Sea Lettuce Cage

[Proctor614]

Anyone have success in making a cage to contain their sea lettuce in the sump so it doesn't float over (smother) the other macroalgaes or clog the sump grates? We have sea lettuce, red ogo, and pom pom from Algae Barn. Pros/Cons, and ideas to ensure success? I'm not thrilled with the ogo, but the pom and the lettuce are growing great.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Egg crate, set so that it reaches over the water height might work, confining it to a predetermined area. Or you could set some rubble on top of large pieces of the Ulva so that it stays there. Rubber banding it to rubble also works out for smaller pieces, but I haven't seen much attachment to rocks unfortunately.

Regarding the ogo, it brightens up considerably, the only problem is that you have to rubber band macros like frags, and they're freaking slippery little devils. But so, so pretty once it finally bushes out.

 

[Keen4]

Same issue here with the sea lettuce. I corner it and pile up and bunch of my Pom Pom’s over it but it still gets everywhere causing a flood. Never again.

 

[jebernier]

got sea lettuce in my main display tank during a cleaning. Going with chaeto from now on

 

[Brian Fay]

Anyone have success in making a cage to contain their sea lettuce in the sump so it doesn't float over (smother) the other macroalgaes or clog the sump grates? We have sea lettuce, red ogo, and pom pom from Algae Barn. Pros/Cons, and ideas to ensure success? I'm not thrilled with the ogo, but the pom and the lettuce are growing great.

I recently decided to try sea lettuce along with the chaeto in my refugium. The sump and refugium is home made but closely resembles the design of the Bashsea refugium area. In that design the physical structure of sea lettuce would cause rapid blocking of the intake area for the return pump. My wife suggested enclosing the Ulva on a clear plastic exercise ball for a hampster. These are ventilated so that water can flow through it. Light also penetrates well to the Ulva. These balls ase available in sizes from 5” to 16”. Mine is a 7” ball. In three weeks the Ulva in the ball has grown from a tennis ball size to completely filling the 7” ball and NONE has escaped into the refugium. The ball cost $11.00 at Petco.
So far this seems to be a good solution for my situation.

 

[Subsea]

I used eggcrate and sandwiched Ulva between two pieces. This was kept in display as a tang feeding station.

 

[Keen4]

I recently decided to try sea lettuce along with the chaeto in my refugium. The sump and refugium is home made but closely resembles the design of the Bashsea refugium area. In that design the physical structure of sea lettuce would cause rapid blocking of the intake area for the return pump. My wife suggested enclosing the Ulva on a clear plastic exercise ball for a hampster. These are ventilated so that water can flow through it. Light also penetrates well to the Ulva. These balls ase available in sizes from 5” to 16”. Mine is a 7” ball. In three weeks the Ulva in the ball has grown from a tennis ball size to completely filling the 7” ball and NONE has escaped into the refugium. The ball cost $11.00 at Petco.
So far this seems to be a good solution for my situation.

I managed to get sea lettuce to spawn and attach to my walls of the refugium. Its so much better than the free floating lettuce everywhere. SO messy and caused the same issues of over flowing and backing up the baffles.

 

[reef2sanity]

Anyone have success in making a cage to contain their sea lettuce in the sump so it doesn't float over (smother) the other macroalgaes or clog the sump grates? We have sea lettuce, red ogo, and pom pom from Algae Barn. Pros/Cons, and ideas to ensure success? I'm not thrilled with the ogo, but the pom and the lettuce are growing great.

ive been using 2 pieces of egg crate held together with zip ties (kind of home made chip clip) which i place over plastic mesh used for needlepoint and baffle before return pump chamber with good success, hasnt clogged up yet and prevents any from getting into return chamber

 

[Butcher333]

I have the same setup. 2 pieces of egg crate zip-tied together with needlepoint canvas attached to it also. A mysterious hair algae that grows an unknown final length choked it out. I am getting ready to reintroduce and thinking of using containers with holes drilled in them, because those hair algae loves the needlepoint.

 

[reefpaddy]

I had it previously in a Nylon Mesh Fish Fry Hatchery. The hatchery floated so kept the ULVA in place until my entire refugium started growing hair algae instead.

 

[bashierr]

I rubberband mine to frag plugs. When I want to prune it I just take the prunnings and rubberband it too another frag plug. I keep some egg crate on the sand of my macro tank for all my macro plugs... Gracilaria is the hardest to keep on the plugs I think lol.