Can I Eat My Tank's Macroalgae?

[Isopod80]

I don't thinks its that bad idea just on the fact that ulva is edible and you know everything that goes in and out of your tank , heck why not rinse and dry it and make some miso soup ?

But you don't exactly know what the organisms in your tank are producing.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Tang poops are just like croutons!!!

 

[Isopod80]

I DON'T ALWAYS EAT TILAPIA......BUT WHEN I DO......IT'S PEOPLE.

 

[WheatToast]

Update:
I have harvested several handfuls of Ulva from my refugium over the past few days and fed them... to my compost bin ;).

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

I mean admittedly it's a little gross, but what do we think feeds nori growing in thr ocean? I eat that with sushi all the time...

 

[Isopod80]

Speaking of questionable ingredients, look what my wife just bought. "Handmade in Brooklyn using the famous New York water."...really? Doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Kinda like saying "Grown in Chernobyl in our famous soil." Yum

 

[WheatToast]

Speaking of questionable ingredients, look what my wife just bought. "Handmade in Brooklyn using the famous New York water."...really? Doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Kinda like saying "Grown in Chernobyl in our famous soil." Yum

Sometimes I feel as though the “Haha” reaction limits my expression of amusement… That was hilarious!

 

[WheatToast]

Huh…
billygoat on Nano-Reef has apparently harvested, cleaned, and eaten the Ulva from his/her “Seagrass Experiment” system with no ill effects…
Billy's Seagrass Experiment
It was said to have a pleasant taste and texture.

 

[Just a Wrasse.]

In all seriousness, is is it safe to harvest and eat macroalgae from my own aquarium, specifically members of the Ulva genus (and possibly Caulerpa lentillifera in the future)? Is there something they would contain after having grown in my aquarium that would make them inedible or would a thorough wash under the tap be enough to make them fit for consumption?

 

[MaxTremors]

In a recent tidal gardens video about Zoanthids, there was a story about how Polynesians used to rub a certain seaweed from a specific lagoon on to their arrows/spears and it was an effective poison. Well, centuries or decades later scientists found this lagoon and found that the species of seaweed they used wasn’t poisonous itself, it was poisonous because it was growing next to and absorbing poison from some Palythoas. My point in mentioning that, is that any seaweed or macroalgae growing in your tank is potentially absorbing any toxins from the other organisms in your tank. All the other comments about bacteria and fish poop, those things won’t hurt you if you wash and/or cook whatever it is you intend on eating, but any toxins it’s absorbed absolutely will.

 

[WheatToast]

In a recent tidal gardens video about Zoanthids, there was a story about how Polynesians used to rub a certain seaweed from a specific lagoon on to their arrows/spears and it was an effective poison. Well, centuries or decades later scientists found this lagoon and found that the species of seaweed they used wasn’t poisonous itself, it was poisonous because it was growing next to and absorbing poison from some Palythoas. My point in mentioning that, is that any seaweed or macroalgae growing in your tank is potentially absorbing any toxins from the other organisms in your tank. All the other comments about bacteria and fish poop, those things won’t hurt you if you wash and/or cook whatever it is you intend on eating, but any toxins it’s absorbed absolutely will.

Oh, my system is devoid of corals and will probably never contain any (planted marine tank). However, I would assume it contains plenty more toxic organisms to worry about (such as a few heads of nasty Aiptasia), so I have basically abandoned the idea of consuming my macroalgae (as I detailed in previous posts).
Edit: I believe the story was misheard. I clearly remember hearing stories of the Zoanthids being misidentified as seaweed by Polynesians, not the seaweeds absorbing the toxins.

 

[Nano_Tuners]

You win gif of the day

 

[attiland]

I want to puke. Imagine eating copepods on the side of fish poop plants.

We get vegetable matter from land plants. The only things we eat from the ocean (plant wise) is nori. It’s been cleaned and dried. And even then it doesn’t really taste good in comparison to the real veggies we eat.

It’s a no for me personally!

You have pods on the seaweed from the shop too. Guaranteed.

I would not eat anything out of our tanks. I would eat edible seaweed from the ocean as long as its not from a polluted area though.

I just think eating from our small contained systems is gross. I guess I don't know what potential pollutants or toxins algae in our tanks might take up. Same reason I would not eat a pet store fish (ok more reasons than that) but would eat sustainably caught wild fish. I guess in general, I try to think about where stuff comes from. Wild caught local sourced fish is generally a good choice. No tilapia or farm raised salmon for me.

And yes, chocolate has bug parts in it, so does cereal and so on.

Your tank probably cleaner than the ocean in many

If grown in natural sweater. I wouldn't mind. But, bucket salt? Ick

What difference it makes?

Just to add to your misery you haven’t thought about viruses yet ;

Viruses are the most abundant biological entity in marine environments. On average there are about ten million of them in one milliliter of seawater.

have a nice meal ;)

 

[Goaway]

What difference it makes?

Just to add to your misery you haven’t thought about viruses yet ;

Viruses are the most abundant biological entity in marine environments. On average there are about ten million of them in one milliliter of seawater.

have a nice meal

I personally do not eat algae I grow in my system. Plenty of nori, yes.
However...
I am curious on what you would say to those who actually harvest this in the wild and consume grape algae.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

You can also have a PROTEIN drink from your SKIMMER!!! Lol.

 

[Goaway]

You can also have a PROTEIN drink from your SKIMMER!!! Lol.

I hope you know, it's called a vegan smoothie!
No, I am not vegan.

 

[Tamberav]

You have pods on the seaweed from the shop too. Guaranteed.

Your tank probably cleaner than the ocean in many

What difference it makes?

Just to add to your misery you haven’t thought about viruses yet ;

Viruses are the most abundant biological entity in marine environments. On average there are about ten million of them in one milliliter of seawater.

have a nice meal ;)

I am not finding a lot of confidence in 'probably' from a forum. Pass!

Also people love to dose fish/algae antibiotics and such into their system. I'm good.

I would rather go swallow some seawater while swimming.

 

[Isopod80]

Huh…
billygoat on Nano-Reef has apparently harvested, cleaned, and eaten the Ulva from his/her “Seagrass Experiment” system with no ill effects…
Billy's Seagrass Experiment
It was said to have a pleasant taste and texture.

Billygoats will eat the buttons of your shirt if you let them. With a name like that, I don't know if I'd trust it. Lol

 

[Jubei2006]

Well human corpses can now be used as fertilizer in some states. I guess a law was passed.

Yeah think it was Oregon and maybe Washington that now allows for people to be composted. Probably better for the environment that burial (chemicals to preserve the body) and cremation (fossil fuels to burn the body, and pollutants from the body burning).

 

[Jubei2006]

If it were a macro algae specific tank, no corals, and no chemicals used, it'd be okay. Hydroponics have been around for a long time. But when you start adding all of our treatments for pests, and risked toxins mentioned above when certain coral species are added, not worth the risk.