Macro algae only tank.

[Bryn]

I have spent a lot of time trying to find information about starting a macro algae tank. Not interested in fish or corals, just algae. Never had a saltwater tank, but have dabbled with fresh water fish and plants in the past. Have done many searches on many sites, but most results are not for algae only tanks. Hoping that this thread might help others who are interested in this line of aquaculture.

I'm going to start with a 20g long tank, with a sand substrate, with some small rock placed on top of sand near one end. I'm covering my options with the sand and rock. I have plenty of fresh water equipment such as heaters and mechanical filters such as hang on the back bio-wheels that might be useful. I know I will have to buy a power head at some point, also better lighting maybe. When I had fresh water I used florescent grow lamps for plants, which seemed to work.

I have plenty of questions, but will post only a few at a time.

First question is: The best sand substrate to buy?
Second Question is : What type of rock to buy?

Later on I will post a link and ask you to select the plants I should start with. Nothing to fancy, or too simple. I will also document my adventure via picture in this thread. Hopefully any one reading this thread will then be able to reproduce my journey.

Hopefully this thread is something you guys don't mind helping me with.

Thanks

Bryn

[Fsarmien]

Substrate- buy what you like if it's small particles or larger ones, they both have their pros and cons. I heard black sand is hard to keep clean though.

Rock- buy rock from reefcleaners, it is extremely porous and has a high surface area. Plus. you can put it in your tank without any pests.

Good luck with your tank.

[Bryn]

I'm guessing a good quality argonite sand or crushed coral would be the way to go, with maybe rubble "live rock".

Bryn

[Subsea]

Originally Posted by Bryn

I'm guessing a good quality argonite sand or crushed coral would be the way to go, with maybe rubble "live rock".

Bryn

Florida Crushed Coral at 2mm-5mm. I suggest you go with 1" deep. With a 20G long tank that would be 20 lbs.

Bryn,

I applaud your direction in macroalgaqe as a marine biotheme tank.

I have been keeping marine tanks for 44 years. Two years ago, I set up lagoon tank biothems with the influence of Gerald Heslinger. Gerald is owner of IndoPacific SeaFarm in Hawaii and he is a full fledged scientist. I am a full fledged marine engineer and I enjoy pushing the envelope.

May I suggest an econominal model to work with. With a narrow long tank, consider a vertical loop current generated with a powerhead or a HOB filter on one narrow end. As the water goes acros the tank at the top it hits oppossite side and returns at the bottom. In larger tanks, I also use a bubble curtain to circulate water by lifting water from bottom to top as flow goes to oppossite side. The net result is a much stronger circulation due to inertia of this continuous vertical loop current. Most macroalgae require brisk circulation. I use little rock in my lagoons. I normally make a rock wall on narrow side of tank with air lift behind the rocks. Do not use diffussers to make a fine bubble, it will contribute to salt creep. I use 1/16" drill bit to make vent holes every 2"-3". Do not put too many holes until you test the output of your airpump.

http://marineplantbook.com/
Russ Kronwetter knows more about macro than anybody walking. This is his reference book. If you read it, you will have much knowledge.

Enjoy your journey,
Patrick

[Bryn]

Been doing a lot of reading, and working on getting my equipment together. Just picked up a 55g tank for free, so we have moved from a 20long to a 55g. This at least will give me some room for error. I have also been thinking about what Patrick said, and was wondering about a MaxiJet, but was not sure of the size, maybe a 1200 on one side?

Was also thinking about getting my live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater, a sponsor on this site.

Also picked up a Coralife Lunar Aqualight Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting Fixture, 4X65W, 48" Long, for $40, used but working. So any suggestions on what I should change the lights out for? At present they just have the standard two 10,000k daylight & two actinic.

Thanks

Bryn

[Subsea]

Bryan,
Depending on which macro that you grow, your present lights are good. The deep water red macros like dragons breath and red grapes will do well with your light spectrum. They like the blue. The 10K kelvin bulbs have blue spectrum included.

If you will be using diver collected live rock, you will be in for a pleasant surprise.

Use two Maxijet 1200 pointed to the opposite side. For optomozation of circulation, make small adjustments in nozzle direction and wait 30 minutes for inertia of circulation to change.
Patrick

[Bryn]

Good evening,

The Maxi-Jet 900's are in the 55 gallon tank. Both are in opposite corners to each other so making a rotating flow around the front and back of the rock. I'm using them in circulation pump mode, so they should move about 1000GPH each. I have 20lbs of live sand to add, along with 40lbs of dry sand.

The tank has cycled, but I'm wondering about adding the sand, if I will have a mini cycle?

Also I looking at buying a sampler of red algae, this would contain.

Red Gracilaria:
Pink Baby Breath:
Portieria:
Red Grape:
Eucheuma:
Red Spicifera:

Any thought about these plants, or maybe suggestions of others to consider.

