I have no doubt the kids will benefit greatly by spending time with you, & visa-versa.
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Do you really want to sterilize, or is disinfection acceptable?
I have used freshwater rinses to clean my macros without any issues. But I doubt it could be considered disinfecting.I like the osmotic pressure angle of the freshwater bath. Unicellular stuff would probably explode fairly quickly, but I’m not sure what the tolerances of the macros would be.
I'll definitely look into the paper! This is fascinating! I'll add it to the experiments list (be warned: I'm at 50 experiments on the list so it might take a long while to do so...)! I wonder how AlgaeBarn does it...@ichthyogeek
Look at the first few post on this thread. In general with respect to nuisance algae growth on macro algae surface, it depends on the host and the invader.
This week, I have been dealing with epilates growing on several ornamental macros. GHA is abundant in many unattended areas of my systems and given an opportunity will cover most anything.
I find small astrae snails the best all around janitor for cleaning nuisance micro algae without damaging macro algae.
For out of tank treatment, try soapy fresh water.
I have used freshwater rinses to clean my macros without any issues. But I doubt it could be considered disinfecting.
Adding a detergent seems like that would be the trick, but I would worry that I would contaminate my tank with it.
when I used freshwater or saltwater with peroxide, it did damage the macros.
It was a few minutes in fresh water. I did not really set a timer. Maybe I’ll do a check right now with some Chaeto and red Halymenia. I’ll try 5 minutes in Tap water (dechlorinated).How long to soak in fresh water?
@Dana Riddle said it best: Sanitize/Not Sterilize
At this time in the hobby, pest free, sterilized start up with one strain of bacteria in a bottle to do all the microbial work required in a marine ecosystem seems to be a prevailing theme.
When Martin Moe said about the hobby, “Reefing is not rocket science, it’s more complicated”, I knew I was hooked.
Nomatter if we can accept it or not, bacteria are the microbial overlords in our marine systems. Just to study the complexity of biofilm on macro algae surfaces requires a combined ecological, microbiological and biochemical approach.
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Seaweed–microbial interactions: key functions of seaweed-associated bacteria
We have introduced a new topic in this area and suggested future research to understand seaweed-bacteria interactions in greater detail.academic.oup.com
Abstract
Seaweed-associated bacteria play a crucial role in morphogenesis and growth of seaweeds (macroalgae) in direct and/or indirect ways. Bacterial communities belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes are generally the most abundant on seaweed surfaces. Associated bacterial communities produce plant growth-promoting substances, quorum sensing signalling molecules, bioactive compounds and other effective molecules that are responsible for normal morphology, development and growth of seaweeds. Also, bioactive molecules of associated bacteria determine the presence of other bacterial strains on seaweeds and protect the host from harmful entities present in the pelagic realm. The ecological functions of cross-domain signalling between seaweeds and bacteria have been reported as liberation of carpospores in the red seaweeds and settlement of zoospores in the green seaweeds. In the present review, the role of extracellular polymeric substances in growth and settlement of seaweeds spores is also highlighted. To elucidate the functional roles of associated bacteria and the molecular mechanisms underlying reported ecological phenomena in seaweeds requires a combined ecological, microbiological and biochemical approach.