| Adding biological diversity has many benefits to the aquarium hobbyist. It can enhance the biological filter, provide live food, and creates a beautiful natural appearance! |
Enhancing the
biological filter
No marine aquarium hobbyist gets
far without learning about the
importance of the bacteria in the
nitrogen cycle. Fish, uneaten food
and decaying matter produce
ammonia and phosphates.
Phosphates are not toxic but feed
algae blooms. The ammonia is
toxic and the bacteria turn it into
(still toxic) nitrite. Other bacteria
turn nitrite into nitrate. Low level
nitrate is not toxic and so the cycle
is said to be "complete." The build
up of nitrate and phosphate has
traditionally been removed through
regular water changes. However,
phosphates and nitrates can also be
removed by growing macroalgae in
the same system!
Macroalgae eats phosphates and
nitrates!
It will not only out compete the
nuisance micro algae (green) but will
also help prevent diatom (brown)
and cyanobacteria (red slime)
blooms by stealing the nutrients
they need to grow. It picks up where
the nitrogen cycle leaves off! This is
not a replacement for regular water
changes but an enhancement that
will keep the systems water cleaner.
Water changes replace depleted
minerals and are always required.
But macroalgae can keep the water
clean and prevent the growth of
undesirable algae, diatoms and
cyano.
You can add another dimension to
the biological filter by attacking
nutrients before they even get
processed by the nitrifying bacteria!
Smaller particulate and dissolved
matter can be filtered out by
tunicates, sponges and feather
duster worms. Filter feeders can
even remove bacteria from the
water column. They are an
important and often overlooked
component. While macroalgae
removes chemical waste from the
water, filter feeders remove organic
waste. And they add beautiful color!
Adding small detritivores like
worms, copepods, mysid shrimp and
certain snails will focus on the larger
pieces of debris. It will be eaten
before it ever gets a chance to
decay.
biological filter
No marine aquarium hobbyist gets
far without learning about the
importance of the bacteria in the
nitrogen cycle. Fish, uneaten food
and decaying matter produce
ammonia and phosphates.
Phosphates are not toxic but feed
algae blooms. The ammonia is
toxic and the bacteria turn it into
(still toxic) nitrite. Other bacteria
turn nitrite into nitrate. Low level
nitrate is not toxic and so the cycle
is said to be "complete." The build
up of nitrate and phosphate has
traditionally been removed through
regular water changes. However,
phosphates and nitrates can also be
removed by growing macroalgae in
the same system!
Macroalgae eats phosphates and
nitrates!
It will not only out compete the
nuisance micro algae (green) but will
also help prevent diatom (brown)
and cyanobacteria (red slime)
blooms by stealing the nutrients
they need to grow. It picks up where
the nitrogen cycle leaves off! This is
not a replacement for regular water
changes but an enhancement that
will keep the systems water cleaner.
Water changes replace depleted
minerals and are always required.
But macroalgae can keep the water
clean and prevent the growth of
undesirable algae, diatoms and
cyano.
You can add another dimension to
the biological filter by attacking
nutrients before they even get
processed by the nitrifying bacteria!
Smaller particulate and dissolved
matter can be filtered out by
tunicates, sponges and feather
duster worms. Filter feeders can
even remove bacteria from the
water column. They are an
important and often overlooked
component. While macroalgae
removes chemical waste from the
water, filter feeders remove organic
waste. And they add beautiful color!
Adding small detritivores like
worms, copepods, mysid shrimp and
certain snails will focus on the larger
pieces of debris. It will be eaten
before it ever gets a chance to
decay.
Live, nutritious and
natural foods !
Feeding live, nutritious foods can
make fish healthier and more
colorful. They are happier
foraging through out the day as
they do in the ocean. Most fish
considered difficult to keep are
generally difficult to feed.
Macroalgae is the general name of
any saltwater plant other then
single cell microalgae. There are
many types of macro and each
has it's own benefits. All
macroalgae will remove nutrients
but some is natural food for fish.
Gracilaria and Ulva in particular
are natural foods eaten by fish in
the wild and provide a very
nutritious diet. Codium,
Chaetomorpha and Caulerpa are
also eaten and are healthy food
for herbivores. If you plan to
keep a Tang, you'll want live
macroalgae to feed it and keep it
healthy. Regardless if
macroalgae is eaten by fish, it will
also sustain the other meatier
critters that fish also eat.
Macroalgae feeds critters and also
houses them providing habitat for
them to breed. Mysid and
Gammarus shrimp, and copepods
will all multipy to larger
populations with macroalgae
habitat available. Seahorses and
Pipefish practically require it and
they don't even eat macro -- they
eat live bugs!
Angelfish and Butterfly fish are
the ones who go after the filter
feeders. The tunicates are
sometimes but rarely eaten by
Angels. But the feather duster
worms will be eaten specifically
by Copperband Butterfly fish. In
fact, you might load a system with
these if you plan to get this fish as
a way to slowly acclimate it to
frozen foods. You can harvest
rocks from a refuge with these as
a supplement to it's diet.
Mysid and Gammarus shrimp,
copepods, worms, mini stars and
baby snails are some of the
meatier foods that can make your
fish's lives more natural and
enjoyable as they forage
throughout the day as they would
in nature.
natural foods !
Feeding live, nutritious foods can
make fish healthier and more
colorful. They are happier
foraging through out the day as
they do in the ocean. Most fish
considered difficult to keep are
generally difficult to feed.
Macroalgae is the general name of
any saltwater plant other then
single cell microalgae. There are
many types of macro and each
has it's own benefits. All
macroalgae will remove nutrients
but some is natural food for fish.
Gracilaria and Ulva in particular
are natural foods eaten by fish in
the wild and provide a very
nutritious diet. Codium,
Chaetomorpha and Caulerpa are
also eaten and are healthy food
for herbivores. If you plan to
keep a Tang, you'll want live
macroalgae to feed it and keep it
healthy. Regardless if
macroalgae is eaten by fish, it will
also sustain the other meatier
critters that fish also eat.
Macroalgae feeds critters and also
houses them providing habitat for
them to breed. Mysid and
Gammarus shrimp, and copepods
will all multipy to larger
populations with macroalgae
habitat available. Seahorses and
Pipefish practically require it and
they don't even eat macro -- they
eat live bugs!
Angelfish and Butterfly fish are
the ones who go after the filter
feeders. The tunicates are
sometimes but rarely eaten by
Angels. But the feather duster
worms will be eaten specifically
by Copperband Butterfly fish. In
fact, you might load a system with
these if you plan to get this fish as
a way to slowly acclimate it to
frozen foods. You can harvest
rocks from a refuge with these as
a supplement to it's diet.
Mysid and Gammarus shrimp,
copepods, worms, mini stars and
baby snails are some of the
meatier foods that can make your
fish's lives more natural and
enjoyable as they forage
throughout the day as they would
in nature.
| FISH |
| Waste |
| PO4 Phosphate |
| NH4 Ammonia |
NO2 Nitrite
| MACROALGAE |
| NO3 Nitrate |
