Halimeda (money plant)

Care at a glance

Halimeda consists of chains of flat, coin-shaped segments, which is where its nickname money plant comes from. It is a calcareous alga: each segment lays down lime, so the plant feels firm and leaves white skeletal material behind when it dies, exactly the way coral sand forms.

Because it uses calcium, it needs stable calcium and alkalinity values, just like corals. Herbivorous fish usually leave it alone thanks to those lime deposits, which makes it one of the few macroalgae you can keep with tangs.

Related species

• CaulerpaCaulerpa prolifera
• Gracilaria (red macroalgae)Gracilaria sp.
• Chaetomorpha (refugium algae)Chaetomorpha sp.
• Sea grapes (ornamental macroalgae)Botryocladia sp.
• Sea lettuce (ulva)Ulva lactuca
• Dragon’s breath algaeHalymenia sp.