Good Macroalgae species to grow in Algae Turf Scrubbers?

[billn]

ooops, looks like server lost the text:

I recently setup a flushing type ATS and am growing Ulva and Red Gracilaria in it. Both grow incredibly fast in the ATS vs. submerged in my refugium. So much so that the submerged macros (Prolifera) in my refugium are now declining. Does anybody know of any other macro species that grow well in the ATS environment?

[TJG]

Basicly any thing that will grow fast and that can take some triming will do just fine.

[endymion]

Why would you want to grow macros in an ATS over turfs that are more efficient?

[cwa46]

Algae Turf Scrubber, by defination uses "TURF" algae. IT is a very fast growing algae that naturally occures near the surf. It uses the flushing action of waves and the periodic exposure to air to increase its efficiency. That is why it was picked to be used in algae scrubbers.
I can't understand how you could be growing macro algae in an ATS. Micro algae maybe. But, how do you get the macro algae to inhabit the screen?

[reefboy1]

I also have a ATS setup using a toilet flapper surge device to flush over a fairly large settling screen (about 30"x30") and lit by 110 watt PC's.

I've found that at the fringes of the flush zone I have Chaetomorpha growing at a tremendous rate. Much faster than it does in my refuguim (where it belongs and came from).

I didn't put the Chaetomorpha on the ATS screen, it made it's way there on it's own and I can harvest a good amount daily. At first I though that I was constantly loosing it from the refugium and it just ended up there. but after a while I notices strands that grow into and around the screens. This stuff defintely seems to gain more mass than the turf algea on the screen. Btw, I started the ATS with a seed screen from Inland Aquatics.

It's cool just to watch this thing in action.

Art

[billn]

Hi,
my ATS is a lot like a tide pool. The turef screen covers the whole area of the container at a height just above the low water level and is fixed in place. The water cycles up and down through the screen and the screen blocks the macro algae from being flushed out as the water exits the container. The macro algae is out of the water for a minute suspended on the screen on top of the turf algae as the water exits. Ulva and Gracilaria have no hold fasts so it just floats when the water is at its high cycle and the turf algae are below it fixed on the screen. Both the Ulva and Gracilaria grow without having to attach to anything so it is possible to have them in the ATS and not compete for space on the screen with the turf algae. They do block the light to the turf algae but move around so much when water enters and exits that it does not negatively effect the turf algae. The Ulva grows extremely fast under these conditions - doubling in mass every 4 days for me. I feed some to the tangs and the rest is thrown into the garden. It is a good way to increase the capacity of the ATS for exporting nutrients. I was wondering if anybody knew of other macroalgae that does not need holdfasts to grow and can just float?

[Fredfish]

billn, if I understand you correctly, you have a surge type device where the container holding the surge water is also a macro algae refuge. Very cool!

Exposing the algae to air like this is probably doing two things:
1. exposing the algae to more CO2 than it would get submerged
2. eliminating the water barrier that can form around algaes if the flow is too low.

How much light do you have over your ATS? This seems like a good way to grow macros for tangs etc.

Fred.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was wondering if anybody knew of other macroalgae that does not need holdfasts to grow and can just float?

Chaetomorpha species can grow that way.

[billn]

Hi,
Fred, basically thats all it is - a carlson type surge device that I am growing floating macros in and turf algae together. I have 2 18 watt NO chroma 50 flourescents over it in a homedepot strip light. The container is 8" deep so the macros and turfs are pretty close to the bulbs. This seems to be adequate light for them.

Randy,
thanks for the info. I am going to get some and try it out.

[Fredfish]

Very cool bill. I may give this a try after I get my dump style ATS going.

Hmm. If I raised my ATS dump a little, I could dump it into another container with the macro algae and then slowly drain that container into the sump. I love it when I can do double duty with a device.

Fred.