Clutivating ULVA

[LakeEd]

Title TYPO, its "Cultivating" *hanging head in shame*

Has anyone attempted, or successfully cultivated ULVA (Sea Lettuce) in their Fuge?

I purchased a very nice size (about a football size) clump of Ulva last weekend. It was thick leaved, and a beautiful deep green. Last night when looking in my sump, I notice it seems to of thinned out on me, and is showing a slight yellowing in its color. Search as I would on the net last night, I could find no information about cultivating Ulva anywhere.

For those that I know will ask... the following are my parameters;

Alk 7.4dkh
Calc 380
Nitrate 1.0
Phosphate 0
SG 1.026
pH 8.1-8.3 (light cycle dependant)
Temp 78.6-80.2 (again, fluctuates with my lights)

Lighting over my Fuge, is reverse cycle (10p.m. to 10a.m.) using the Spiral 19watt Lamp (6500K) from Home Depot.

I would appreciate any personal experience with cultivating Ulva... and/or any good links you may find on this subject.

Thanks!

 

[Maxx]

I'm guessing you're not getting enough light to it. I've seen the stuff growing in the wild, and its usually in shallow tidepools or on/in reefs in less than 3 feet of water.

I've never tried to keep it personally, but as I recall in my Marine Bio classes back in high school, it did fine in 20 gallon tanks set up outside in natural sunlight....

Nick

 

[LakeEd]

Thanks for the input Maxx.

I'm leaning towards either not enough light as you mentioned... or possiblly too much flow in my Fuge, or a combination of both?

I'm continuing to search the internet for information on Cultivation methods for Ulva, but still not having much luck.

 

[Maxx]

I seriously doubt too much flow is the issue. I've seen this stuff growing on rocks in the surge zone in the wild...you cant be running that kind of flow and still have any substrate in your fuge...

Nick

 

[prbhasson]

http://www.surialink.com/HANDBOOK/Genera/greens/Ulva/Ulva.htm

Check out this site on ULVA LakeEd

 

[Paul B]

I can fill up a 50 gallon drum of the stuff in two minutes in my marina. I have collected it numerous times and it always dies. I don't believe it is light because here in NY the water is very murky and it grows about 8" deep. I think it is the temperature. I collect codium which seems to live very long in a reef and the temperature seems to also be fine.
It is also nicer looking
Paul

 

[Maxx]

I dont think its a reef tank temp issue since I saw this stuff all the time in Hawaii on rocks in tidepools and in surge zones....temps in the surge zones was in the high 70's-low 80's.....temps in the tidepools hit mid-high 90's.

I was unaware that ulva grew that far north....I've never seen it very deep. Did you mean 8 inches like you posted or did you mean 8' (feet)?

Nick

 

[LakeEd]

Paul,

I hadden't thought about the temp difference... good point. At least, I am taking that as meaning the temp of my Fuge is less than it is used to... since I'm running about 79-80.

Right now... the long leaves have all kinda "wilted", for lack of a better word, and now fallen off. Only where it was attached to the rock is it still living. It is however growing quite well, very healthy deep green looking right now, and the thickness of the leaves are very good and strong??? I'm searching for the correct words when dealing with a leafy plant... sorry.

I am in the process of setting up a dedicated fuge, which will finally be done in about 2 days. This will give me 40"X16" dedicated space of about 32ish gallons of water for just a Fuge... and hopefully with new lighting actually helps this become my 2nd healthy growing algae (currently have a wonderful growth of Chaeto).

 

[LakeEd]

by the way... my new Fuge light will be the Lights of America brand floodlight. 65 Watt Fluorescent, giving 500W output, using a 6500K bulb. I test ran it last night... and OUCH, its bright!

 

[Paul B]

I am sorry I wrote 8", I meant 8'. When I pull up my anchor after it was in water about 8 feet or less there is always 50lbs of ulva on it. The visability here in NY in those places is about 6" so I know not much light gets to the ulva. If you go down more than about 24' it is pitch black.
The reason I mentioned the temp is because I think the ulva you are talking about is from Washington State which is farther north than I am. The NY ulva will not live in a reef tank even though our tidepools also reach 90 degrees. Our regular summer water temp is usually in the high sixtees going to the fortees in the winter.
Paul

 

[LakeEd]

I purchased thus ULVA from Eric at The Shark Reef (one of our LFS's), and when I talked with him, he indicated to me that it came from ORA, which I thought is located in Florida???

Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do about running a different temp JUST for an algae for my fuge... so I'm hoping this 1" or so length that is still on the rock, and looks to be doing well... continues doing just that... remaining healthy and well.

 

[Ashlar]

We collected some ulva from Galveston, TX tidepools this summer, but I've had zero luck getting it to attach to rocks in my fuge. Eventually I pulled it out because it kept getting wrapped around the intake of powerheads.

Little did I know that months later..

I have it growing on every powerhead's output. It seems to _require_ high flow.

 

[LakeEd]

Ashlar,

1st... WELCOME TO REEF FRONTIERS!!!

Thats an excellent picture! Thank you!!!

Since I'm in the process of setting up my dedicated 40gallon fuge... I can do the high flow in there quite easily, with the addition of possiblly a Seio thats sitting in my parts drawer here. I don't think the added flow would bother the Chaeto any either... so I will do that, and let everyone know what type results I have with it as time progresses.

Again... welcome to Reef Frontiers, and thanks for your imput!