Halimeda Saltwater Plant, Cactus Algae Plant, Money Plant
Our Clean Macroalgae is aquacultured in large vats not connected to any fish system to avoid possible parasite or bacteria contamination. You can place our macroalgae directly in your tank without worry.
Description:
The Halimeda Plant is a decorative algae plant also known as the Cactus Algae Plant, or Money Plant. Though technically it is an algae its shape and growth patterns make it both visually appealing and a beneficial nutrient extractor for your saltwater tank.
Halimeda algae plants do not do well with excessive pruning but will need a regular haircut. Studies have shown that with a good nutrition base they can actually double in size in 2-4 weeks. Do to this growth they can compete as a nutrient extractor for your tank. Because it does grow using available calcium it can serve as a good calcium and alkalinity test. A healthy plant means good nutrient for growing stony coral. This is however double edged sword because that also means they are pulling some of these nutrients out of the water and away from your coral. If you have these with stony coral it is highly recommended to dose the tank with calcium. In a fish only tank with no stony coral these plants could thrive without fear of stunting the growth of corals.
Halimeda algae plants can be found throughout the world’s seas in places like Hawaii, The Caribbean, and the Great Barrier Reefs to name a few of the more popular places they are found. The largest natural formations of this plant are found in the Great Barrier Reef where patches span miles of sea floor.
The interesting shape and size of these make for a really cool natural living decoration for a fish only aquarium. They are fully reef safe and look good mixed in with a colorful reef tank too. Since most grazing fish like surgeon fish(tangs) will most likely steer clear of them they are a great addition to a fish only tank w/out worrying if your fish will eat or damage them. They may give them an initial try, but in most cases will leave them alone due to the calcium build up in the plant along with the noxious taste they generate as a deterrent to being eaten. One of the few species that dose threaten the growth of halimeda algae are the lettuce slugs. The lettuce slug will feed on the chloroplasts in the algae so that they themselves can be photosynthetic.
Difficulty to Grow:Easy
Reef Safe:Yes
Lighting Requirements:Provide 75 to 100 watts of 5100K to 6700K floodlight lighting or equivalent fluorescent lighting to thrive. It is important to promote a good growth rate, as the harvested plants are what removes the nutrients from the aquarium ecosystem. Faster plant growth will allow for more frequent harvesting, which will in turn increase the filtration benefit of the Saltwater Plants.
Waterflow:While the Halimeda Plant is easy to grow in most conditions, it will be much more efficient at nutrient export if provided ideal conditions. Ideally it should be grown in low water currents provided with plenty of light.
Water Parameters:72-82° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.026
Supplements: Magnesium, Trace Elements, Iron
Approximate Purchase Size: 2" – 4"
Care Info.. Float the unopened saltwater plant bag in the aquarium for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the temperatures to equalize. Then place in your tank, sump, or refugium. Trim back your plants periodically to directly remove the absorbed toxins from your water.
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Photos are representative of each species. All marine life will be unique and variations should be expected, color and sizes may vary.
*Guarantee Restriction: All of our livestock are guaranteed. However for one or more of these species, they may be marked with a guarantee restriction. If it does, it means the specific animal may not handle stress from environmental conditions well. These stresses can include poor water quality, harassment from tank mates or confined aquarium conditions. When stressed, these species can lose the ability to ward off infection and disease. Other species may be listed as Restricted because they have such specialized feeding requirements that is difficult recreate in a aquarium and may succumb to malnutrition.
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