Which non-sexual macroalgae for refugium?

[Killamanjaro]

I've been doing some reading on refugiums and their benefits and I think I may want to run a refugium for a few reasons.

Mainly for microfauna populations and also the benefit of nutrient export. While reading I’ve come to find it’s not as simple as getting a bunch of macroalgae and putting it in the fuge with a good light. Some of these algae’s go sexual and can then foul my water by leaching back what they’ve absorbed.

What I’d Like to know is what kinds of macroalgae would I be safe putting in my fuge without having to worry about this happening? So far I have chaetomorpha as a type, but I’m wondering about Ulva and Red/Green Gracilaria as I’ve read they can also be fed to fish so it sounds like a two in one food and nutrient export.

This would be for a 5/6ft tank, haven’t decided yet. But you can bet I’m pushing for the biggest I can get away with!

 

[XNavyDiver]

I hear good things about Ulva. It gets fins up from my tang.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, the sexual reproduction part is a nonissue (I grew caulerpa racemosa for many years and the normal variant didn't once sporulate). Actual reports where this hurt a tank are also rare as hens teeth. .

That said, it is a MEGA pest in the display tank and I'd use a different macroalgae for that reason, unless you keep strong fish herbivores such as foxfaces.

Chaeto is fine and some herbivores do eat it. My tangs did.

I never got the gracilaria to grow. Maybe the caulerpa was outcompeting it. Same happened with chaeto, but I was able to grow that for a long time before the caulerpa got going too strong.

 

[Killamanjaro]

Nice! It sounds as if a lot of people have read a post made by one or two people and then gone on to post hysteria about algea going sexual lol

So then it sounds like chaeto, ulva and some gracilaria in the fuge with some live rock rubble and sand.

How deep for sand, 3inches? would it be beneficial to use fiji mud? or would the sand, live rock and macroalgae be enough?

It was mainly the articles on one of the sponsors websites regarding refugiums and microfauna that got me really wanting to do this.

 

[siggy]

One of my favorite ways to learn is to google Randy's references...... LOW AND BEHOLD.......HENS TEETH!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

One of my favorite ways to learn is to google Randy's references...... LOW AND BEHOLD.......HENS TEETH!

Nice.

 

[PensacolaReefKeeper]

I would like to have some macro that's not chaeto in my display that won't go sexual that's visually interesting. Anybody have any more suggestions?

 

[Goaway]

I would like to have some macro that's not chaeto in my display that won't go sexual that's visually interesting. Anybody have any more suggestions?

@WheatToast

Check his build thread and talk to him, you'll understand if you check his tanks out.