Sargassum weed in refugium Good day. Several months ago, I was pleased to see Sargassum weed growing from a section of live rock in my reef. <Hope you've got a rechargeable weed whacker!> After pruning it back many times, I decided to remove it by pulling it out by its roots. Since I know I should be thankful for having this appear in my reef I decided to place the weed in my refugium rather than simply discarding it. It has been about a month or so and it appears to be growing. The roots have grown and expanded and the weed has the usual seed pods attached. It has become slightly darker than it was in the main tank which I assume is due to the significantly lower lighting.  <Likely> I have noticed a little coralline algae growing on the leaves although this does not seem to be adversely affecting its growth. My question is, how common is it for this type of weed to be used in refugiums and is it recommended? <Not unusual... but needs a good deal of iodine/ide... and not as palatable as some others... Greens, Reds> Does it have the same nutrient export capability as Chaetomorpha? By the way I also have Chaetomorpha growing in the refugium as well. Sound like a good combo? Thanks for your input. Paul <Different in some aspects/degrees, but complementary... Bob Fenner> 

Dictyota for Nutrient Export? I was wondering if Dictyota can be used for nutrient export in the sump or is it more of a plague? My LFS has some for free but didn't want to get it before I knew what it was, its the blue green species of it thanks <Hi!  Dictyota is highly noxious and is a poor choice for nutrient export.  Chaetomorpha is much better in this application!  You know what they say about a free horse...Cheers, Ryan>