Salt water plants in Main Tank.

[KevinATran]

Hi,
I really love the idea of having salt water plants (thinking about green grape plants) in my main reef tank, but I don't know if they're safe and how to take care of them. Also, I have 2 tangs in my tank. Would they eat these plants ? If so, which one that tangs won't eat ?
Anyone have had this in your tank...

Thanks,

Kevin Tran

 

[Anonymous]

depending upon the tang species.. but most likely yes.

 

[M68]

Your tangs probably wouldn't eat calcareous algea like halimeda and penicillus.

 

[KevinATran]

I have 1 yellow and 1 blue...
M68, what is calcareous algea ?

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Some macro algae incorporates calcium into the body of the plant, such as halemedia. My tang will eat this, as well as shaving brush algae, also calcerous.

The big risk in my opinion of adding macro algae to a tank is that it can be hard to remove, as it can grow into the rockwork. Then you are stuck with it unless you can find something that eats it or relace your rock. Keeping it on the sand can help a bunch with this problem.

There is no sure way to tell if your tangs will eat it up though without trying it.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if you are going to make a planted tank, with no corals, then I'd say no problem. But if you wanted to mix corals and plants then I'd say problem. I seem to recall hearing someone mention how the good coral reefs dont have much in the way of plant life near them.

 

[saltank]

Iwill chime in here. I put macro in my display due to not having a sump or refugium. Now Iwant to find something that will eat it. Once it starts growing in the rocks it is impossible to remove (the grape-type algea and the other leafy type anyhow)

I hate having to pull it out of the main tank. And it breaks off when pruning and spreads to other areas of the tank.

Good luck. If you do decide go with something like chlameda(I think I mispelled that, it is the type that looks like a ball of green spaghetti, that one is fairly easy to keep in check)

fwiw

 

[KevinATran]

Thanks to all of you..........I probably live without them then

 

[Anonymous]

Guy has a nice planted tank. http://www.geocities.com/guynwarsaw/, and, according to his website, has a powder blue tang as well. Might be worth asking for advice from him.

 

[moses13]

I grow a little halimeda in my display. It grows slow enough to not get out of control, and nothing eats it. Chaeto and caulerpa I keeps in the sump. I throw a bit of cheato into the display for my foxface to eat a couple times a week. He ensures that no other macros will grow there!

 

[wyw]

I bought a rock from Jeff's with some kind of plant a few years ago and haven't had any problems with it. It looks kind of like the Serrated Caulerpa only red. A few times a year it fluoresces and looks really great. My fish don't seem to touch it much unless there really hungry.

 

[Anonymous]

I have 4 types of caulerpa and some turtle grass. The turtle grass grows pretty slow, but the caulerpa needs pruning often. I have no regrets about adding them. My yellow tang only picks at the C. prolifera on occasion. He never touches the other algae.