Best Algae for Refugium?

[dbsherwood]

I've now got my refugium and will put it online next week. It's 36"x22"x24", and should, if used wisely and for the good of fishkind, eliminate the remaining few nitrates in my tank. It should also be a pretty cool place to put sea horses or other little fish that like the lifestyle that refugium living provides.

My question for folks: I've heard that if caulerpa gets too dense it can go sexual on you, turn white, die, and make a mess of everything, so it has to be regularly croppped if it's used in a refugium.

Does anyone have suggestions as to the best algae type(s) to use in a refugium? How much sand and what types do you like to put in? Thanks for your response.

 

[Anonymous]

I think Chaeto's supposed to be best.

 

[pwj1286]

i really like chaeto
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[bleedingthought]

I've stuck with the chaeto because it don't go sexual. :wink:

 

[ThrillYa]

I don't know what is the best but I've been using grape caulerpa (racemosa) for about 3 years and haven't had any problems. I do run the refugium lights 24 hrs and harvest every now and then.

 

[Anonymous]

Chaeto is nice, easy to remove if you change your mind, and doesn't seem to crash as folks have mentioned. Baby banggai love to hide in a nice fluffy ball of chaeto, very cute.

Although I have never had a problem with caulerpa going "sexual" and crashing on me in a refugium, I think because I harvest it. It is kind of nice to grow a caulerpa that your tangs like, so you can pull some out and give them some fresh food every once in a while.

 

[Anonymous]

Although I have never had a problem with caulerpa going "sexual" and crashing on me in a refugium, I think because I harvest it.

I've had it happen to me, with the result that I now swear caulerpa is The Devil. I didn't have any losses of livestock from it (thankfully), but I had a tank you couldn't see an inch into for a day, it was that cloudy. After it cleared I thought, okay, no big deal... for about two days, before little sprigs of caulerpa started growing -everywhere- in the system.

That was back around '98 and I haven't touched the stuff since. Chaeto is much cooler for nutrient export purposes*, and sargassum, maiden's hair and a bunch of others are cooler looking (and more manageable) for keeping in the main display.

(*but I still prefer xenia.)

 

[Anonymous]

(*but I still prefer xenia.)

Xenia rocks for nutrient export. It's extra cool because sometimes you can find someone to pay for it!

One time a reefer in another state found out I had oodles of the stuff and asked if he could buy some. I told him I would sell it for ten bucks a colony, and he said he wanted all I would part with. (ha ha ha, he didn't know what he was in for)

He drove up, and I started loading up his cooler with all I wanted to get rid off. He finally cut me off as it was getting rediculous and we counted how many colonies he had in there, there at least 25. He looks at me and says "I only brought $200" I said that was fine for all those and his eyes lit up and he smiled real big and passed me the cash. He was giddy when he left over the "deal" he got and as soon as the door closed I just busted up laughing over my luck to find someone who would buy it.

I think the guy sold all extra xenia for a profit too.

Funny, I can't seem to grow the stuff anymore. :?

Oh, and on the caulerpa crashing deal, it seemed to only ever do that do a small section of the caulerpa at a time for me, I wonder why? I currently have no caluerpa anywhere though, thanks to my foxface and no refugium on my current tank.