? on Macro algea

[Awibrandy]

I have tried to grow some chaeto & grape calurpa in both my reef's sump, and my FOWLR display with no success.
The light in the sump was on 24 hrs. The fowlr sits by a window with plenty of ambiant light, and the lights come on at dusk until 11PM.

I don't think lighting is the problem. Can you guys think of something I am missing?

Oh and the corals are growing just fine. Only problem coral is my lobo.
I also have no nuisance algea growing in either tank.

 

[DEEPWATER]

You are not the only that cant grow cheato and such algaes, Eric , Scumonkey that has a great tank has the same problem. Where i cant stop growing and it take over my sump. I use a reg HD flood light that is on only at night from 8 to 8am

I cant say why ,but im interested in knowing myself

 

[Awibrandy]

You are not the only that cant grow cheato and such algaes, Eric , Scumonkey that has a great tank has the same problem. Where i cant stop growing and it take over my sump.

I cant say why ,but im interested in knowing myself

Eric is growing macro with no problem. I got some from him, and it wiethered away too.:irked:

I don't even get nuisance algea, which is a good thing.
But I'd like to grow some sort of macro for pods, and for feeding fresh algea to my tangs.

 

[DEEPWATER]

Opps i thought he had a problem growing it ,my bad. I may confused him with a diff eric srry

 

[vanceny]

Not sure if this is the answer but its been suggested to dose iron for macro algea. I use to dose it (without testing :shhh, just whenever I remembered and the recommended amount on the bottle. I don't advocate it but it could be a reason. I dont dose anymore and my macro grows great. The one macro that I tried that just melted away was the red gracila algea. Perhaps you should try a different type.

Here's an article that discusses some of the benefits and detriments of iron supplementation.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/chem.htm

 

[Awibrandy]

With my old system chaeto was growing without any problems. It's now that I can't grow any.

I don't dose iron. Only thing I dose is B-Ionic 1 & 2.

I've tried chaeto, calurpa & red gracila. Nothing.

 

[fritz]

What are your nutrient levels? No nutrients = no macroalgae.

It sounds like your tank is pretty inhospitable to plant life or that it is being out competed by your corals/coraline & skimmer, which I consider to be a good thing and a successful reef tank.

 

[emps]

Algae needs nitrates, co2, and phosphate to grow, correct? Maybe your tank is too pristine? Mine grows like weeds, must be all that overfeeding with DT's and Cyclopeze.

 

[pEEshEE]

A, is the macro in the same area as the Phosban reactors' pumps?

 

[DEEPWATER]

I have no signs of any nitrate,nitrites maybe a slight trace of phosphates.

Cheato is in my sump next to the skimmer and phosban reactor. 12 hr lighting from HD flood lamp, Never dose iron only randys 2 part. I feed 2 to 3 times a day(tobiko and black worms only) sometimes cyclop. Grows like crazy.

 

[pEEshEE]

I got rid of my chaeto in the sump... now I have a bunch of different Red macros growing on the rocks... don't know if it's a good or bad thing yet, but it's easy to remove once it grows big enough to grab.

Awilda, maybe you don't need the macro if it's not doing so well. For the pods, you can get some empty shells. HTH.

 

[Awibrandy]

pEEshEE, it was by the skimmer & reactors. Reactor pump got clogged so I moved the chaeto to a small compartment in the sump away from everything, still nothing.
And the fowlr had no skimmer running for the longest, and was using "bioballs" in the wet/dry which is suppose to drive the nitrates up, and still weithered away. I have tons of fish so I feed pretty heavy.

I just don't get this.

Empty shells sounds good to me. Now how do I get the pods to multiply faster then my fish can eat them? I never see pods in my tanks. That is another thing that use to be abundant along with the nuisance algea in my old system.

 

[fritz]

A,
Ditch the macro, worse case scenario you'll just get some macro in your display which your tanks will make short work of.

As for pod growing use some extra LR or anything with surface are that is easy to clean. Light diffuser / egg crate is good for this. It gives them lots of places to be but won't trap detritus the way LR, sponge or cheato will.

 

[Awibrandy]

A,
As for pod growing use some extra LR or anything with surface are that is easy to clean. Light diffuser / egg crate is good for this. It gives them lots of places to be but won't trap detritus the way LR, sponge or cheato will.

Fred, I'm a little confused. First you say get extra LR, but then you say LR will trap detritus.
Am I understanding this right, just throw some pieces of egg crate(which I have in my closet:wink1in the sump?

 

[emps]

There was a DIY for a pod condo made from gutter guard and live rock rubble somewhere. Saw it once and I haven't been able to find it again. but basically you make a cylindrical tube with the gutter guard, throw the live rock rubble into it and close it off with gutter guard on top to complete a tube shaped gutter guard condo for pods to live and reproduce in safely without worrying about them being eaten from your fish.

You can have a few in the fuge and cycle them into the tank to they populate the rocks in the tank.

As far as multiplying faster, the only way I know how is for the algea in the fuge, but that goes back to the original topic

 

[scumonkey]

Yeah...The sites back up for me!
YES- I am the same Eric that can't grow chaeto in my system BUT....
I found I can grow the macro. I also recently discovered a way I can
finally grow chaeto! I have NEVER had luck with marine algae before,BUT...
I pushed some Chaeto down into my corner overflow box (just wasted space in my 30" deep tank).
It actually stayed alive-shows little to no growth- but its deep green and alive!
The Macro grows in my display now. It came in on my live rock. I pulled it all off
when I first got it and, I didn't see it again for 7 months. Now it grows on the back side
and top of the display- right next to the overflow.
I found it grows well in my refugium too- a place chaeto would NEVER grow however,
I have to turn it over by hand, every other day so it gets enough light-
otherwise it turns clear.
Awibrandy, I turn my lights off in my sump/refugium while my display lights are on so,
all my macro is on an alternating day nite cycle- I think it needs the rest period?
I feed my tank heavily but...
My nitrates read at .02 (salifert) and my phosphates read at .02 (hanna meter)
I use strong 200w 10K XM MH's over the display where the macro grows best.
After thinking about it, I figure the algae grows where it does because that's where
(at the top of the tank next to the overflows), the highest concentration of it's food source would be.