?

I wanted to add some grape caulerpa. (Sp.?) what others are good? I want to eventually get away from using a skimmer if possible.

A new reeding buddy only runs macros and gfo and his tank looks amazing. Never really feeds his fish eats what's already growing in the tank.

 

[MikeGilliland]

Why not just use a Skimmer? Is it not working for you? I have chaeto and a couple mangroves in mine. Its miracle grow too not sand.

Tap'd from a Galaxy far, far away.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

i use Chaeto as well, but i also just got some new algae from John (wetdreads) i figure it cant hurt to have more than one...plus his system is awesome so im trying to copy him lol i forget what he called it maybe he will chime in here

 

[wickedfish]

Use both, but I have coral that looked starved. I know the skimmer removes everything from the water in less than half and hour.

Just seems like a balance I'm not winning with just enough food and not enough at all.

 

[bullitr]

I have chaeto and mangroves on display
And I have Caulerpa Racemosa and taxifolia on dedicated system ( no flame please I am far from the beach and will not release it ) for my tangs but unfortunately the Racemosa is starving because of the taxifolia.

 

[wickedfish]

I would like them to compete for nutrients. May give groves another shot. I murdered the ones I had, they starved.

 

[rayray]

ive tried chaeto, 3 species of caulerpa, 2 species of gracileria, halimeda, grape algae (botryocladia) and a few others.

IME chaeto is the best for pods. caulerpa is the best for sick fish and quickly outcompeted my chaeto. gracileria I could not keep too well as it needs to tumble more than I could provide, but as you know tangs love it. halimeda competes for calcium so i got rid of it. grape algae grows way too slow, but tangs love it.

i currently have 20 mangroves and 3 species of seagrass in my fuge. It took 6-8months but they now need so much nitrogen and carbon that I cannot keep macro. so I feed super heavy but my 12inch diameter skimmer puts out only 2 cups a week.

also, skimming oxygenates the water so if you have tangs I wouldnt get rid of it...unless you also use ozone.

and I cant see not feeding as a viable alternative. in a closed system like your tank you need to keep adding carbon. carbon is limiting in the reef tank. You can add it by dosing vodka, using biopellets, I even add carbon by my calcium reactor- excess CO2 is used by my marine plants. But if your coral, fish & macro keep growing you are storing up carbon so you need to add carbon somehow.

 

[wickedfish]

Grape algae hmmmm. Might be a good treat for the tangs.

 

[bullitr]

I feed heavily 5-6 times a day for my fish to be happy so I will not remove my protein skimmer unless you have no fish or very minimal. I do water change once a month now since I feed pellets primarily ( I go 1 box of 300 mg a week plus home made food) to dilute the copper in the system.
Not an expert but I listen to someone with PHD...

 

[MikeGilliland]

I was having a similar problem but I turned my Skimmer waaaaaay down. Tanks doing great now.

Tap'd from a Galaxy far, far away.

 

[Core]

Chaeto in my fuge and some sort of cactus algae on display (growing quite nicely)

 

[overbored]

I try to make my system as simple as possible. Weened my system of the skimmer at least six months ago. To complicated and to much work? maybe thats why everyone is taking a break right now and selling everything. SIMPLE is better. Cheato is food for the tangs in my sump. i have 360 of sump with #'s of LR and approx 200 mangroves i started to add a couple of years ago. as the mangroves grow, i will thin them out but theycan handle the fish load now and my sps and lps are doing fine.

 

[wickedfish]

I was having a similar problem but I turned my Skimmer waaaaaay down. Tanks doing great now.

Tap'd from a Galaxy far, far away.

Did the same and started to feed 3 times a day. My viewing panels are getting filthy every day.

I know the tank can handle the food but I hate cleaning the glass. I have to clean the glass in the dark. I've had two wrasses jump out of the tank and dance on the floor from me cleaning the glass during light hours.

Dumb fish. "It's a magnet aaaaaaaa!"

 

[Puffalicious]

how much macro algae do you have to put in a system to go skimmer-less? is there a set number or do you just have to go with it? lol

 

[BeanMachine]

When I had chaeto and caulerpa the chaeto didn't grow as well and the caulerpa took over. Now I just have a giant chaeto ball.

 

[bullitr]

^ I agree
Even Caulerpa to Caulerpa its a survival of the fittest always.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rayray]

^ I agree
Even Caulerpa to Caulerpa its a survival of the fittest

+1 Mr. Pres.

I think the "t" in caulerpa t. stands for "Terminator"

Lemme just cry a bit that we cant experiment more with other species of caulerpa in this happy state. But as always we follow the laws.

 

[lokko21]

I bought a ziplock bag of this, I was told it was cheato in my LFS but I see pictures and it doesn't looks like the spaggetti cheato style, does anyone knows it...

 

[gumbii]

eww...

 

[lokko21]

eww...

Actually it doesn't look that eww in person, it's kind of kewl.