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Author Topic: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?  (Read 7012 times)

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Offline aquavista99

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What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« on: May 12, 2006, 11:11:16 »
I am currently growing cheato and red gracilaria (from Hawaii) for my basement  system in a 40 gallon sump. There is also some other red macroalgae growing in my sump from the TBS liverock as well. In the past, I used caulerpa (until I switched to SPS corals) and mangroves as well. 

What types of macroalgae do other Ohio Reef members use in your sumps and how do you keep the alive and well? I use power compact lighting  (80 watts total 6700k/10k)to keep my macroalgae happy.

 Unfortunately, since I added a much larger skimmer to my upstairs reef, I no longer have room for macroalgae in my sump for that system, which may also help explain my recent algae blooms as well >:( However, my cheato and gracilaria  is growing very well in the basement sump.

Some people use less watts growing cheato with great results. If you are interested in growing cheato on a budget without expensive lighting units etc., you can check out the link below as well (pictures included).

http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html



Offline micki

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2006, 11:19:57 »
Same bulbs that I use!  :)    The 65K that is.

I have a mixture of macro. 

Offline aquavista99

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2006, 14:01:45 »
The cheato grows the fastest for me, but my tangs like to eat gracilaria.


Offline Reefinmike

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2006, 14:35:08 »
i use cheato. i just use a little dome lamp with a screw in flourescant from lowes, works great for me.

wayne

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2006, 14:55:55 »
i use cheato. i just use a little dome lamp with a screw in flourescant from lowes, works great for me.

Is there a particular bulb you use?  I've looked locally for the one melev discusses, but couldn't find it.  I'm using a GE plant bulb right now, but not getting 'great' growth from my cheato. 

Wayne

Offline ohioreef

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2006, 18:46:25 »
I am growing chaeto under a LOA 6500K CF that I got at Wal Mart.

Offline verper

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2006, 19:03:04 »
I am growing chaeto under a LOA 6500K CF that I got at Wal Mart.

Do they still have those?  All I saw at WM was some other brand like GE or Phillips.

Offline Reefinmike

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2006, 20:34:48 »
i just use whatever i can find. they seem to be in the 7,000k range

Offline ohioreef

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2006, 20:41:14 »
They say "sunlight" or something like that right on the package. It is lightblue in color, the package that is.

Offline verper

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2006, 20:45:09 »
Thanks for the info guys.

I've looked at the Lowes/HD ones over and over and they never say what the K rating is.  I know the LOA ones Melev found were said to be 5500K by the company.  I'll look again at WM.

Offline scott wilson

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2006, 21:25:28 »
just get "daylight" or "full spectrum" bulbs

Offline micki

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2006, 21:33:34 »
I think we got ours at Homedepot.  Randy had to really look, but finally found the K rating on the package.

Offline Joel

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2006, 17:49:35 »
Home Depot has phillips 65K 48" 40 watt lamps for pretty cheep.

Lowes has a "grow" lamp and an "aquarium" lamp I think from GE that work pretty well. They also have a plamp light that works well with macro.

I am using URI Aqua Sun Lamps on my macro and Mangroves. I have 3 90 watt VHO's.

My new sump is two 175 watt 55K hamilton M/H. Hoping it'll grow stuff like crazy.

Offline aquavista99

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2006, 23:54:07 »


My new sump is two 175 watt 55K hamilton M/H. Hoping it'll grow stuff like crazy.


WOW!!!!!! That is one powerful, intense lighting unit for a sump. You could probably cultivate mass quantities of your own red graciliaria feeding algae in a setup like this and sell handfuls of it daily as macroalgae or as a food source for tangs and angelfish and other herbivores. This is exactly what Indo Pacific Reef Farms (Tang Heaven) does. Gracilaria turns dark red or bright yellow under intense light. No other LFS offers stuff like this, either. Just something to think about as an alternative to cualerpa, cheato and mangroves. Turtle grass would be another interesting macro to add to a sump like this.

Offline Reefinmike

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2006, 02:02:36 »
my sump has a 400w(got ya beat joel) metal halide. i have egg crate that sits midway in my sump for grow-out and some frags. under that is all my cheato. ;D was just setting it up today

Offline aquavista99

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2006, 02:13:44 »
my sump has a 400w(got ya beat joel) metal halide. i have egg crate that sits midway in my sump for grow-out and some frags. under that is all my cheato. ;D was just setting it up today

Did you just remove the 400 watt halide from your SPS system because it gave off too much heat?

I am going to stop by Joel's shop tomorrow to give you that frag we talked about. Sounds like you had a busy weekend changing things around.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 02:20:48 by aquavista99 »

Offline Joel

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #16 on: May 14, 2006, 07:51:59 »
OK, I'll up the anty;

My sump is going to have two 65 watt pc's added to it this week.

480 watts total!!!!!

Offline verper

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2006, 10:15:50 »
Ok, maybe I'll take the two 400w MH I was going to put on my tank and put them over my sump - 800watts!!



I'll just put the 75w LOA flourescent spot over the tank instead.  :D :D :D :D

On a serious note, there has been several discussions on RC about K rating being more of a factor growing typical macro than wattage.
Bulbs in the 4000-6500K work best.  That's where the 75w flourescent spots that only use the electricity of a 13w bulb work great for macro.   Frag growout is an entirely different setup and PAR rating is king.

bigfalcon36

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #18 on: May 14, 2006, 18:15:21 »
If anyone needs any Macro PM me because mine is overgrown...and as always it's FREE FREE FREE!!!!!!

Offline verper

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #19 on: May 14, 2006, 19:09:31 »
If anyone needs any Macro PM me because mine is overgrown...and as always it's FREE FREE FREE!!!!!!

How am I suppose to make any money if your giving it away for free????                               :D :D :D :D :D

Offline Joel

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #20 on: May 14, 2006, 19:11:01 »

I got that...

Funny

Offline micki

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #21 on: May 14, 2006, 21:23:35 »
LOL...  :D

Offline Reefinmike

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Re: What is the best macroalgae for sumps?
« Reply #22 on: May 14, 2006, 22:33:49 »
ive got 4 65w power compacts waiting for a use... :o

 

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