Sea Lettuce in a Refugium ??

[sMARTY]

I am trying to get away from Culerpa in my refugium, as it keeps going asexual and releasing nutrients back into the water :x I was thinking about Sea Lettuce, but I don't know much about it. Here are my questions.

1. Can you prune it effectively, or do you have to just remove some of it?
2. Is it safe, or does it release chemicals into the water?
3. Will it go asexual like culerpa?
4. Is anyone currently using it and have any advice/experience to share?

 

[LINK]

I never heard of such. I guess no one will answer YOU around here.

 

[Anonymous]

While it's quite abundant in the wild I personally have never seen it last long term in captivity. We did have some establish itself naturally from liverock but in time herbivores (tang, snails and others) wiped it out plus I think it also just died out on it's own. Cropped pieces never seem to establish themselves in other systems.

 

[danmhippo]

I agree with the above. I had several specimens of ulva and they never attach themselves to any subtrate. I had them in several light levels and none worked. I am now suspecting the water temp being the culprit???

 

[Anonymous]

Tom,

Have you tried Turtle Grass. I collected some turtle grass from the Caribbean over a year ago and it is growing great in my DSB. It started out as one sprig and is now three sprigs. My yellow tang does not touch the turtle grass,except to eat any algae which grows on it. I'm not sure how much the TG removes from the water,but I am sure it does something. I think that is why it grows near the shore where the nutrient levels are high. It grows in the main tank and does not "go sexual".If it grows too high it is easily cut down just like your front lawn. It grows right back. Sargassum is also known to grow well in a refuge without any side effects.

 

[danmhippo]

Dan, what aquarium spec you keep your turtle grass at? The one's I got from Bill's Reef aren't growing at all. Like I posted in another post, it ain't dying either. What's the temp and photoperiod in the main tank? What's the nutrient level like? What kind of subtrate you are using?

Thanks.

 

[Sandyreef]

Hi,

I have kept Ulva in my tanks for over a year. It started growing in my 155 display tank and I had to take it out because it got so big. I threw it in the 60 gal refugium then in the 135 tank I have and also have some in the 60 gal tank. I have little starts of the Ulva starting out in various places in both of the big tanks. The larger Ulva plants are eaten by bristleworms, etc. I see them on it all of the time. I tear off pieces of it and feed to my Red Sea Sailfin Tang on a clip and have given pieces to various other reefers in the area. I don't know if I am just lucky or happened to get a special Ulva that reproduces. I run all of my tanks around 78 high point is 80. Salinity 1.025/6, Calcium 450, DKH 9/10, Kalkswasser top off system and change 30 gals approximately of water every two weeks per system. Run Aqua C Ev skimmers, feed very heavy. Maybe the excess nutrients is the key to this.

Regards,
Sandy

 

[Anonymous]

I keep my turtle grass in my DSB which is made up of SD sand. Which is the same kind of small grained sand as where I collected it. My SG is a 1.025 and my temp is 82-83*f. I use 4 95Watt VHOs 2x50/50 and 2xactinic URI bulbs for 12 hours a day. It started out as two small strands and then small stalks began sprouting up about an inch or two away. I think you can see the turtle grass in one of my photos on the link below. Phos and Nitrates are undetectable,but that could be that I run a refugium and have a lot of xenia,as well as the DSB.