Best macro?

I know there are many different types of macro to keep in my sump/refugium. and i know lots of people use chaeto. But, which one is the best? Is it better to have a mix of more than one? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

I am surprised that your thread as not blown up with responses yet!! I think that you will find a bunch of different answers to your question as everyone seems to have an opinion. I use just cheato myself and have been very happy. It just sits in there and i trim it back as needed. I have no problems with it "going sexual" or anything else for that matter. The idea behind using any kind of macro is to suck up excess nutrients that you don't want affecting your DT. As with many things, there are many ways to accomplish the same goal. I tend to choose easy.....less chance of me screwing up. If you like complicated or see your fuge as something more than a filtration system then mangroves and other goodies may be something to explore. Like everything else with this hobby, if i ask myself "whats my goal" it has a tendency to help with my decisions. Good luck!!

 

caulerpa tends to remove nutrients better than chaeto , but there is a risk of it going sexual and releasing nutrients , mangroves are also a good choice.

 

Chaeto as has been stated is less likely to go sexual then most other Macros.Mangroves are also a good choice but be aware you will need alot of them as they are ultra slow growing.If space is limited Chaeto is a far better choice.

 

+1 for chaeto. I had some grape caulpera that managed to weasel its way into my tank/fuge and it was/is a mess. I was able to finally rid it from my display but it got so bad in the fudge that it choked out and killed the chaeto so I have had to start over.

 

You here chaeto over and over because it's completely safe and it grows fast. You don't release toxin when cutting it back or by it going sexual. It also isn't invasive, that makes up for the fact that it is a little less efficient than caulerpa.

Past that, the others are for show IMO. To me, I want to pack the most nutrient reduction I can in as small a space so I use an Algae scrubber that grows green hair algae. But if I were to use a traditional fuge that no one was looking at, chaeto, chaeto and more chaeto would be my choice.

 

Not many macros actually remove much. Some of the faster growing ones are better, but have side effects, such as mentioned for caulupera. I'd also avoid caulupera, just because it can take over a tank if it gets into your display somehow. Chaeto is okay, as are some gracilaria. There are some calerous algae that are good, such as haimedia, however, you will have to dose more calcium, but this can be good too, as it makes it easier to control....

 

Sweet thanks all for the responses, figured there was a Reason everyone used chaeto. Looks like those are the reasons I'll be using it as well. With some mangrove perhaps. Thanks again,

 

I am only going to use Chaeto from here on out! After doing tons of research I am going to stick w/ Chaeto.. Just a little tid bit! most popular choice for refugium macroalgae among advanced aquarists in the United States is Chaetomorpha. Unlike Caulerpa, Chaetomorpha is multicellular and, as such, is inherently more stable. It can be cut and pruned aggressively with little or no fear of toxins being released or having vegetative crashes. And, like its namesake, it can also simply be thinned gently with ease like strands of spaghetti noodles. It is fast growing and makes an excellent vehicle for nutrient export! It is also highly adaptable to a very wide range of lighting 1 watt of light per liter of water at depths less than 30 cm. Like most "vegetable-filter" algae species, moderate to strong water flow is necessary; keep a total water flow of at least 20X turnover of the volume of the culturing vessel. There are many other benefits to spaghetti algae, not the least of which is that it is a superb matrix for the cultivation of microcrustaceans. Aquarists with thick masses of Chaetomorpha in their refugiums get a bounty of zooplankton to feed their corals in their display, assuming the refugiums is kept without predators like fishes on the plankton.

Hope this will help!

Out,
FLSharkvictim