I’m new to macro algae, this is my first try with red ogo. Added maybe a week ago and it’s almost entirely green now. Too much or too little light?
Red ogo turning green
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ichthyogeek
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Well what lights are you using?
I had some red ogo come in green (that was a surprise), but upon being added to an outdoor tank, it went red pretty quickly.
I think it has to do with light intensity. Like how corals produce pigments to shelter the zooxanthellae from excess light, plants produce other pigments to prevent overproduction via chloroplasts (and heating, and other stuff). As an example, (the banned plant species) Hygrophila polysperma 'Sunset' won't turn that pinkish color unless it has excess light, otherwise just turning green.
I had some red ogo come in green (that was a surprise), but upon being added to an outdoor tank, it went red pretty quickly.
I think it has to do with light intensity. Like how corals produce pigments to shelter the zooxanthellae from excess light, plants produce other pigments to prevent overproduction via chloroplasts (and heating, and other stuff). As an example, (the banned plant species) Hygrophila polysperma 'Sunset' won't turn that pinkish color unless it has excess light, otherwise just turning green.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
Post picture with white lights.
Could be lighting or lack of nutrients. Agreed with posting which light, how long its on and a pic of the macro. ~Shaun K.
Vette67
Reefing since 1997
Red ogo needs to be planted in the gravel. I have purchased it a couple times and both times it went green and disappeared, while my chaeto grows like a weed. It looked like it was doing well for a couple months, then disappeared. You need to encourage a root system to grow, otherwise it won't thrive. I would assume plugging part of it into your sand would work, but I have never done this. If I buy it again, I will definitely try burying part of the base in the gravel.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
Red Ogo originally referred to Gracilaria Parvispora. In Hawaii, Ogo was eaten fresh. Due to over harvesting, Gracilaria Tikvahiae was introduced. I have tumble cultured both of those species in 150G tubs. Macroalgae does not have roots. Some macros have holdfast to attach with, but not these two.
Seagrasses, then seaweeds or macroalgae, then micro algae or phytoplankton.
Seagrasses, then seaweeds or macroalgae, then micro algae or phytoplankton.
I usually shove in a crevice but you can also try using fishing line to loosely tie to a piece of rubble
~Shaun K.
Vette67
Reefing since 1997
I’ve read on several sites saying that it needs to be anchored. I guess I don’t know what to think now. As with most things in this hobby, there always more to it than meets the eye. A few months ago I had another unsuccessful run trying to raise it , and when doing research, I saw suggestions about it needing to be rooted. So I was hoping that was why mine didn’t grow. I guess then that I have no idea why mine didn’t grow. Chaeto must be much less picky than gracilaria, but definitely not as nice looking...
Subsea
5000 Club Member
I grew Gracilaria Parvispora & Tikvahiae commercially, it does not have roots. Not sure what bloggers sell as Red Ogo. My suggestion on aquascaping would be to sandwich it with rock.
[See if you can identify what you are calling red ogo.
Marine Plants in the Aquarium
macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale
www.marineplantbook.com
The genus Rhodophyta is the largest and most diverse group of tropical and temperate marine algae with more than 2,000 species worldwide. Their dominant pigment is phycoerythrin, which gives off rich shades of red, orange and blue. Red macro algae are some of the most varied and striking of all marine algae and are highly sought after as aquarium specimens. Identification can be difficult in some species, such as Gracilaria, and some have slight variations depending on the location and depth. Although this index is not a complete listing, it represents species that are commonly available or sought after by marine aquarists. As new species become available to the industry they will be added.]
Russ Kronwetter is diver/owner of Gulf Coast EcoSystems and he wrote the layman’s guide on macro algae.
Marine Plants In The Aquarium: An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.
An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.
www.marineplantbook.com
"Marine Plants in The Aquarium" is an online resource for the identification and care of marine macroalgae and seagrasses in the saltwater aquarium. The guide features over 70 of the most commonly available species of marine plants with full color photographs, detailed descriptions and aquarium care. Many of the species included in the guide are available to purchase online from Gulf Coast Ecosystems. Click on each link below to begin the exploration.
Table of Contents
About The Author Introduction Marine Plants In The Aquarium
The Refugium Substrates Selecting Quality Plants
Aquascapes Lighting Reproductive Cycle
Filtration Nutrients Maintenance
Case For Caulerpa Green Macroalgae Red Macroalgae
Brown Macroalgae Seagrass Mangroves
References Glossary Online Articles
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OP
OP
The “red ogo” I have is G. parvispora
Light is Current Marine Orbit Pro 24”
Tank is a 20L, 30” long
I will post the schedule and some pics as soon as I can...
Light is Current Marine Orbit Pro 24”
Tank is a 20L, 30” long
I will post the schedule and some pics as soon as I can...
OP
OP
I know many non aquatic plants turn reddish partially or completely when stressed with too much or too little light. I guess I assumed this red algae was red no matter the environment. Could it turn green from any reason other than insufficient light? Like I said, I’m new to this macroalgae biz.
Vette67
Reefing since 1997
The stuff I got was the Hawaiian variety. I ordered it from Indo Pacific Sea Farms, along with a bunch of other stuff. The gracilaria was a secondary part of my order, not the primary purpose of my order, so I wasn’t too upset that it didn’t survive. Although I would be interested in what others are saying here, because it seems that what @samnaz is experiencing is exactly what mine did. The algae I had looked most like Gracilaria Parvispora.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
Fifteen years ago, I bought Tang Heaven Red, Gracilaria Parvispora. to sell as ediable food to Oriental restaurants. It requires bright light. With 1000W metal halides over 150G Rubbermade tubs, I turned it yellow/orange. As light was decreased, color went to fire engine red then burgundy. I sent an email to Gerald Hesslinge, owner of IPSF, to assist with info.
