Feeding Macro Algae to a reef tank

[quonnie]

I have been collecting Macro algae from the ocean and feeding it to my tang and tank. Primaraly Ulva sea lettuce, kelp, Hildebrandia ruba,Zostera,Codium,cladophora. I don't see any problems aside from maybe a bloom in the reef tank. I keep it the sump with flouresent lights going 20 hours a day. I collect probably a couple of gallon buckets every few months.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

thoughts?

1) how about some pix of your macroalga?
2) aren't you concerned about possible contamination from microscopic ocean life? (some of those plankters are nasty little buggers!)
3) kewl idea
4) do you "feed" the macro anything? (iodine, iron etc.)

 

[quonnie]

I will get pictures tonight.

I do not feed the seaweed anything it usally gets eaten by the fish and does not get a chance to grow much.

Yes I am a little afraid of pests, but no more than I would buying it from a commerical source or picking it up from a member.

The price is right, it is available for the taking, I can get a wide variety of it.
I mean a piece of Sea Lettuce from our lfs is $5, I bring home a gallon of it for free.

I have been trying for a couple of years to get a crew together to gather tropicals in the New England area at the end of summer but to no avail.

You can get butterflys, permit, lionfish, sometimes tangs, whatever is in the Carribean gets sucked up by the Gulf Stream

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'm going to have to go along with you someday soon.
Typically when do you go?

I'm assuming you collect when you go to CT.....?