A couple macroalgae questions

Hi, I was wondering a couple of things about macroalgae. I definitely couldn't find anything about this one with a search because I can't figure out what the darn thing is called! I've looked at various online stores that sell macroalgae and can't seem to find anything like it. I saw some for sale at the LFS a little less than a week ago and I didn't ask about it. Basically it looks like green strings with small green beads/bubbles on it. There were several of them, but I didn't see whether they all originated from one main single source or not. It almost looked like a cheap rosary I had when I was a little kid, just all green. I drew a silly picture in MS Paint (the fish and beads/bubbles are not to scale, the beads/bubbles are quite small ;D), hopefully someone can figure this out from the limited information:



Second, would an algae like this, or any macroalgae in general, be suitable for lowering nitrates/phosphates in a tank? I'm not really worried about my nitrates at the moment, but I am sort of curious as to whether all macroalgae serves this function or whether this chaeto algae I've read so much about is the only one suitable for this function. I really don't like the way chaeto looks and don't want to keep it in my tank (I have no refugium), but it would be nice if I could get some of this one (or another) that I do like and also have it serve a dual purpose as a sort of adjunct to water changes, live rock/sand, and so on. Also, as question 2.5, are there any concerns that come with macroalgae in a display tank? Will they come to animated life and eat my fish or coral, or, more realistically, bother them in any way? Thanks a bunch, it's greatly appreciated!

 

Maybe a type of Caulerpa?

 

Haha I really like your picture!

 

Love the drawing – your fish looks like he is on a mission. I assume that the coral to fish ratio is not to scale !

Its Caulerpa – a good macro that will indeed consume nitrates, and can be harvested and feed to your tangs via a clip. Keeping this type of macro in your DT would more than likely become fish food and negate its intended purpose. Could you consider keeping in it your sump – you would just need a small light source.

So to answer 2.5, no real issue in the DT other than your fish will probably eat it – no negatives expect an unsightly macro.

Caulerpa has the ability to go asexual if it dies off, this goes for all macro’s less cheato (this is why many people choose cheato)

 

Grape caulerpa. Very pretty, but can easily take over your tank unless you have something that eats the heck out of it to keep it trimmed down and in control. It can also go sexual and nuke your tank. Lost my last tank that way & got out of the hobby for 6 years after that...

 

Thanks to all of you! And I'm glad you all liked the picture. I just had to add the "fish on a mission." Always gotta sneak a laugh in there when I can.

So it's Grape caulerpa? And it can go crazy and take over my tank? Oh no! Okay. Well, I don't have a sump, but I was thinking of getting one of those backpack refugiums. The only thing that's stopped me from buying one yet is that they seem to cost more than my 60 gallon cost! I saw one an inexpensive one aquatraders with a protein skimmer built in, but I don't need a second protein skimmer... though I guess a second protein skimmer also wouldn't hurt anything. I don't really want a lot of algae, I'd just be happy with a small one or two gallon area for algae to grow. Now, can macroalgae escape from the refugium and set up shop in the DT, or is that for some reason impossible?

If not a hang-on, maybe I'll just try to find a small place I can sneak in a ten gallon tank and add one somewhere else.

 

Me too, I LOLed at the pic. I love it!!

 

nice picture love!

p.s macro algae crashed my tank!