native macroalgae

In another thread, the topic of native macroalgae came up. I have attempted to keep this algae before, with very limited success. I have decided to do some experimentation to observe various parameters of culturing macroalgae, and determine the feasability of keeping some of these magnificent specimens in the home aquaria.
Right now, I am working on researching all known parameters of macroalgae, mostly from reefkeeping books, websites, and magazines. So far, I have determined that the specimens will not be known to the species level, as proper identification requires equipment and techniques that I do not have access to.
More later!

If you find a good website with ID information, please let me know! We do have microscopes at home (yes, we're nerds), so they can be used if we need them to ID.

I grow a lot of macroalgaes. It's easy.
Finding info on it isn't so easy, though, as they are generally regarded as something to be avoided in a tank due to the associated problems. However, a simple 10-gallon tank kit from WalMart can work just fine. Just replace the basic incandescent bulbs with those curly compact flourescent bulbs found in the pet section. These, in a shallow 10 gallon tank, produce plenty of light for growing most macroalgaes. Better lights can of course grow the most demanding species.

An inch or two of standard reef sand on the bottom and a bunch of rocks for attachment points are all you need after that, along with any major saltwater salt mix like Instant Ocean or whatever.

For best results, either use carbon filtration and change the carbon weekly, OR change 1/3 of the water twice a month, OR use a protein skimmer. Most macros exude toxic compounds which inhibit the growth of other algaes and color the water yellow. The fish and inverts in the tank will also find it most unpleasant.

Some good places to look for info on macroalgaes are those websites like SeaCrop & SeaGarden and other such places that sell macroalgae starter fragments. Most of these sites have a bit of info listed beside each species in their catalogues.

Given only these basic needs, most macros will grow like crazy in any given tank, and will indeed become difficult to "tame." This is probably the primary reason that saltwater 'planted tanks" haven't become popular; they're just too much work. One week you have a beautiful garden, and the next a wild jungle. I'm almost late for an appointment, but I'll post a pic or two later to demonstrate what I mean.

Mysteryman,
Are you growing temperate macroalgae, or tropical? I'd like to grow macroalgae from the Chesapeake Bay. I tried to find info from the sources you suggest, but SeaCrop doesn't say what is in its macroalgae packs, and all I can find on SeaGarden is silk plants.

Good to know that commercially available salt works for you. I suppose I could go down to the bay and get it in buckets, but it would be nice to have a salt supply at home.

the macroalgaes that are commercially available are all tropical species. These are indeed easy to culture, as I have grown four different species in a reef tank. However, The temperate species seem to be a little harder to deal with, and not much information is available for them. that's why i want to experiment and determine the feasability of these species. I have dealt with them before, in a "simple" ten gallon. I used an undergravel filter with powerheads, water changes, and about 30 watts of full spectrum daylight flourescent. The macro's were sustainable for about six months before needing to be replaced.
Where did you get the information on the growth inhibiting compounds? Is that species specific, or do all of the macros do that? And why would protein skimming remove that compound, as it is mostly just for removing dissolved organics like nitrogen, ammonia and the like?

native planter, the actuall methodology for correctly identifying macro's is still a mystery, all the information I have been able to find at this juncture just say's that you cannot ID them to the species level without analysis of the cell structures. ID to the genus level is fairly easy.
As a tentative note, the macro that is made up of thick, treelike green stems, round in section, and is attached to most rocky areas, is probably codium fragile. The brown macro with the bladers at the tips (called vesicles) is probably fucus vesiculosus. I'll try to find some good links for you.

Edited by kzimmerman, 10 March 2009 - 11:06 AM.

The methodology that I have been considering is going to be a mulitfaceted experiment. I wish to determine the role that trace nutrients (iodine, Strontium, Molybdenum) provide, as well as the possibility of a growth inhibiting compound. As such, I am proposing that five tanks be setup. These tanks are going to be ten gallons total volume each, lighted with normal output flourescent lights. Since mulitple tanks are being utilized, and being a diehard DIYer, a plywood tank with a glass front will be constructed, divided with plywood partitions to reach the total of ten gallons each tank. The dimensions will be similar to a standard ten gallon, except that the tanks will be more squareish and a little taller. The extra height will be to provide a deep sand bed for the purposes of denitrification and the culturing of live sand. The tanks will each be setup as follows: Four inches of live sand, collected from a sandy area of either assawoman bay, or an area somewhere behind the barrier islands. The tanks will be filled with comercially available mixed sea water. The water will be passed through an ion exchange filter for purification before the salt water is mixed. Standard marine tank fare. The tanks will then be stocked with some oyster rocks, with some attached macroalgae, probably collected from assawoman bay. Filtration for all tanks will be berlin style, with the exception of the protein skimmer. This is being omitted to prevent the protein skimmer from removing nutrients neccessary for the macroalgae. Powerheads will provide the water movement, one or two per tank. Strip lighting will be used, enough to provide 4-5 watts per gallon. total of 240-300 watts. One out of every three bulbs will be actinic, the rest are 10,000k daylight bulbs.
Tank 1- Control tank. No outside changes done except normal water changes, once every two weeks, 10% water volume.
Tank 2- Iodine experimental tank. Biweekly water changes, 10% volume, iodine replenished per instructions using comercially available Iodine supplement.
Tank 3- Stontium/molybdenum experiment, as above, but with strontium/ molybdenum supplement.
Tank 4- both supplements.
Tank 5- same as control tank, but a carbon filter will be attached to the powerhead.

