daveydoodle;183826 said:
jahmic- I have a 75, the only problem it sounds like is that I also have a couple emerald crabs. They have done wonders for the bubble algae, and the kids love to watch them, however I wonder if they'd tear this up before it could grow. Great idea with placing it "unreachable" and directly in the path of the 'tank current'. I have a few other macros and they are slow growers as well. My phosohates are consistently low as well, but I don't mind dosing supps.
Yea my emerald eliminated bubble algae as well. I've also managed to somehow escape a hair algae infestation recently...it began to take hold in a couple spots but I added a pair of hermits and just did some manual removal; haven't seen it since. I don't think my phosphates are out of control, in fact they should be pretty low judging by my sps growth/coloration and the fact that I'm running a skimmer rated for more than double my tank volume. I really think the fact that the macro is in an ideal spot to catch detritus has made a difference. Seems reasonable being that hair algae always seems to grow in spots where detritus accumulates...and the growth takes off as more and more detritus get's trapped between the hairs of algae. Just a hypothesis. Supplements would probably help as well...just don't go overboard and cause a bloom like I did!
As for your emeralds...yea, mine came across the macro and immediately went to town on it. There have been a couple times where, after moving it out of reach, the suction cup fell off and I found the crab huddled in a corner behind the rocks hoarding the macro and stuffing himself. Every so often I do feed him a little piece to satiate him...otherwise he does this:
*cue mission impossible theme song
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a...ion=view¤t=2012-07-27_22-25-24_3311.mp4
If you can keep it out of reach at least for a while until it grows out, you should be fine. I'd have no problem putting this large colony in my tank with my emerald right now; I know he'd pick at it but it's large enough where I'm certain it's growth would outcompete his appetite. The only thing stopping me is a) I don't have any room anywhere else in the tank, and b) I don't want little pieces of macro floating all over the place and potentially dying off if they get trapped in one of my caves.
