What types of Macroalgae do you have in your Reef System? Are they beneficial so far?

[revhtree]

Good Monday to you all!

What types of Macroalgae do you have in your Reef System directly in your display, sump or refugium?

Why do you keep the macroalgaes that you do keep? What are the benefits for you?

image via @Subnautica

 

[Piscans]

i never wanted to have a ton algae in my tank, but in the end, even the "harmful algae" turned out to be an integral part of my system. whenever i had no algae, all my corals werent doing well. now, all my corals are actually growing and thriving. same with my fish, & i have a ton of algae in my system. i feel like the algae is an important player in nutrient regulation and contains many minerals and microorganisms that are benefical to the fish and coral.

 

[ReefGeezer]

N&P stay low in my system so I don't use beneficial algae. I've tried it before and never has it gone well for me. I've tried Cheato and an ATS in other systems. For me, a lot of live rock and a moderately effective skimmer seems the best option. I do dose a little live Phyto though... just to feed the Pods. I don't think it is enough to export much N & P.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

I haven't yet because I've always had nano systems with no way to really run a refugium. I've recently been trying to research a way to plumb in a display refugium tank into the same system with my new 62 gallon reef tank.

 

[Koh23]

Clasic chaeto for nutrient export, and another one, not sure what species, i got it as a hitchhiker on some rock, feel sorry for her, so.....

 

[Sharkbait19]

I tried, but my coral beauty disagreed with my tastes…

 

[Fishy888]

I like the looks of certain macros but I am on the fence with keeping them in the display. Algae tend to use allelopathy against corals according to my research.

I do have red bubble algae in the display in a few spots. I don't let it take over by any means though. I think it looks good but I doubt most would count it as a macro, certainly not a desirable one.

If I'm wrong though please let me know. I think macros would look great with corals to an extent even if not something that occurs on an actual reef with sticks which I want to have dominate my reef.

Edit: I just realized that what's in the sump counts. I have chaeto in my sump. It can pull out nutrients like nobody's business when it's in it's groove.

 

[Koigula]

Not entirely sure it is on much value other than place to breed rotifers and pods. I am certain it has no effective use on pH swings as I carefully meter stirred kalk at night. I slowly learned a full spectrum light is better and medium flow is needed.

I found real benefit of refugium is I can observe for algae types growing. I saw some usual nasties in past but now grow turf algae indicating a normal healthy system. . The other benefit is a I can keep a few breeding midnight Oscilaris.

 

[cdnco2004]

Cheato and Sea lettuce

 

[cdnco2004]

Not entirely sure it is on much value other than place to breed rotifers and pods. I am certain it has no effective use on pH swings as a carefully meter stirred kalk at night. I slowly learned a full spectrum light is better and medium flow is needed.

I found real benefit of refugium is I can observe for algae types growing. I saw some usual nasties in past but now grow turf algae. The other benefit is a I can keep a few breeding midnight Oscilaris.

How does the macro assist you in breeding clowns?

 

[exnisstech]

Chaeto in a sump chamber fuge. Green hair algae in display

 

[davidcalgary29]

I tried, but my coral beauty disagreed with my tastes…

It sounds like your coral beauty entirely agreed with your tastes.

 

[Fishy888]

Chaeto in a sump chamber fuge. Green hair algae in display

Sounds about where my system is lol

 

[vlangel]

Good Monday to you all!



image via @Subnautica

What types of Macroalgae do you have in your Reef System directly in your display, sump or refugium?

I have macro algae both in my display and my refugium/sump. I keep them because I like the looks of mostly all macro algae, plus the nutrient uptake is also nice.
Right now I have gracilaria (near the sand) and codium (upper left) and some sort of grassy turf macro algae (on gorgonian plug). So far these are the varieties that have flourished in my system. I do hope to expand to more varieties now that I have LED lighting.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Deliberately:

Halymenia
Halimeda
Gracilaria
Agardhiella
Udotea
Pencillus
Galaxaura

Hitchhikers:

Ulva
Codium

 

[KonradTO]

I have a fuge with some chaeto, Caulerpa prolifera, Caulerpa brachypus and some kind of red halymenia.
I am slowly decreasing the amount of macro in the fuge because I struggle to keep nutrients up in this way.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

I voted other as I have macro algae, but no reef.

 

[design.maddie]

I have all sorts of green stuff growing in my refuge. At least 3 species that I never thought to check on and see what they are. Hard to tell what is growing with that bright pink light. I just saw green growing and thought to myself "Good Bye Nutes"

 

[MoshJosh]

Both of my tanks currently have refugiums. that said I may convert one of my tanks into an all in one, if so I plan on growing some decorative algae in the display.

 

[Treefer32]

I try to grow hair algae in my algae turf scrubber! However, since vodka dosing, my turf scrubber has turned into growing bacteria on the screen. (huge globs of bacteria.) I didn't know bacteria liked red light, but it's a mix of hair algae and bacteria. Really interesting results.