How do you scape with macroalgae?

[Tnops]

Hello I’m setting up a new macro algae aquarium but this question has always puzzled me. How am I supposed to make the algae stay put where I want them? Do I glue them to a rock? Stick them to a sand? Rubber band them? Does it vary from species to species?

I used to do freshwater planted in the past but even with those the way you attach the plants depended on the species. So if anyone has any idea, please let me know!

(btw I have chaeto, dragon breath, pom pom)

 

[Diastro]

You have to glue it where you want it. But really, just let it do it's thing. It won't ever really stay where you want it to.

 

[paragrouper]

I have the Pom Poms and Halimeda in my tank.

both are rooted, so I just shoved them into the sand bed.

 

[Drewerd7]

Totally species dependant.
For Dragons Breath: I have glued it many times and it eventually kills off the glued part and the rest goes adrift.. my best success has been in taking a smaller piece of live rock or a shell or a coral stick, etc and loosely wrapping sewing thread around the middle of a length od dragons breath and then gluing the string down on the back side... it allows it to move in the water without pinching or hard fixing it..
I've never seen it attach itself, even after a year and a half.

I believe Chaeto is supposed to tumble freely with the currents and ocean rip, so I doubt it'll be contained super easily, but wedging it between rocks while still giving it flow all around may be your best bet... just a guess.

Caulerpas have their own hold fasts, so they're easy to get to "stick" but they grow like weeds! .. worth it for the color and movement if you like to reach in and trim often.

Blue Hypnea will "hold" after only 12hrs of contact to a surface. If it likes your parameters, it will do just fine. But I have glued it in the past, and it did more damage than good.

Red Gracilaria (the thin branching type) takes well to being superglued.. doesn't seem to freak out and die off like others have.. it really holds and continues to grow.

"Branching hex" seems to tolerate super glue.. mine is growing after transplant.

Doesn't Pom pom establish a holdfast eventually? It's worth trying superglue, and see what happens.
Superglue is AWESOME with how easy it is to attach and work with, but it doesn't work for all species.

Anyways, experiment and try different things on different species.. some efforts will be fruitful, while others don't last.
But, hey, try to enjoy the process!
Happy reefing. -Drew

 

[Tnops]

Totally species dependant.
For Dragons Breath: I have glued it many times and it eventually kills off the glued part and the rest goes adrift.. my best success has been in taking a smaller piece of live rock or a shell or a coral stick, etc and loosely wrapping sewing thread around the middle of a length od dragons breath and then gluing the string down on the back side... it allows it to move in the water without pinching or hard fixing it..
I've never seen it attach itself, even after a year and a half.

I believe Chaeto is supposed to tumble freely with the currents and ocean rip, so I doubt it'll be contained super easily, but wedging it between rocks while still giving it flow all around may be your best bet... just a guess.

Caulerpas have their own hold fasts, so they're easy to get to "stick" but they grow like weeds! .. worth it for the color and movement if you like to reach in and trim often.

Blue Hypnea will "hold" after only 12hrs of contact to a surface. If it likes your parameters, it will do just fine. But I have glued it in the past, and it did more damage than good.

Red Gracilaria (the thin branching type) takes well to being superglued.. doesn't seem to freak out and die off like others have.. it really holds and continues to grow.

"Branching hex" seems to tolerate super glue.. mine is growing after transplant.

Doesn't Pom pom establish a holdfast eventually? It's worth trying superglue, and see what happens.
Superglue is AWESOME with how easy it is to attach and work with, but it doesn't work for all species.

Anyways, experiment and try different things on different species.. some efforts will be fruitful, while others don't last.
But, hey, try to enjoy the process!
Happy reefing. -Drew

Thank you for the insight! I rubber banded my dragon breath after it got dislodged but pompom seems to be holding in the wedges just fine :)

I'm looking to get more species of macros, where would you reccomend me to look?

 

[MoshJosh]

Glue, rubber bands, zip ties, and cramming the algae in cracks and holes in the rock. The hope being that eventually the algae will attach to the rock. Some algaes can likely be planted in the substrate, but my tanks are BB

 

[Crabby48]

I would think twice about charro in a macro tank. It grows fast and will attach to rock and get in the holes. Not many things like to eat it and will be a pain to remove. Just my opinion

 

[Drewerd7]

Thank you for the insight! I rubber banded my dragon breath after it got dislodged but pompom seems to be holding in the wedges just fine :)

I'm looking to get more species of macros, where would you reccomend me to look?

My favorite place to buy is an Etsy dealer named Mosaic Macros, because their selection is large, and very reasonably priced..
Down side is that they're pretty tiny cuttings, like "frags" of macroalgae. That said, I've ordered from them a couple times, with quick shipping and great specimens in my package.
Some species don't survive the different tank parameters, while others take off. I've even ordered Blue Hypnea a second time because it all died off first round, and not it's taking over my tank!

I've also ordered off eBay three times with great success.. just watch the prices. Some are reasonable, other people like to gouge you.

Not many LFS have it for sale, and if they do, it's usually some caulerpa variety that has become a pest and taken over a tank somewhere off in the corner!

Lastly, more than anything, this hobby should be all about hooking each other up and sharing the passion!
We put so much money into equipment, and so much time into maintenance, that TRADING is what we should do.
I know you just started your tank..
Send me a PM and ill send you a couple clippings.. you can Venmo me back for shipping when it arrives... and when you have some ****** **** growing gangbusters in a year, you can "return the flavor!" -Drew

 

[Barb0713]

Totally species dependant.
For Dragons Breath: I have glued it many times and it eventually kills off the glued part and the rest goes adrift.. my best success has been in taking a smaller piece of live rock or a shell or a coral stick, etc and loosely wrapping sewing thread around the middle of a length od dragons breath and then gluing the string down on the back side... it allows it to move in the water without pinching or hard fixing it..
I've never seen it attach itself, even after a year and a half.

I believe Chaeto is supposed to tumble freely with the currents and ocean rip, so I doubt it'll be contained super easily, but wedging it between rocks while still giving it flow all around may be your best bet... just a guess.

Caulerpas have their own hold fasts, so they're easy to get to "stick" but they grow like weeds! .. worth it for the color and movement if you like to reach in and trim often.

Blue Hypnea will "hold" after only 12hrs of contact to a surface. If it likes your parameters, it will do just fine. But I have glued it in the past, and it did more damage than good.

Red Gracilaria (the thin branching type) takes well to being superglued.. doesn't seem to freak out and die off like others have.. it really holds and continues to grow.

"Branching hex" seems to tolerate super glue.. mine is growing after transplant.

Doesn't Pom pom establish a holdfast eventually? It's worth trying superglue, and see what happens.
Superglue is AWESOME with how easy it is to attach and work with, but it doesn't work for all species.

Anyways, experiment and try different things on different species.. some efforts will be fruitful, while others don't last.
But, hey, try to enjoy the process!
Happy reefing. -Drew

I just got a clump of dragons breath. Pin some between some rocks. It’s staying for the most part. One piece got away. Free floated for a while and has now picked a spot in the sand. Has been there for almost a week and looks to be attaching itself there