Growing Ogo & Ulva

jnewman · 04/27/2009, 02:50 PM

I have some large tangs and have been buying ogo. I was woundering has anyone been able to grow this Macro? How did you do it and were did the starter come from?
Ulva as I understand is simalar too cheto? In that it has no roots and uptakes nutrients by it's body?
Any input is much needed, Thanks

ctenophors rule · 04/29/2009, 04:06 PM

all algae have no true roots (some have hold fast, which anchor them to the substrate) and all algae take in nutrients from surrounding water.

they also have no true leaves, or stems.

now ulva is relatively simple, lots of peple sell it as well.

if you can grow chaeto, by god you just might be able to grow ulva!

as ofr the ogo, i do not know.

i myself have started a nice little algae refugium for my 29 gallon reef tank, at the moment it has a few pieces of codmium, some caulerpa, some ulva, stringy, and full lettuce leaf like, some halimeda, some caulerpa prolifera, lots of chaetomorpha, and a few other miscelaneous algaes. (mermaids cup, christmas tree, etc)

when i have too much, i may post it for sale here!

jnewman · 04/30/2009, 05:09 PM

OK hold fast. I realy want to know if anyone has been able to get this macro to start a holdfast and be able to farm this Tang delight. I have 2 tangs that go crazy when I purchase it. But I have never seen or heard anyone able to grow it and farm for a food source.

ctenophors rule · 05/02/2009, 10:01 AM

do you mean to say you want ulva to produce hold fasts?

i'm not sure if it even does that. why would you want to?

i think it may be easier to grow while floating in a refugium type tank.

or you could set up a ten gallon, ad 20 pounds of sand, and add your ulva with a sixty watt 6500 light from lowes on top.

40 $ (if not less) for a never ending supply of ulva.

probably the same for the ugo, except i think it is red, so you may want a higher k rated bulb. maybe 20 bucs more.

TheH · 05/02/2009, 03:38 PM

Ogo and ulva are not easy to grow, ime. They require lower flow (as they are delicate) and high nutrients. They typically wither away in a few weeks.

jnewman · 05/03/2009, 02:56 AM

I have tried to grow ogo and yes it slowly faded away. As said I used a 6500k PC that was also used to grow other macro. this is why I am asking the question as to growing and maintaining more ogo than ulva.

RicksReefs · 05/03/2009, 07:41 AM

Ulva is an intertidal species growing along the shoreline. it gets beat up by waves and exposed at low tide to tropical sun.
I've found it to be anything but delicate. i grow it outside in partial shade/sun. it does attach by holdfasts to the rock, glass, etc.
Gracilaria (ogo) I grow in the fishroom under cheapo HD standard flourescents (5K). this algae can collect detritus, etc, much like chaeto, and needs to be kept free of crud to thrive.

TheH · 05/03/2009, 11:58 AM

I guess I stand corrected then.

I know of a number of people who have had difficulty with Ulva though. Can you suggest any possible reasons for this? Perhaps it is entirely due to a need for high nutrient levels?

RicksReefs · 05/03/2009, 12:42 PM

that could very well be a limiting factor. since they're more of a shore line species (as opposed to reef) and the shore is natures skimmer cup, it's safe to assume they prefer higher levels of nutrients, but no more so than caulerpas, mermaid fan, etc..
they grow in the same area, they just don't get exposed at low tide all that often.
it's also possible that if there were any other macro algae present in the fuge, they were more effecient at processing the nutrients and starved the ulva. it also appreciates a bit more light than most macros.

04/27/2009, 02:50 PM	#1
jnewman Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: 661 & 818 Posts: 359	Growing Ogo & Ulva I have some large tangs and have been buying ogo. I was woundering has anyone been able to grow this Macro? How did you do it and were did the starter come from? Ulva as I understand is simalar too cheto? In that it has no roots and uptakes nutrients by it's body? Any input is much needed, Thanks

04/29/2009, 04:06 PM	#2
ctenophors rule Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: port saint lucy Posts: 1,023	all algae have no true roots (some have hold fast, which anchor them to the substrate) and all algae take in nutrients from surrounding water. they also have no true leaves, or stems. now ulva is relatively simple, lots of peple sell it as well. if you can grow chaeto, by god you just might be able to grow ulva! as ofr the ogo, i do not know. i myself have started a nice little algae refugium for my 29 gallon reef tank, at the moment it has a few pieces of codmium, some caulerpa, some ulva, stringy, and full lettuce leaf like, some halimeda, some caulerpa prolifera, lots of chaetomorpha, and a few other miscelaneous algaes. (mermaids cup, christmas tree, etc) when i have too much, i may post it for sale here! __________________ just my oppinion....then again... who the hell am I! Current Tank Info: my fishbowls are round 8)

05/02/2009, 10:01 AM	#4
ctenophors rule Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: port saint lucy Posts: 1,023	do you mean to say you want ulva to produce hold fasts? i'm not sure if it even does that. why would you want to? i think it may be easier to grow while floating in a refugium type tank. or you could set up a ten gallon, ad 20 pounds of sand, and add your ulva with a sixty watt 6500 light from lowes on top. 40 $ (if not less) for a never ending supply of ulva. probably the same for the ugo, except i think it is red, so you may want a higher k rated bulb. maybe 20 bucs more. __________________ just my oppinion....then again... who the hell am I! Current Tank Info: my fishbowls are round 8)

04/30/2009, 05:09 PM	#3
jnewman Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: 661 & 818 Posts: 359	OK hold fast. I realy want to know if anyone has been able to get this macro to start a holdfast and be able to farm this Tang delight. I have 2 tangs that go crazy when I purchase it. But I have never seen or heard anyone able to grow it and farm for a food source.

05/02/2009, 03:38 PM	#5
TheH Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,276	Ogo and ulva are not easy to grow, ime. They require lower flow (as they are delicate) and high nutrients. They typically wither away in a few weeks.

05/03/2009, 02:56 AM	#6
jnewman Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: 661 & 818 Posts: 359	I have tried to grow ogo and yes it slowly faded away. As said I used a 6500k PC that was also used to grow other macro. this is why I am asking the question as to growing and maintaining more ogo than ulva.

05/03/2009, 07:41 AM	#7
RicksReefs Moved On Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: In America's Dangling Junk State. Posts: 6,422	Ulva is an intertidal species growing along the shoreline. it gets beat up by waves and exposed at low tide to tropical sun. I've found it to be anything but delicate. i grow it outside in partial shade/sun. it does attach by holdfasts to the rock, glass, etc. Gracilaria (ogo) I grow in the fishroom under cheapo HD standard flourescents (5K). this algae can collect detritus, etc, much like chaeto, and needs to be kept free of crud to thrive.

05/03/2009, 11:58 AM	#8
TheH Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,276	I guess I stand corrected then. I know of a number of people who have had difficulty with Ulva though. Can you suggest any possible reasons for this? Perhaps it is entirely due to a need for high nutrient levels?

05/03/2009, 12:42 PM	#9
RicksReefs Moved On Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: In America's Dangling Junk State. Posts: 6,422	that could very well be a limiting factor. since they're more of a shore line species (as opposed to reef) and the shore is natures skimmer cup, it's safe to assume they prefer higher levels of nutrients, but no more so than caulerpas, mermaid fan, etc.. they grow in the same area, they just don't get exposed at low tide all that often. it's also possible that if there were any other macro algae present in the fuge, they were more effecient at processing the nutrients and starved the ulva. it also appreciates a bit more light than most macros.