Thanks

Bryn

[Subsea]

Gracilaria Hayi is an attractive dark burgundy compact bush that is somewhat brittle with calcium uptake. It is not palpable to Tangs and Rabbits.
Patrick

[Whiterabbitrage]

Tagging along. Hope to follow in your footsteps in a few years when I have the room.
Thanks for sharing your journey.

[tektite]

On your algae selection, the baby's breath and eucheuma are both difficult macros to keep. I would wait on them until you've gotten the hang of keeping easier macros. Dragon's tongue Halymenia is gorgeous, especially the orange tipped variety, and easy to keep.

[Bryn]

Thanks for the replys.

tektite, where could I buy Dragons tongue Halymenia, orange tip. It does look spectacular, especially if this is what we are talking about.

http://www.bayoureefkeeping.com/topi...gue-halymenia/

Thanks

Bryn

[tektite]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. In fact, that's my picture, that someone else is using to sell their macro. Again! I don't know how many times I've found people/companies using my images for their product photos...

Best place to find it for sale is the selling section here on RC. It'll take you awhile to see that section though.

[Don Quixote]

Originally Posted by tektite

On your algae selection, the baby's breath and eucheuma are both difficult macros to keep. I would wait on them until you've gotten the hang of keeping easier macros. Dragon's tongue Halymenia is gorgeous, especially the orange tipped variety, and easy to keep.

Good light and dragon's breath grows like a weed!
Also love porteria, turns pink under high light. Easy to keep when fed.

[Bryn]

Do you have to have something like fifty posts before you can see the forum? (Just Found the answer 50/90) The rate I'm going it will be a while. LOL

Bryn

[Bryn]

tektite,

Do you know the scientific name of the pink babies breath? I was thinking it was heterosiphonia gibbesii

Thanks

Bryn

[tektite]

Hetereosiphona gibessii, but yes I believe so.

[Bryn]

Thank you sir, I will do my research before it turns up. I'm thinking of keeping it in a separate tank for a while to give it the indervidual attention it might need.

Bryn

[Bryn]

Ok, no photo but I have a 40g breeder up and running. 60 pound of sand, 20 of that was live sand, and 40 was dry. Have two Hydor 750's moving water with rock in the tank. At present it looks like a sand storm, but slowly clearing out. Have not got a clue where the rock is sitting, but it is in there, and one shipment of algae is due to arrive tomorrow. Hopefully the other will arrive Thursday. Rinsed the dry rock very well I thought, but still a blinding storm of milky white water. The 750's are giving good water movement on the surface.

Some parameters:
pH 7.6
Salinity 1.025sg maybe 1.026sg
Alkalinity 4.5 meq/L
Calcium 410ppm
Nitrates about 5ppm

Alkalinity may not be that high, first time using the test kit, so should retest.

Hopefully get a picture tomorrow before the planting. As my water is not meant to be super clean, I might venture into LPS, maybe a Sun Polyp (Tubastrea aurea) to start.

[ldc3000]

I'm thinking of doing something similar. Would love to see pics once you have it set up.

[Bryn]

I got my first shipment from living-plants today, hopefully I will get some pictures up soon. Not looking great at the moment as I only installed sand the day before. So far I pleased with the out come.

Bryn

[squishifishi]

i know you dont want to, but it would be really pretty to add a school(?) of trimma gobies or other tiny fish to dart between the plants. would just give it some more movement and a unique splash of color. it will also make the tank look bigger and feed the plants. they can eat some copepods too.
Anyway, this is a really cool idea! there are so many cool algaes out there. way cooler than fw imo. the way theygrow, more different shapes, sizes and textures. this can be a really diverse tank. ive never seen this done before, but hey, fw planted tanks are way popular...why not sw?
love it! good luck! keep us posted

[Bryn]

Thank you for the nice words of encouragement. I agree that a small shoal of fish would look good swimming through the plants. Had considered adding some pajama cardinals. But what I want to achieve first is a tank that supports life from the microscopic up, and stopping short of the next step in the food chain, fish. I would like to have a lot of zoo-plankton, copepods, and amphipods for some corals to live off. In a way producing my own marine snow. Brine shrimp, and small creatures of all kinds. I have a stereo microscope as well as lab grade compound, so am looking forward to seeing what exists in my tank.

Bryn

[Bryn]

You are right about the shapes, textures, and the cool factor of the macro algae. I had fresh water plants many years ago, but always wanted to move into the marine environment. So many different areas to explore.

Bryn

[squishifishi]

oh, so you may have some coral eventually? that could prove difficult with a macro dominant tank because of the random growth patterns and how they bury their root tendrils in the rock. my cheato in the dt bugs the nearby corals just from its leaves bumping them and sometimesblocking light. there are some corals that really dont care though, like xenia and mushrooms would do well and look cool amongst all the macroalgea.
have fun studying your micro life

[squishifishi]

oh yes, and will you have a few snails or crabs to eat up any roting veg?