Pi(a)ra(si)tes of the Caribbean + Sargassum

ichthyogeek

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So some people I know recently came back from a weekend getaway to Destin, FL. They brought me back some brown macroalgae. Luckily, I was doing a water change when they called, so I was able to set up a tank for observation by the time they came to drop it off. I'm fairly certain it's some sort of Sargassum species (platycarpum maybe? Based off of the ridges and bladders from this link).

Most of the stuff in my tanks has really only ever come from fish stores. I'm assuming a standard 4-6 week fishless quarantine should get rid of most parasites (the hardiest of ich aside), but am I missing anything else? I know some of the Sargassum has some sort of brownish hair algae thing on it, but I haven't seen anything super interesting like mysids, larval fish, or anything like that. yet...

Anything important I should know about Sargassum? Based off of some preliminary web searches, it seems like it needs a lot of nutrients and lighting, so I put the observation tank in front of a window and put an LED on top of it as well as filled the tank with old fish water (which hopefully has more nutrients in it than new salt water).
 

C. Eymann

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There are a group of colonial animals called bryozoans and members in thr membranipora genus commonly colonizes sargassum algea, also seems to come in commonly on Mexican turbo snail shells too , it looks like a small webbed mat.

While it typically dies off in aquariums due to lack of suspended food items/planktons , some have had it become a nuisance as they will encrust on and sting coral similar to hydroids.
 
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ichthyogeek

ichthyogeek

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Have any pictures?

Just took this, I’m still slowly acclimating the macro. .5 cup every 7.5 minutes until the bag is full.
BB80E141-7CCC-4D3A-A4EB-E77299BE0C2E.jpeg
 

AdamD76

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Even if you have a huge tank it will all die. Every time I go to Florida to see Mom I bring back tons of algae. Sargassum never last. Now I just bring back what the algae tang will eat and put that in a 10 gallon until he needs it. If you cut off a little piece and put that in a med to high flow area of the tank it will last a little longer if yo u have a more dirty tank. 2-3 months. What i do like about it is the hitchhikers. I get tons of pods, snails, crabs, and one time got a puffer fish maybe 1/2 in long but I left him in Florida.
 
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ichthyogeek

ichthyogeek

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Well....that's pretty depressing, I was hoping I could get a pseudo kelp forest if possible. What temperature do you run your tank at? I'm wondering if it might be a temperature issue (too high?)...
 

AdamD76

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My tank is 76-78 depending on the season. I've pulled it from 85 degree water in south west Florida. Everyone's tank is different so what didn't work in mine might work in yours. Even if it doesn't work it will look cool for a while just pull any rotting pieces before it breaks down in the tank.
 
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