Advice on macro tank

[cartery]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon long display with a 5 gallon sump that's going to be focused on macroalgae. I've been doing research, but figured I'd reach out here for any tips and tricks people have found.

I'm thinking medium flow, a deep sand bed, and using 6000k grow lights from Amazon. Probably heat the tank at 76-78f.

Any thoughts about starting a tank like this? Thoughts about livestock and clean up crew? Any and all advice is massively appreciated!

 

[BryanM]

I am not a fan of deep sand beds, I feel they are riskier, but that's just me.

 

[Subsea]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon long display with a 5 gallon sump that's going to be focused on macroalgae. I've been doing research, but figured I'd reach out here for any tips and tricks people have found.

I'm thinking medium flow, a deep sand bed, and using 6000k grow lights from Amazon. Probably heat the tank at 76-78f.

Any thoughts about starting a tank like this? Thoughts about livestock and clean up crew? Any and all advice is massively appreciated!

Also, not a fan of DSB. If you are doing an ornamental seaweed lagoon, why the sump? I have not found elevated temperature to be beneficial. Yes, it does increase metabolism rate of the ecosystem, not always a good idea, I run my Caribbean lagoons 75-77.

 

[cartery]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon long display with a 5 gallon sump that's going to be focused on macroalgae. I've been doing research, but figured I'd reach out here for any tips and tricks people have found.

I'm thinking medium flow, a deep sand bed, and using 6000k grow lights from Amazon. Probably heat the tank at 76-78f.

Any thoughts about starting a tank like this? Thoughts about livestock and clean up crew? Any and all advice is massively appreciated!

Also, not a fan of DSB. If you are doing an ornamental seaweed lagoon, why the sump? I have not found elevated temperature to be beneficial. Yes, it does increase metabolism rate of the ecosystem, not always a good idea, I run my Caribbean lagoons 75-77.

The sump is sorta incidental and mostly cosmetic. Sounds like I'll skip the DSB! Thanks for the temp advice, too.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree that while I like sand and always have some, I think a deep sand bed is not needed in a macroalgae tank (if, indeed, it is needed anywhere), because the macro will be a big drain on nutrients and you may find you need to dose as opposed to export nutrients. Think of the whole tank like a refugium of a reef tank.

One of the challenges will be to keep out algae you do not want (say, green hair algae) while providing good conditions for macroalgae. In some sense, that may limit you to macro that grows fast or at very low nutrient levels and can outcompete gha.

 

[vlangel]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon long display with a 5 gallon sump that's going to be focused on macroalgae. I've been doing research, but figured I'd reach out here for any tips and tricks people have found.

I'm thinking medium flow, a deep sand bed, and using 6000k grow lights from Amazon. Probably heat the tank at 76-78f.

Any thoughts about starting a tank like this? Thoughts about livestock and clean up crew? Any and all advice is massively appreciated!

I have a mixed reef with macroalgae. I also have a partial deep sandbed. All my tanks (except my dedicated seahorse tank) have had DSBs and I never had an issue. In fact I have never known of a case of DSB poisoning and I worked for a lfs where the owner set up a lot of tanks with DSBs.

What I have found is that you want higher nutrients (PO4 and NO3) than normal reefs. I have also learned that it is tricky to keep a variety of macros because species that take up nutrients fast tend to hog nutrients from the others. It can be done however. I have dosed Seachem Flourish but it does has copper so I plan to switch to CheatoGro for trace elements which is important for macros.

I would keep nassarius snails and astrea snails.

 

[cartery]

I agree that while I like sand and always have some, I think a deep sand bed is not needed in a macroalgae tank (if, indeed, it is needed anywhere), because the macro will be a big drain on nutrients and you may find you need to dose as opposed to export nutrients. Think of the whole tank like a refugium of a reef tank.

One of the challenges will be to keep out algae you do not want (say, green hair algae) while providing good conditions for macroalgae. In some sense, that may limit you to macro that grows fast or at very low nutrient levels and can outcompete gha.

Thanks, Randy! I had two thoughts about this. First was to start with live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater or somewhere similar. That's really kept down pests/uglies in my reef tank. Second is to add a bunch of macros all at once right at the beginning, making competition hopefully too fierce for GHA and others to get rolling. What do you think?

 

[cartery]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon long display with a 5 gallon sump that's going to be focused on macroalgae. I've been doing research, but figured I'd reach out here for any tips and tricks people have found.

I'm thinking medium flow, a deep sand bed, and using 6000k grow lights from Amazon. Probably heat the tank at 76-78f.

Any thoughts about starting a tank like this? Thoughts about livestock and clean up crew? Any and all advice is massively appreciated!

I have a mixed reef with macroalgae. I also have a partial deep sandbed. All my tanks (except my dedicated seahorse tank) have had DSBs and I never had an issue. In fact I have never known of a case of DSB poisoning and I worked for a lfs where the owner set up a lot of tanks with DSBs.

What I have found is that you want higher nutrients (PO4 and NO3) than normal reefs. I have also learned that it is tricky to keep a variety of macros because species that take up nutrients fast tend to hog nutrients from the others. It can be done however. I have dosed Seachem Flourish but it does has copper so I plan to switch to CheatoGro for trace elements which is important for macros.

I would keep nassarius snails and astrea snails.

Awesome, thank you! What species have worked best for you?

 

[vlangel]

Thanks, Randy! I had two thoughts about this. First was to start with live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater or somewhere similar. That's really kept down pests/uglies in my reef tank. Second is to add a bunch of macros all at once right at the beginning, making competition hopefully too fierce for GHA and others to get rolling. What do you think?

I think this might work. I have used the same live rock in all my tanks (its 25+ years old) and I put my macroalgae in and I have never had gha of any significant amount. I usually feed heavy too. What I have found is the macros I keep generally outcompete gha. I do struggle with diatoms on the sand at times, but a good cuc helps with that.

 

[vlangel]

Right now my codium is growing the fastest. Codium is a very nice macro in that it is not invasive and is easily removed. In the past it was gracilaria hayi. I also have shaving brush, mermaids fan, cheato and halimeda opuntia.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, Randy! I had two thoughts about this. First was to start with live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater or somewhere similar. That's really kept down pests/uglies in my reef tank. Second is to add a bunch of macros all at once right at the beginning, making competition hopefully too fierce for GHA and others to get rolling. What do you think?

Seems like a reasonable plan to me. :)