Enteromorpha as Macro Algae

[mgchan]

Has anyone used Enteromorpha which is a tubular type of green algae as macro algae? If so, what are the pros and cons?

I was in Long Island, NY this weekend and there was an abundance of them growing in the bay including "Ulva Lactuca" (Sea Lettuce) which is another type of green algae which grows in sheets. I was wondering if they're useful in our reef aquariums.

I did take a few specimens and tossed them into my temporary fuge.

 

[kmk2307]

Hi mgchan,

Enteromorpha only grows in areas with high nutrients. It will likely stay alive but not grow in most reef aquarium systems. I am currently in Maine and there is lots of Enteromorpha here. I plan to bring some home but I don't think it will do that well.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[beaslbob]

the ULVA I had was basically fish food. Did not last long in my display. Like a few hours at most. But then my tang was fuller.

 

[mgchan]

Kevin > Thanks! If it loves high nutrients, it'll be at home in a refugium.

Bob > Maybe I should bag the ULVA and hawk it on eBay as fresh "Tang" food! LOL

 

[beaslbob]

Kevin > Thanks! If it loves high nutrients, it'll be at home in a refugium.

Bob > Maybe I should bag the ULVA and hawk it on eBay as fresh "Tang" food! LOL

maybe so.

Maybe i could move to a tropical island also.

 

[sjvl51]

Even a refuge doesn't have enough of the right nutrients. I tried it and the ulva went downhill. Now I am maintaining (I'm not sure about the growing) in a small aquarium using Macro Algae Grow from Florida Farms. It is a trial and error thing, but I can say that the ulva has gotten thicker and greener than when I bought it. Since I am just using room light, I plan on increasing the lighting to see if that makes a difference.

Vickie

 

[beaslbob]

Even a refuge doesn't have enough of the right nutrients. I tried it and the ulva went downhill. Now I am maintaining (I'm not sure about the growing) in a small aquarium using Macro Algae Grow from Florida Farms. It is a trial and error thing, but I can say that the ulva has gotten thicker and greener than when I bought it. Since I am just using room light, I plan on increasing the lighting to see if that makes a difference.

Vickie

I did the same thing and even the same vendor. After some anemone crabs eating my first macors in my display I set up an old 20g long to culture caulpera profilera and gracillaria (sp). Put half the order in the display and half in the display.

I also added a 2 tube 4' utility fixture to the display and moved the 2 18" lights that came with the tank to the 20g. I have had caulpera profilera in the macro tank for a year. nitrates went from 160++ (aquarium pharm*** test kit) to 0.0 in three weeks. (only bioload was a baby molly I accidentally added). The macro algae tank never needs scraping the glass and remains free of ugly algaes. I also only replace the water that evaporates.

with the heavier bioload the display has taken longer. But daytime ph rose from 7.4 (light yellow on test kit) to 8.4 and stayed at the level. the yellow tang has recovered from white spots and has trippled in size in about 15 months. Nitrates are down to 20 ppm.

 

[kmk2307]

Vickie,

Did you test your nitrates and phosphates? If so what are they when you tried to keep the Ulva? What kind of lighting does your 'fuge have? I think Ulvalean (like Ulva and Enteromorpha) algae require pretty strong lighting.

Kevin

 

[Keith_Man]

I grow ulva and have undetectable nitrate and phosphates. I've got it under strong lighting (36w PC T5s and 150w Halogen) and it grows very well!

 

[sjvl51]

kmk, my phosphates have been running about 0.4 and nitrates about 1 (using Salifert kits) which is why I wanted to increase my macro algae. I was using the Home Depot lights from http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=313318

Yesterday I moved the tank it was in into a west window. We will see how it does there.

Vickie