Benefits of each Macroalgae in a Refugium

[reefgeek83]

I'm in the process of setting up my new tank and I'm looking to incorporate a refugium as part of the sump. I have a few questions about the macroalgae and thought what better forum to ask these questions in.

Years ago when I did Saltwater tanks we used Fug mud and macroalgae. Looking at YouTube videos and searching the forums I don't see that happening a lot, any pros or cons to this?

I've noticed a lot of videos they are using chaeto as their macroalgae. Is there a reason for this? Any benefits to this type vs some other?

I had a tank years ago that I had a type of macroalgae called Caulerpa Mexicana, any advantages or disadvantages to this? I like the way this stuff looks much better than the typical chaeto.

Any macroalgae's that you can grow that you can also feed to your tangs? Again, years ago I remember feeding Grape Caulerpa to tangs in the shop I worked in. Is there any macroalgae that works well in a refugium and you can feed to your tangs?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[PeterC99]

I just use chaeto. Enables me to keep overstocked 90g at .05 PO4 and 5 NO3. Here’s my homemade egg crate Refugium in my RSR425XL. Harvest 1/3 every 2 to 3 weeks and fertilize garden. When chaeto is growing well, my corals are growing well. Simple, inexpensive, and very easy to maintain.

 

[Dan_P]

I'm in the process of setting up my new tank and I'm looking to incorporate a refugium as part of the sump. I have a few questions about the macroalgae and thought what better forum to ask these questions in.

Years ago when I did Saltwater tanks we used Fug mud and macroalgae. Looking at YouTube videos and searching the forums I don't see that happening a lot, any pros or cons to this?

I've noticed a lot of videos they are using chaeto as their macroalgae. Is there a reason for this? Any benefits to this type vs some other?

I had a tank years ago that I had a type of macroalgae called Caulerpa Mexicana, any advantages or disadvantages to this? I like the way this stuff looks much better than the typical chaeto.

Any macroalgae's that you can grow that you can also feed to your tangs? Again, years ago I remember feeding Grape Caulerpa to tangs in the shop I worked in. Is there any macroalgae that works well in a refugium and you can feed to your tangs?

Thanks for all the help!

I think the hobby might have moved away from Caulerpa because it can easily get into and grow in the display tank. Caulerpa going “sexual” was a big deal for some people. Ditto Ulva. Chaeto seems to avoid this. Not sure that there are any other benefits.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Red Ogo (Gracilaria Parvispora) is a great alternative to chaeto if you are looking for something to feed your tangs or other herbivores when pruning it back

 

[jeffchapok]

My tangs eat chaeto and red dragon's breath.

 

[PeterC99]

My tangs eat chaeto and red dragon's breath.

Whoa! Really? Tangs eat chaeto?

Im trying it!!!

 

[Fish Think Pink]

my tangs didn't like chaeto and dragons tongue was tough for them except for the tenderest new growths. My tangs are about 4" so perhaps when larger they'll have stronger mouths then perhaps these will be different.

+1 red ogo for tangs

 

[Subsea]

I'm in the process of setting up my new tank and I'm looking to incorporate a refugium as part of the sump. I have a few questions about the macroalgae and thought what better forum to ask these questions in.

Years ago when I did Saltwater tanks we used Fug mud and macroalgae. Looking at YouTube videos and searching the forums I don't see that happening a lot, any pros or cons to this?

I've noticed a lot of videos they are using chaeto as their macroalgae. Is there a reason for this? Any benefits to this type vs some other?

I had a tank years ago that I had a type of macroalgae called Caulerpa Mexicana, any advantages or disadvantages to this? I like the way this stuff looks much better than the typical chaeto.

Any macroalgae's that you can grow that you can also feed to your tangs? Again, years ago I remember feeding Grape Caulerpa to tangs in the shop I worked in. Is there any macroalgae that works well in a refugium and you can feed to your tangs?

Thanks for all the help!

Red Ogo, Gracilaria Parvispora, requires very intense light compared to Chaeto. Because Chaeto is much firmer and less desirable for grazing tangs, it’s exudates of DOC are much less than fleshy macros. Fish love Grape Caulerpa. Which species did you have?

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

Just this week, I got a people ediable variety from IndoPacific SeaFarms: Sea Grapes / Caulerpa lentillifera

 

[Weasel1960]

I found this website to be very helpful, describes many different types, how well they export nutrients, and how palatable they are. I plan on getting some for taking care of nutrients, some for feeding and some for show in my DT. Hit the link at right top “Free Guide”.

Macro Algae: Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae | Gulf Coast Ecosystems

We specialize in saltwater Macroalgae and Seagrass | GCE has the largest selection of Macroalgae online, offering over 35 different species

www.live-plants.com

 

[Dan_P]

Red Ogo, Gracilaria Parvispora, requires very intense light compared to Chaeto. Because Chaeto is much firmer and less desirable for grazing tangs, it’s exudates of DOC are much less than fleshy macros. Fish love Grape Caulerpa. Which species did you have?

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

Just this week, I got a people ediable variety from IndoPacific SeaFarms: Sea Grapes / Caulerpa lentillifera

How is the amount of macro algae exudates measured?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm in the process of setting up my new tank and I'm looking to incorporate a refugium as part of the sump. I have a few questions about the macroalgae and thought what better forum to ask these questions in.

Years ago when I did Saltwater tanks we used Fug mud and macroalgae. Looking at YouTube videos and searching the forums I don't see that happening a lot, any pros or cons to this?

I've noticed a lot of videos they are using chaeto as their macroalgae. Is there a reason for this? Any benefits to this type vs some other?

I had a tank years ago that I had a type of macroalgae called Caulerpa Mexicana, any advantages or disadvantages to this? I like the way this stuff looks much better than the typical chaeto.

