benifical algea

[hammons.david]

I would like to boost my biological filtration (I don't have a sump or anything under my tank) , so I was just wondering could I buy some macroalgea and just put it in my sandbed? Hopefully it will compete for nitrates with nuisance algea.

[Bluemoon]

you most definitely can.

some are much prettier than others, and some alot tastier to your herbivores.

what's your stocking list and lighting?

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[hammons.david]

I have a 250 watt metal halide. I have GSP, zoas, trumpet, open brain,mushrooms, 2 true prerclia clownfish, 1 fasle gramma, dwarf hermit crabs, trubo snails, and eventually a diamond goby.

[jestep]

Gracilaria hayi is by far my favorite DT algae. It has structure so you can scape with it, herbivores won't normally eat it, and it grows bright purple/red with orange tips. Dragon's breath (halymenia) looks very similar but it lacks structure and moves with the water flow, which is either good or bad depending on how you're trying to scape with it.

Here's what hayi looks like in my pico: http://www.austinreefclub.com/topic/25470-fluval-spec-v/?p=212109

Also, this is a great site to order from if you can't find what you're looking for locally: http://www.live-plants.com/Also a good place for ideas, although their pictures could use some work.

[Sascha D.]

I keep Halimeda Incrassata in my display. It's slow growing, the fish don't eat it and it does well with my 35x flow.

http://marineplantbook.com/marinebookincrassata.htm

I like G. Hayi, but it often breaks under my circulation pumps.

Shaving Brush and Mermaids Fan are two macroalgae that grow out of the sand. They aren't particularly attractive to me so I don't keep them.

I would avoid Caulerpa. I planted C. Prolifera once and it ended up covering most of my tank and rocks by three months.

[Sascha D.]

Padina aka Brown Scroll does well in the display, especially under your MH. It's mostly found growing in the sand, in shallow magroves, in the Pacific. It's calcified and almost nothing eats it.

http://marineplantbook.com/marinebookpadina.htm

[Bpb]

A word on halimeda. I know it's been called slow growing...but take care to not neglect it. Be super careful when pruning it and never say "oh I'll pick that sprout tomorrow". It can become a real nightmare. It happened to me it can happen to you lol. It spreads by fragmentation very well, and while it may seem like a slow grower, once it roots deep in the rock, good luck. And nothing, I mean nothing eats it

[Sascha D.]

Any plant can grow out of hand, both terrestrial and aquatic. That first picture looks like years of growth though, unless you dose super levels of calcium and have a 14 hour photoperiod. I trim mine about once every 6 months. Planting it in the sand helps. Once you attach it to rock it can grow everywhere.

I believe the second picture is caulerpa, which is super invasive.

[Bpb]

All halimeda. Just started growing smaller "leaves" the more I pruned it. I would pull out handfuls upon handfuls every 2 weeks for about two years. Rinse it, dry it out, add to compost lol. Once it dies it's basically just calcium carbonate. Just warning the OP on display macro. Any coral or macro can become a nuisance. This particular species was just especially good at it

[Timfish]

I've always liked the red grape, Botriocladia sp. myself. I also like Halimeda sp. but as they are a multinucleated single cell macro like the Calurpa spp. it has the potential to go sexual as well. I would argue however, corals with their symbionts are a better choice as they will remove ammonium from the water before it breaks down into nitrite or nitrate and they will also use both of those forms of nitrogen as well competing with alga.