macroalgae for sandbed?

[caveman28]

hello everyone!
I started a macroalgae focused display tank a couple months ago and want to start adding more macros in. Right now i have gracilara hayi and some red grape algae, I'd love to add some greenery in the tank but i'm scared of caulerpa taking over the rockwork.
Are there any green macros that'll stay in the sand and wont really grow onto the rocks too much?
or just any that are easy to keep back from taking over the rockwork?
I like the look of caulerpa prolifera and read somewhere that it mucy prefers to stay in the sand rather than onto rocks but i'm not too sure how true that is. If anyone has experience on this let me know.
Otherwise i still really do love the look of red macro tanks and wont be too sad about that lol. Any help appreciated! Thanks

 

[Mickle]

prolifera will go everywhere, its in my sand and rock. Palm tree caulerpa stays in the sand in my experience, I'd say they even require it. The only problem I ever had with it is that it grew too tall and blocked the view of other macros, the runners stay hidden while little 'palm trees' sprout from the sand. I like how it looks but it really depends on your setup

 

[mcarroll]

hello everyone!
I started a macroalgae focused display tank a couple months ago and want to start adding more macros in. Right now i have gracilara hayi and some red grape algae, I'd love to add some greenery in the tank but i'm scared of caulerpa taking over the rockwork.
Are there any green macros that'll stay in the sand and wont really grow onto the rocks too much?
or just any that are easy to keep back from taking over the rockwork?
I like the look of caulerpa prolifera and read somewhere that it mucy prefers to stay in the sand rather than onto rocks but i'm not too sure how true that is. If anyone has experience on this let me know.
Otherwise i still really do love the look of red macro tanks and wont be too sad about that lol. Any help appreciated! Thanks

If you think about the environment we're talking about anything that can't hold on winds up being washed into The Deep.....so I don't think there's a macro that will fit that bill. Chaetomorpha or Codium is probably as good as it gets...and they are not perfect. (It's a big ocean tho, so maybe?)

 

[Subsea]

hello everyone!
I started a macroalgae focused display tank a couple months ago and want to start adding more macros in. Right now i have gracilara hayi and some red grape algae, I'd love to add some greenery in the tank but i'm scared of caulerpa taking over the rockwork.
Are there any green macros that'll stay in the sand and wont really grow onto the rocks too much?
or just any that are easy to keep back from taking over the rockwork?
I like the look of caulerpa prolifera and read somewhere that it mucy prefers to stay in the sand rather than onto rocks but i'm not too sure how true that is. If anyone has experience on this let me know.
Otherwise i still really do love the look of red macro tanks and wont be too sad about that lol. Any help appreciated! Thanks

“Are there any green macros that'll stay in the sand and wont really grow onto the rocks too much?
or just any that are easy to keep back from taking over the rockwork?
I like the look of caulerpa prolifera and read somewhere that it mucy prefers to stay in the sand rather than onto rocks but i'm not too sure how true that is. If anyone has experience on this let me know.
Otherwise i still really do love the look of red macro tanks and wont be too sad about that lol. Any help appreciated! Thanks“

With respect to a macro algae display tank, I also have Gracilaria Hayi & Bortacladia for reds and for green, my favorite Caulerpa is Paspoides. I have also grown Prolifera in mixed garden display tanks. The big difference between these two fast growing seaweeds is the holdfast. The holdfast of Caulerpa Prolifera are tenacious and if allowed to get on your live rock, it is more than difficult to remove. The Prolifera holdfast have been shown to uptake > 50% of their nutrients from substrate in a lagoon on the Spanish coast.

In the case of Caulerpa Prolifera, its holdfast come clean when removing from live rock. This species is the fastest growing seaweed I have grown and is the first to go sexual if you push it with intense light while exhausting nutrients.
For display purposes, I reduce light intensity and temperature pefering to operate 72-75 degrees F.

https://web.archive.org/web/20250709161501/https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookpaspaloides.htm

 

[Mickle]

@Subsea you pasted prolifera when talking about paspaloides, might be confusing for some

 

[Subsea]

@Subsea you pasted prolifera when talking about paspaloides, might be confusing for some

Actually I pasted both and then incorrectly said Proliffera holdfast come off live rock clean when I meant to say Paspoidies, which is the Caulerpa I recommend and linked.