What macros? And dosing?

[jonelder68]

Getting ready to finally set tank up! Of course wife wants to redo tile where DT is sitting. So will be a month or two delay now… but in the mean time looking for suggestions on macros! Always been a fan on large refugiums! DT is 60 breeder. Basement sump consist of main drain split to 20L and another 60 breeder with half of it refugium. The 20L plan on doing almost a display macro tank. Will contact Marco lady or one of them to fill it with various macro’s. The 60 breeder 1/2 refugium I was thinking cheato and Pom Pom? Planning on egg crate divider down the middle separating both. Suggestions or should both be fine there?

Next question those with large refugiums what do you find yourselves dosing to sustain your macros? Was thinking I would order a 4 head dosing pump? Iron, nitrate, and phosphate eventually? What else am I missing? I know a ton of variables but while I’m waiting trying to be prepared. I’ll will be doing SPS display with lime water starting off if that matters. My 25 year old softie/LPS sustains with every 2 week water changes/heavy feeding and cheato growing like a weed but this tank has way more macros in the plans!

 

[Uncle99]

I’ve not dosed my refuge with anything.
Except for pulling macro from time to time, I don’t touch it at all.
It should exist well in a stable reef system with strong plant growing light.

 

[jonelder68]

I’ve not dosed my refuge with anything.
Except for pulling macro from time to time, I don’t touch it at all.
It should exist well in a stable reef system with strong plant growing light.

What size is your refugium if you don’t mind me asking? Also how frequent do you perform water changes? I only ask because my refugium will be roughly 80ish% of total display tank volume for now.

 

[twentyleagues]

When I had my large system 3 display tanks plumbed together 120g, 125g, 90g I had a roughly 75g display fuge with several types of macros growing, 3 Mangroves, Blade caulerpa, codium, dragons breath, Cactus caulerpa, Grape caulerpa, ulva, red grape, a spiky red one (cant remember name), Blue something or other. Above the 120g and the 125g I had a roughly 15-20g tote fuge full of sand and blade caulerpa just for a place to get pods growing and have direct access to the tanks. I never dosed anything that wasnt for the reef and all the algaes grew fine.

 

[jonelder68]

When I had my large system 3 display tanks plumbed together 120g, 125g, 90g I had a roughly 75g display fuge with several types of macros growing, 3 Mangroves, Blade caulerpa, codium, dragons breath, Cactus caulerpa, Grape caulerpa, ulva, red grape, a spiky red one (cant remember name), Blue something or other. Above the 120g and the 125g I had a roughly 15-20g tote fuge full of sand and blade caulerpa just for a place to get pods growing and have direct access to the tanks. I never dosed anything that wasnt for the reef and all the algaes grew fine.

Perfect! Thanks

 

[jonelder68]

When I had my large system 3 display tanks plumbed together 120g, 125g, 90g I had a roughly 75g display fuge with several types of macros growing, 3 Mangroves, Blade caulerpa, codium, dragons breath, Cactus caulerpa, Grape caulerpa, ulva, red grape, a spiky red one (cant remember name), Blue something or other. Above the 120g and the 125g I had a roughly 15-20g tote fuge full of sand and blade caulerpa just for a place to get pods growing and have direct access to the tanks. I never dosed anything that wasnt for the reef and all the algaes grew fine.

You had a bunch of macros! Was there any you real liked? Or disliked?

 

[Uncle99]

What size is your refugium if you don’t mind me asking? Also how frequent do you perform water changes? I only ask because my refugium will be roughly 80ish% of total display tank volume for now.

50 gallon 4x2x1 fuge, 40gallon sump, 180 gallon display.

Fuge in three sections. 1/3 frags, 1/3 macro, 1/3 rock.

10% every two weeks keeps nitrate 8-10ppm and phosphate.1-.2ppm.

Maintaining those levels would be impossible for me without the fuge.

 

[twentyleagues]

You had a bunch of macros! Was there any you real liked? Or disliked?

The blue stuff was very finicky would grow fine for a while then die back. The codium was my favorite, it had little iridescent hairs on it, super cool in the lighting growth structure was cool too. Blade caulerpa once it grows into a big enough patch looks like a miniature kelp bed. Obviously dragons breath is very cool looking and for the most part pretty easy. Any of the calcareous green algaes I disliked and they didnt grow well for me anyway.

 

[twentyleagues]

My current set up uses 1/3 of a 75g for the fuge. I have feather caulerpa, grape caulerpa, and dragons breath. I couldnt find any blade caulerpa when I set it up so feather and grape were my only options.

1st pic is a month after tank cycled this is day after planting
2nd pic is a couple weeks later
3rd pic is maybe 4-6 weeks after planting.
It's completely full almost now I have harvested it 3 times and need to again.

 

[jonelder68]

My current set up uses 1/3 of a 75g for the fuge. I have feather caulerpa, grape caulerpa, and dragons breath. I couldnt find any blade caulerpa when I set it up so feather and grape were my only options.

1st pic is a month after tank cycled this is day after planting
2nd pic is a couple weeks later
3rd pic is maybe 4-6 weeks after planting.
It's completely full almost now I have harvested it 3 times and need to again.

Very nice!