Growing Tang Food in my Refugium---suggestions?

[yman32]

in keeping with the sustainable times I would like to grow "Tang food" in my refugium-----what type(s) of macroalgae would you recommend I grow in my refugium with the intention of planting some in the display tank every so often and watching my yellow tang mow it down? chaeto?

my tang prefers to eat off the rocks rather than from algae clips----i figured I'd plant some macroalgae that looks nice in a corner and make that the Tang feeding area section----the nicer looking the algae---the better the suggestion----thanks!

cheers,

~Y

 

[nonstopfishies]

They most likely won't eat chaeto and even if they do they don't process it well. Also you will end up with strands of it floating all over the place. Pretty much any other algae would be a better choice. I think red algaes look better than greens too.

 

[Zalman]

Sea Lettuce - Ulva Lactuca. I had a piece the size of a quarter stuck in some macro I bought from my LFS after 3 weeks I had 2 sheets the size of dinner plates. Tearing sections off makes it grow faster. I also tossed a tiny piece in for my yellow tang and he was all over it chasing it around the tank.

 

[BluespotLady]

I grow and feed feather caulerpa and gracillaria to mine. I doubt you could grow it in the display if you have tangs in there. They will just eat it. I have 2 refugiums I use to grow mine. One is primarily gracillaria that tumbles, the other is a mixed variety of macros. My macro doubles in size every few weeks, so I have enough to feed every day. It is tough to get a variety of gracillaria that will thrive, but if you do get it started it seems to do well. I have had mine going for about 4 months now. In the past, it would die after a few weeks.

My tangs didn't really like the ulva lettuce.

 

[AquaticFins]

Red Gracillaria has always been the favourite in my experience.

Some tangs loved Ulva, some wouldn't touch it. Same story with the Caulerpas for me, though I agree the fan/feather species are the most commonly accepted.

 

[snorvich]

Red Gracillaria has always been the favourite in my experience.

Indeed. Tangs love it.

 

[yerboy]

setup a turf scrubber and when you do your cleanings press the algae out on a flat sheet of parchment paper and dry it out. then use it like you would a nori sheet to feed your tangs.

 

[sreefs]

Red Gracillaria is the best IMO

 

[Patrick12]

Red Graciliara for sure

 

[lolgranny]

Indeed. Tangs love it.

+1

My tang ate a softball sized piece in a day.

 

[TheFishTeen]

gracillaria for sure. Tangs beg for it!

 

[reefinghabit]

red gracilaria is awesome all the red macros are a fav of tangs,i used to grow allot of chaeto and my tangs chewed that up good.

 

[TampaSnooker]

one more vote for red gracillaria - and it's pretty. I tend to avoid caleurpas because of their tendency to root on the rock and irritate any corals nearby. chaeto is too tough. even when the tangs tear up the gracillaria, they go back to polish off the crumbs. I've never been able to establish it in a tank with a tang in it.

 

[bennylab]

I Have ulva growing but my hippo tang won't touch it. In fact, the tang wouldn't even eat nori for a few days after I tried to feed the ulva, and that has never been a problem.

 

[reefinghabit]

i forgot to add chaeto is great as a p03 filter,but my tangs didnt procces it to well,it comes back out the way it went in.hence the name brillo pad.try some red grape caluerpa,but nothing lasts with tangs.

 

[Cptn Spaulding]

i would stay away from grape caluerpas in general as aforementioned, it roots to the rock and disturbs coral. i had some on a zoa rock and my powder blue tang destroyed it, when he was gone a few months later i saw it come back, and he kept clearing that rock off for 5 months or so. its impossible to get rid of once its on your rock, not to mention it can go sexual and expell all its nutrients into your tank, causing real cloudy water and new caluerpa to grow EVERYWHERE! i would say throw some chaeto in the refugium as well as red gracillaria, and only throw the gracillaria in your tank for the tangs to feed on. in terms of filtration i feel chaetomorpha is the best overall thats why i recommended having some of it in there at least if you have the room