Ulva

[tebstan]

I got some Ulva macro a while back. ORA (and other sites) claim this stuff is healthy and tasty, fish are sure to love it!

No one gave my fish that memo. Even the tang ignored it. I stopped my rotation of the dried green, brown, and red stuff from Ocean Nutrition. Still no takers.

I was stubborn and left the Ulva on the clip. It’s been there about a month now, and it has tripled in size! (The piece I put in the fuge is alive, but not growing at all.)

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss9/TebstansTank/Refugium/Ulva5-24-11.jpg



I see nibble holes I think, but they show no interest in really eating it. At least it’s pretty. I thought fish were supposed to love this stuff?

[BSJF]

It is a great macro for copepods to nest in. I can't ever get it to stay alive long enough to worry about what eats it.

[Mr Cob]

bet the nibble holes are from snails too...my snails love my algae clip lol

[tebstan]

Now that I moved it to the front glass to get a good pic of it, I've seen the tang take a bite! I'm not leaving it there even if it is where he prefers to dine. Maybe he'll get a taste for it and follow it back to the corner I put it in.

It's like kids wanting frozen fish sticks instead of a nicely prepared slab of halibut. My fish are so used to that garlic coated freeze dried stuff they don't appreciate a good piece of fresh macro when they see it.



was the fish stick/halibut analogy in poor taste? ;)

[Squiers007]

It is probably doing better in your display because the flow is greater. This stuff lives in rocky, intertidal areas like the Port A jetties and usually only does well in very high/turbulent flow environments. Hopefully over time your fish will start to pick on it.

[justahobby]

I found a huge area in port a near one of thr bridges with this stuff. Very low flow, but also really shallow, clear water. I didn't collect any because I probably needed 400w halides on my 58g to give it the par it was probably receiving.

[tebstan]

I left it on the front glass, since I'm a sucker that spoils all my pets, even the fish.

They all seem to enjoy it there. It's covered in nibble holes now, I've seen the tang picking at it regularly. The blenny lays on it, the wrasse checks it for critters all the time. It breaks up the open space so the shy fish come up into the water column a bit more. I wouldn't mind it being there accept for the ugly veggie clip holding it up.

[BSJF]

Have you tried to just let it tumble around in the tank?

[tebstan]

A few pieces that broke off didn't tumble for long, they end up sucked up against a koralia. They still grow their, though. This stuff is tough.