Growth will be measured weekly, in each tank, and recorded. Notes will also be taken, concerning livestock, feeding regimen, tank parameters (temperature, pH, Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ect.)

How does this sound to everyone? Any biologists care to add any comments before I reinvent the wheel?

Not to add more to your project, but also of interested would be submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) from the bay. I think that might want a more muddy substrate, though. Maybe for a project after this one. (see that... how I just gave you another project for my benefit...)

Otherwise, looks like a great setup. It won't have statistical significance, but could yield good anectdotal information.

I'm trying to think of what kind of plastic bins would have the same size as the tanks that you want to make, whereby they could be just lined up next to each other (making the whole thing easier).

There are plenty of Rubbermaid totes out there that are in the 15-20 gallon range that you could fill with 10 gallons of water. It'd be much cheaper and faster than building and sealing a plywood tank.

As a note though I did have one cheap storage tote that gave a really nasty plasticy smell to the saltwater I had circulating in it.

The only other problem I see with your experiment is that most salt mixes will have those trace elements, so you're effectively restoring them to all the tanks with the water changes.

I wanted to build the tank for ease of observation, as rubbermaid containers are not clear, and the "clear" ones are really cloudy. I know that some trace elements are in synthetic sea salts, but the actuall objective of the experiments at this point is to determine if supplementation is neccesary for good growth. remember that reef tanks are supplemented with trace elements, even though the water contains some of them. It is because the concentration of these elements in a natural sense is not enough to keep corals growing, as in an aquarium those elements are rapidly deleted.
I'll check the legality of collecting sav's, I believe that they may be protected due to erosion of their habitat. If I can collect them, I will. I was going to try to have a large diversity of macros in the tanks, so adding some eelgrass wouldn't be a big issue. Plus, It would give me a chance to collect some of the critters that are associated with this type of habitat. Of particular interest at this point are seahorses, Hippocampus erectus, and the like.

I'll check the legality of collecting sav's, I believe that they may be protected due to erosion of their habitat.

They are protected - you need a permit to collect them from state-owned waters, which is everything below mean low tide.

I think they can be found for sale on the internet, though. Someone has figured out how to grow them...

this project is over. all macroalgaes and other subaquatic vegetation, both vascular and non vascular, is protected by law in both maryland and virginia. i would have to get a permit to collect any specimens. i'm gonna go talk with a vmrc rep in my area, and see if i could acquire some specimens, bu i is no lookin likely. sorry abou he spellin, his compuers keyboard is acin up.

Interesting. The regs on this don't mention macroalgae. They do give a list of example vascular species. I thought the reg only pertained to vascular plants. I'll ask my VMRC contact about that.

Edit - I have someone at VMRC checking on this right now so we know for sure what the rules are. She does not think macroalgae is protected, but will ask her supervisor to be sure.

Edit 2 - The person who deals with scientific collection permits is out until Monday. I am told that he will be able to give the final answer.

Excellent! The regs in maryland specify vascular and non vascular. The regs in virginia just specify all aquatic vegetation, growing submerged below the low tide mark. Technically, I could collect some specimens from the intertidal zone, or from private property for the purpose of clearing out a 60' wide path for boats. I'm gonna go to our vmrc office in Wachapreague and enquire further at some point, unless you get a good solid answer nativeplanter.

It's funny that a person can destroy thousands of square feet of aquatic habitat for their boat, but I can't take a dozen specimens for an aquarium!

Funny too that even the enforcement people don't know what the law is

Funny too that even the enforcement people don't know what the law is

It's not surprising, really. The VMRC regional staff deal day in and day out with developers and people wanting to build docks, marinas, and dredge bottoms. I am sure the person I spoke with has never before been asked whether someone can collect macroalgae for their personal fish tank. I fully expected to be referred to a different staff member.

We can't expect a single person to know all the rules and regulations, especially if it is regarding something they don't normally (if ever) deal with.

anyone experiemnt with ulva in the aquarium? Anyoen can reccomend a species for low-moderate light, relatively warm situations?(something that perhaps would be used in outdoor tubs to coexist with brine shrimp, copepods, or amphipods.

Also, how well do they filter the water? If you have a tank with macroalgae plus creatures would your need for water changes go down?

I may be wrong, but california has bans on almost all macroalgae. It's because some caulerpa toxifolia found it's way into the ocean and bay's there, and they responded by banning alot of macroalgae. I would check the law. You will still have to do water changes to provide the neccesary environment for the macro's, they will uptake nutrients, but require some trace elements and stuff like that. As I stated earlier, my project with culturing native macros is over due to the legality of obtaining specimens, although I may have found a way around it. People around here lease parts of the bottom to culture clams and oysters. If they lease an area, they can remove any object that is inhibiting their aquaculturing. I happen to know several people who do this, and may be able to legally obtain some specimens from them. I'm looking into this now.

Ulva needs a LOT of light and it grows slowly. It's not very good as a filter, but it is handy for feeding to herbivorous fish. It works well in outdoor pools if the don't get too warm, and the little 'pods and shrimps you want to grow do well on it. If your pool will likely get over 78F, though, look into other non-caulerpa algaes like Gracilaria, Chaetomorpha, or even Sargassum. These grow very well outdoors and suck up nutrients like crazy. They also provide oodles of food and habitat for tiny critters.

In an aquarium, your need for waterchanges will actually go UP if you allow your macroalgaes to enjoy a normal day/night cycle. Keeping them continuously lit 24/7, however, prevents them from releasing their more noxious compounds and retards their reproduction. Most folks like to keep a separate sump full of macros to allow for constant lighting, and this makes them safe and very useful.