No Macro Algea
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=32324
Printed Date: July 26 2025 at 11:32pm
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Topic: No Macro Algea
Posted By: Kynneke
Subject: No Macro Algea
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 10:31am
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Is there a "common" cause of macro-algae die off? I've never been able to grow macro-algae in my sump/fuge, Chaeto lives there but never grows, Caulerpa just dies off slowly. I got a new batch of Caulerpa a few weeks ago and this weekend I had to dump it all into my main tank because it was starting to turn brown and get holes in it.
I would love to keep macro algae on hand and growing to feed my tang and foxface but I've never been able to. Everything in my tank is doing well, coral is growing, fish doing fine. I'm apparently missing something important that those macro algae need to live.
I don't run phosban anymore (it's been gone for about 6months) but I do run AC constantly or my lps pouts.
Oops, reposted, dunno why I had it in Inverts.
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Replies:
Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 10:43am
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Here is a quote from wetwebmedia.com...perhaps this will help: "Macroalgae warfare 10/05/03 Hi Crew! I am discovering for myself the major downside of grape Caulerpa, <indeed... it has been documented to be perhaps the most noxious of an already very noxious genus of algae> which doesn't seem to be the threat of going sexual, especially since I pull out from my 'fuge a cup or so every few days. <correct... the threat of "going vegetative" is easily skirted by interrupting the 3-6 month life cycle by regular thinning> It's a weed! Some other algae species seem to survive (such as feather Caulerpa and sawgrass) but not thrive. My Gracillaria (Ogo) didn't make it and my C. racemosa also couldn't compete. The Chaetomorpha ball hasn't grown in over two months! but I guess it's doing the job of removing nutrients, don't you think? <ahhh... not growing but exporting nutrients? How do you figure? Sounds to me like you've made the mistake of mixing algae that too many folks do. They are very (chemically) competitive with each other. Energies used in warfare could instead be used for good vigor/growth. Please have the discipline to use only one algae species proper in your vegetable filter/refugium. Anthony>" Here is the full link if you are interested: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/macralgalgcontfaqs.htm - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/macralgalgcontfaqs.htm HTH ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: Kynneke
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 11:59am
| Hrm, ok I won't mix them anymore but for over 8 months my Chaeto's been solo in the fuge and hasn't grown. If I could keep Caulerpa I'd ditch the Chaeto, my fish won't touch the stuff. |
Posted By: CrimsRayne
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 12:10pm
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Do you have a light over the fuge?
I find that light OVER the fuge is MUCH better than light from the side. ------------- "What we know from this hobby is too hard to share with the people who just want to look and not get wet." -Rioreefer "The Puffer Girl" Zoo freak :) West Jordan |
Posted By: Kynneke
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 1:20pm
| I do, it's a 100 watt daygrow bulb. It's on from about 9pm - 8am. I have it attached to a board so it hangs directly facing down. |
Posted By: CrimsRayne
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 3:43pm
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Hmmmmmm. That should be enough light... I get good growth under PCs. (I got awesome growth under MH when I was using a HOB fuge)
Now I am curious.
 A couple more questions.
Are there snails or crabs in the fuge?
How much carbon are you using and is it before/after the macro?
How much flow is there through the sump?
How much "waste" is there in the system?
------------- "What we know from this hobby is too hard to share with the people who just want to look and not get wet." -Rioreefer "The Puffer Girl" Zoo freak :) West Jordan |
Posted By: Kynneke
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 4:08pm
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Are there snails or crabs in the fuge? Yes, a few of each is all though
How much carbon are you using and is it before/after the macro? About a cup, after the algae
How much flow is there through the sump? Apx 700 gph
How much "waste" is there in the system? Not sure what you mean by that.. it's a 110 gallon tank with 20 sump/fuge, I have a full size foxface, 2 percs, 2 green chromis, lmb, dragon goby, royal gramma, a tiny hippo, brittle star, 1 peppermint shrimp, 8"-ish rbta and a handful of frags and clean-up-crew.
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Posted By: CrimsRayne
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 4:31pm
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It could be the crabs (maybe snails too) eating the macro. I lost a bunch of nice macro to the hermit crabs in the tank I was growing the macro in.
I can't think of anything else that would cause the macro to suffer. If it isn't the crabs, maybe it's one of those crazy things where some tanks just can't keep certain things. I had a tank that would not keep Monti Caps. It didn't matter what color or where they came from. Other SPS did great and grew really well and had bright colors, but the cap would just slowly die.  ------------- "What we know from this hobby is too hard to share with the people who just want to look and not get wet." -Rioreefer "The Puffer Girl" Zoo freak :) West Jordan |
That stuff wasn't cheap either. 
Posted By: Kynneke
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 5:16pm
| Thanks for the crab tip, I'll nab any I see in there and put them in the DT and see if that'll help. |
Posted By: thefu
Date Posted: March 30 2009 at 9:29pm
| Could something be eating the macro in the fuge? I stuck a whole order of snails and crabs in my fuge a while back so that I could see how many made it for sure. I pulled out (what I thought) was all of them, but evidently missed a couple. My new bunch of Ulva started to shrink and get holes, I could not figure out why, then one day I caught a snail that was munching out on it and had to get him into the display tank. |