gracilaria questions.

[dadummy]

hello there,

has anyone had success growing gracilaria in a refugium? what are the light requirements? flow? does the algae need to tumble? a good source to get some? any other info. would be helpful

thanks for your time

 

[BruceW]

I visited a commercial grower that had their Gracilaria in long tanks outdoors in full sunlight. The tanks had high flow welling up from the middle of the tank and the plants were always tumbling.

I took some plants home and placed them in my seagrass tank under MH and PC lighting. The plants were an orangy brown color and remained that color in the high flow seagrass tank I placed some in a 37 with just PC lighting and moderate flow and that "melted" rather quickly and disappeared.

Some of the smaller plants were placed in a 10 gallon with good flow and lots of live rock. The lighting was from 2, 10 watt screw in PC bulbs. The plants were pushed into the rock so they did not tumble at all. These plants in the 10 turned red and seem to be doing ok so far. I think this Gracilaria is redder under low lighting.

Marine Depot Live sells the same Gracilaria. One thing to keep in mind is that Gracilaria is grown as a food for amphipods so in a fuge they might just eat it all gone.

Bruce

 

[raaden]

Everything I have read about Red Grac is that it likes moderate flow with low to moderate lighting. I have had good success with pieces that are attached to rocks and some success with free floating pieces. When it starts to turn orange or cream colored it is getting too much light and bleaching. Low Iron levels (IIRC) can also cause this

If you look up OGO you can find alot of information about Hawaiian Grac Farms. They grow it in tidal lagoos with heavy shadecloth, and packed in netted boxes.

 

[plaz]

I finally had success with it by adding high-tumbling flow.

If you have a refugium tank with an overflow wall before the return to sump or tank - place a spraybar along the bottom of the opposite wall with the flow pointed diagonally toward the top of the overflow wall. It seems counter-intuitive - but it forces the gacilaria down right before it goes over the wall and tumbles it. If you are using a tank above the sump, make sure you put a syphon hole right below the waterline on the hose or tube going down to the spraybar so it won't syphon back.

I've had success ever since I added the spray bar to tumble it. I'm just usning one of the Lights of America 65watt floods from Home Depot for light.