Any macroalgae's that you can grow that you can also feed to your tangs? Again, years ago I remember feeding Grape Caulerpa to tangs in the shop I worked in. Is there any macroalgae that works well in a refugium and you can feed to your tangs?

Thanks for all the help!

Besides ornamental, macro helps keep the tank water stable and healthy as well as absorbing nitrates and carbon dioxide thereby releasing oxygen into the water making it a great way of keeping the water levels stable, acting as a natural filter. Macroalgae benefits the overall quality of the water in saltwater aquariums and adds to the tanks natural ecosystem also helping your marine life thrive.

 

[Subsea]

How is the amount of macro algae exudates measured?

Sponges Revealed: A Synthesis of Their Overlooked Ecological Functions Within Aquatic Ecosystems

While sponges are the oldest still living multicellular animals on this planet and omnipresent within aquatic ecosystems, they have not been studied nearly as much compared to the recognized ecosystem drivers in coral reefs: corals, algae, and fish. We therefore want...

link.springer.com

I don’t know, but the above link shows how cryptic sponges deal with both macro & coral exudates. As you dig into the research, it does not seperate macro & coral exudates of DOC & TOC.

 

[X-37B]

My tangs like ogo.
I have ogo, dragons, and chaeto in my remote fuge.
I use an old Mars BB and it works well on the ogo.

 

[Dan_P]

Sponges Revealed: A Synthesis of Their Overlooked Ecological Functions Within Aquatic Ecosystems

While sponges are the oldest still living multicellular animals on this planet and omnipresent within aquatic ecosystems, they have not been studied nearly as much compared to the recognized ecosystem drivers in coral reefs: corals, algae, and fish. We therefore want...

link.springer.com

I don’t know, but the above link shows how cryptic sponges deal with both macro & coral exudates. As you dig into the research, it does not seperate macro & coral exudates of DOC & TOC.

OK thanks! I am trying to sort out experimental results where cyanobacteria seems to grow better in the presence of Ulva.

 

[Subsea]

My tangs like ogo.
I have ogo, dragons, and chaeto in my remote fuge.
I use an old Mars BB and it works well on the ogo.

Your tangs should like it. How big of a tank with Mars 160W BB. At one time, I sold it for $100 for 1G in high end Austin restaurants. I am setting up two 150G Rubbermade tubs in 20’ by 40’ greenhouse to grow Sea Grapes & Red Ogo for personal consumption. Some years ago, I operated AquaCultureRanch as a hobby business to defer capital gains on 401K and the greenhouse became too much work after deferred taxes. Now I have more leisure time, so I decided to continue my tomato season in the greenhouse and at the same time to grow some marine salads.

 

[Subsea]

OK thanks! I am trying to sort out experimental results where cyanobacteria seems to grow better in the presence of Ulva.

Dan,
I got up to this:

[Apart from these food sources, more feeding modes occur in sponges. Some sponges even host photosynthesizing cyanobacteria as endosymbionts to additionally produce food and oxygen (Taylor et al. 2007). For example, sponges often host green algae to provide them with nutrients (Wilkinson 1992). However, some species living in low nutritious environments have become carnivorous sponges (class Demospongiae; family Cladorhizidae) that prey on small crustaceans (Maldonado et al. 2015). Little is known about their ability to capture prey as they count up to a diverse group of 328 species (van Soest et al. 2018) only present in challenging and remote deep-sea environments (Maldonado et al. 2015). Interestingly, these carnivorous sponges have lost most of their aquiferous system and choanocytes. Therefore, it is unsurprising that they are opportunistic feeders together with their endosymbiotic methanotrophic bacteria, which can act as a complementary food source to these deep-sea sponges (Vacelet et al. 1995).]

Did they list what green algae host with sponge to provide nutrients? I’ll read further.

Some months back, I contaminated a phyto culture with a green Cynobacteria that came from my water well at 1000’ which used to be a shallow inland sea full of silicates & diatoms.

@Lasse Are you familiar with a green Cynobacteria that is grown & dosed as a phytoplankton culture.

 

[X-37B]

Your tangs should like it. How big of a tank with Mars 160W BB. At one time, I sold it for $100 for 1G in high end Austin restaurants. I am setting up two 150G Rubbermade tubs in 20’ by 40’ greenhouse to grow Sea Grapes & Red Ogo for personal consumption. Some years ago, I operated AquaCultureRanch as a hobby business to defer capital gains on 401K and the greenhouse became too much work after deferred taxes. Now I have more leisure time, so I decided to continue my tomato season in the greenhouse and at the same time to grow some marine salads.

The tank is 24x20x18 made out of 1/2" acrylic so 30g's total.
The BB is over 5 years old and I run both channels around 50% currently.
I wish I had a greenhouse.
My other hobby is growing hot peppers. My favorite are the various colors of ghost peppers.
I use them in another passion which is makimg salsa.
My peppers veg all summer and dont flower until September.
The reason is the temperature is 100+ for 4+ months in the summer.

 

[Subsea]

We get 7 months of the hot weather here in Texas. Your passion of salsa is matched by my cheviche. I made a three part cheviche. The first part was salsa for the vegans, than a fish protein marinade, then a bowl of ice water with crisp Red Ogo for a garnish. The first time I put Ogo in lime marinade it lost its texture and wilted.

 

[X-37B]

We get 7 months of the hot weather here in Texas. Your passion of salsa is matched by my cheviche. I made a three part cheviche. The first part was salsa for the vegans, than a fish protein marinade, then a bowl of ice water with crisp Red Ogo for a garnish. The first time I put Ogo in lime marinade it lost its texture and wilted.

Im going to look into that. It sounds great. I am.also a big sushi fan.