New To Reefing

Macro Algae Help Please
Macro Algae
Please Help

Hi all I'm new to Aquarium cultivation of Macro Algae and fish keeping.
Any help would be greatly appreciated?
I need to explain what brings me here to this forum if I may?
The need to cultivate and successfully grow Saltwater Green Macro-algae possibly "Ulvacae Enteromorpha" I can describe the algae as being green to dark green with a soft fluffy texture consisting of long slightly crinkled strands similar to the long green slimy algae found in fresh water drains?
I'm also interested in cultivating a brownish black algae that's more like green "Chaeto" in appearance but not as stiff and I don't have a clue as to it's name?
These types of alga along with "Ulva Lactuca" (AKA Sea Lettuce) that belong to the Genus Ulva are used as bait to catch a fish called "Luderick" (AKA Blackfish).

OK I'm a keen Luderick (blackfish) fisherman and fishing for blackfish is areal art and a fantastic sport that employs many technique's and so many little secrets that take a long time to figure out, the "Algae" (weed) is by far the most important part to being successful and if you don't have the correct and freshest weeds to use the fish will never take the bait.

I have recently moved to the Gold Coast in QLD from a small NSW coastal town where black-fishing is popular and the weeds both green and brown that are used is plentiful and easily found in the wild, this is definitely not the case on the Gold Coast.

Given that I love my black-fishing so much and if I'm to continue black-fishing for many years to come I must be able to cultivate and grow the algae in my own aquariums.
I have a fair knowledge of terrestrial horticulture and some knowledge in plant biology and I'm successful in the cultivation of orchards and just about any vegetable.

To date I've tried and failed to get some green algae to grow and reproduce in a 100 litre plastic tub in an outdoor location.
I used an under-gravel filter with a 30 to 40 mm layer of river stone substrate, nice clean saltwater from the river, a 200 mm air stone and a small power head for water movement, to the tank I placed about 300 grams of fresh green algae allowing it to move around suspended in the water. I would then add weekly 20 ml "Powerfeed" liquid fertilizer (N:14.0, P:1.4, K:9.0) diluted in enough "Fresh Rain" water to replace what water had been lost through evaporation.I also placed some rope and a plastic screen into the tank hoping that new algae would attach and grow on it. I started this experiment in early September (spring) and the algae seemed to be growing and the walls of the tub had some new green growth but as the temperature rose in about November the algae started dying off so I placed shade cloth over the tub for protection from the sun to no avail then I used a big umbrella as well as the shade cloth for protection also to no avail.

Can anyone advise on this setup please? I take it that the heat was just to much?

I now have a 5 foot Aquarium and I've built a cabinet for it so I can try again inside, also I've bought some LED panels that are red and blue colored, I also plan to buy some other daylight emitting lights a wave maker and some Co2 and from what I understand I will need to use some other elements to be successful?
Any advice at all would be fantastic so that I can be successful this time and have a steady supply of algae to use as bait for Luderick all year round.
If anyone uses or knows about Algae Scrubbers your help would be greatly appreciated because from what I've seen in photo's on the net the Algae that grows on the screens used in algae scrubbers looks like it would be perfect to use as bait for black-fishing?

Please help and thanks for reading.
Peter.
 

slin1977

Member
Jul 13, 2011
3,476
1,661
Sydney
I know the cabbage well as a fellow fisherman , two things come to mind perhaps the answer is it might be a temperate species (might need a chiller to cool water to 17- 22 deg C) you could have more success if collected with an anchor root and perhaps glue it to your rope.
Have you tried some wave makers to provide flow as you might find this macro algea at tidal areas.

Looking forward to others ideas.
 

Savage Henry

Member
Feb 2, 2015
653
254
I grew up fishing for Black Fish.

Lost a few fellow fishermen along the way - it's a pretty dangerous past time.

One point, if you can't find the weed, you less likely to find the fish. Keep that in mind.

You could always go collecting the weed one weekend and keep it for several weeks in old patatoe sacks or equivalent material.

Finally, I worked on anti-fouling chemicals produced by this weed. The research group involved Rocky De Nys, who is a marine biologist and nice guy.

Look at the following profile:

https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/rocky.denys

Yes, he is your man. If anyone would know the answer you seek it is he.