I Want to Grow Ornamental Macroalgae - Suggest Some

[Megumi05]

I bough a mixed pack of macroalgae frags for my refugium. Choose a pack with 2 species common in refugiums and 2 ornamental. Well the blade Caulerpa didn't fair too well in shipping and didn't recover. The Dead Men's Fingers haven't done so well either. The Cheato is doing well and so is the Dragon's Tongue. I would like something else that's stiffer and tougher like the Dragon's Tongue as it ties to rocks easily for planting in the display tank. The Dead Men's Finger's Algae was a pain to do this with because it's so floppy though the way it waves in the current is nice. My tank will contain marine nerite snails, emerald crabs, and a coral beauty pygmy angelfish all of which may nibble certain types of algae. My understanding is they'll leave the stiffer, tougher species relatively alone.

 

[Untamedrose]

I had good luck with caulerpa(just a genus name gotta be more specific ) prolifera and mexicana. the "grape" one no so much.
Gracilaria salicornia pretty red one thats invasive to HI...so perk one thing too take out of the oceans.

Might look into Chaetomorpha(the steel wool of the ocean) and red mangroves too.

As far as the pygmy angel yup thats just what they do...they zip all over the reef nipping at everything anything. algea, corals, clams etc etc etc.... if it's tasty they stay for another bite or two...but generally wont Kill it all least not in one setting.

 

[Megumi05]

@Untamedrose Thank you. I don't remember the species of the Caulerpa I had just know it had green blade shaped leaves and a rhizome. I'll keep an eye on the angel. If it goes after the macroalgae too much I'll just grow it all int he refugium. I was told the Dragon's Tongue and other stiff or rubbery algae should not be too appealing of a texture for it to want to eat much of. The Caulpera on the other hand might be an appareling snack. I'll look into feather caulerpa and cactus macroalgae. I want to start out with 2 different types of different colors then work up to more perhaps after I've gotten a few zoanthids.

 

[Esquire805]

The best ones I have sold for that purpose are mermaids shaving brush, halimeda gracilaria hayi. Caulerpa is nice the feather one does better or prolifera does well bUT like most they die and resurrect it's strange