Maybe @Dana Riddle can shed some light on why Red Gracilaria would turn green..
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OP
OP
Ok so it’s been forever since I checked my light settings, I forgot I lowered the white channel to curb bubble algae many months ago.
ATM, channel 1 (blue) is max 100%, runs for about 10 hours. Channel 2 (white) max is 10% runs for 4 hours.
Can anyone tell me what wave lengths are most important/what it uses most to keep this algae growing red?
I will add, the ogo in the center of the tank has not turned to green nearly as much or as fast as the ogo on a frag rack close to the edge of the tank, where there is less light. My light is a few inches smaller than the tank length, and the spread isn’t great. Maybe reason to assume is turning green due to lack of light?
These pics aren’t under full white but here it is (taken a few days ago on Sunday)
ATM, channel 1 (blue) is max 100%, runs for about 10 hours. Channel 2 (white) max is 10% runs for 4 hours.
Can anyone tell me what wave lengths are most important/what it uses most to keep this algae growing red?
I will add, the ogo in the center of the tank has not turned to green nearly as much or as fast as the ogo on a frag rack close to the edge of the tank, where there is less light. My light is a few inches smaller than the tank length, and the spread isn’t great. Maybe reason to assume is turning green due to lack of light?
These pics aren’t under full white but here it is (taken a few days ago on Sunday)
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OP
OP
Sorry for posting the photos multiple times, preview isn’t working for some reason?
Anyway here’s some from earlier today. Hopefully this helps.
As you can see, the clump on the right side has turned green significantly faster than the clump on the left (center of tank).
Anyway here’s some from earlier today. Hopefully this helps.
As you can see, the clump on the right side has turned green significantly faster than the clump on the left (center of tank).
ichthyogeek
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Maybe try increasing the whites? Red pigment = red light reflected = less red light absorbed, and since white is an amalgamation of all colors, increasing it might result in more red light (or just light overall), stimulating red pigment production?
Light is...confusing, for me. I believe that there was a video a while back claiming that after pink LEDs, cool white spectrums made for the second best at growing algae.
Light is...confusing, for me. I believe that there was a video a while back claiming that after pink LEDs, cool white spectrums made for the second best at growing algae.
OP
OP
The “white channel” actually includes some red/magenta purple indigo LEDs, according to the stats sheet. This is one of the reasons I turned the channel down so much back when I had a bubble algae explosion plague. For some reason I was thinking white/red grows algae and blue doesn’t so much.
@AlgaeBarn you mentioned it could be lack of nutrients, which in particular should I test for? Or should I try upping the light intensity a bit? Would like to get your advice especially because I got this ogo from you guys.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
As a generalization, algae growth is maximized with the least amount of electricity at a 4:1 ratio of red to blue. For viewing, I like 10K. For eye popping fire engine red, increase intensity with particular emphasis on white. The end goal for color rendition would be 6500-10,000K.
This is what Russ Kronwetter at GCE says:
[This particular species features long, cylindrical, alternating branches that are attached by a single holdfast. The coloration varies depending on the depth collected and ranges from bright red to yellow or green. Gracilaria Parvispora is by far the most popular species of Red Gracilaria used among marine aquarists today. It' i easily grown under a variety of conditions and provides an excellent food source to many herbivorous fish and invertebrates. It is typically not as attractive as other varieties of Gracilaria, but has enjoyed a long history of use in the refugium filter of reef aquariums worldwide. Many have had success growing good quantities in both small culture tanks and large scale aquaculture with this hardy variety.]
This is what Russ Kronwetter at GCE says:
Marine Plants in the Aquarium
macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale
www.marineplantbook.com
[This particular species features long, cylindrical, alternating branches that are attached by a single holdfast. The coloration varies depending on the depth collected and ranges from bright red to yellow or green. Gracilaria Parvispora is by far the most popular species of Red Gracilaria used among marine aquarists today. It' i easily grown under a variety of conditions and provides an excellent food source to many herbivorous fish and invertebrates. It is typically not as attractive as other varieties of Gracilaria, but has enjoyed a long history of use in the refugium filter of reef aquariums worldwide. Many have had success growing good quantities in both small culture tanks and large scale aquaculture with this hardy variety.]
Vette67
Reefing since 1997
Wow, 1000 watt halides. I still run halides over my display tank, but the best I have is 250 watt. I guess that explains mine. The Chinese black box LED I have over my 40 gallon refugium is plenty of light to grow chaeto, but apparently nowhere near enough for Ogo. I do have a spare 175watt magnetic halide ballast and an old 175 watt 10,000K bulb, but it seems like overkill to put that on my refugium. And of course, with the trade name of Tang Heaven, there's no way I can grow it in my display tank without my tangs devouring it. I guess I will just relegate red Ogo to one of those species of macroalgae that I won't be able to keep with my current setup, and stick with chaeto. I use enough electricity lighting my display tank...
Dana Riddle
2500 Club Member
Phycoerythrin possesses fluorescent properties which can be quenched by free radicals generated by excessive light. If phycoerythrin disappears then the green color of chlorophylls will become apparent/
