Re: Sick RedSea Sailfin (green foods)
Mr. Fenner,
I had quite a great time watching my 2 fish gallivant in the big tank again.
They have pretty much eaten all of the long algae off of the rear glass.
I did notice that the RedSea has a few spots above his eyes that may be the beginning of HLLE-I hope not but I've read your site about nutrition for it & am going to the store to get some vitamins after this email. I also found 2 cleaner shrimp that have been in the store for over 3 weeks & are looking & eating great. Should I quarantine or dip the shrimp before putting in the main tank??
<Not necessary. Please see the WWM site here>
Thanks again for all of your guidance.
Craig
PS I read it, but forgot! What is you view of feeding broccoli enriched w/Zoë?
<Fine, but marine-originating algal foods are superior. Bob Fenner>

Seaweed for food
Hi Mr. Fenner
Just 1 quick question. I've looked around, but the only type of Nori seaweed I've found to give to my fish is the roasted type for sushi.
It's all natural, and plain, except roasted. Is this o.k., or do i have to keep looking for a different type?
<Roasted is fine... look for other algae for human consumption as well... like Kombu, karame... they should be found in the oriental food store/section... just not ones with "sauces" added. Bob Fenner>
Greg N

Questions about Nori for fishes
Hi Bob !! I need some advice from you . First of all, are those Nori found in supermarkets that is for human consumption safe for marine fishes too? 
<Yes my friend... identical... just look out and avoid the "flavored" ones (like with soyu on them...). Other human-intended algae from such sources are excellent as foods as well.>
Secondly, can I placed the newly purchased queen angel (6 inch) in a quarantine tank of SG level of 1.010 for 2 weeks ? Thanks.
<I would lower the spg to only 1.016 or so... a thousandth per day maximum from what the shipping water is/was... and raise it back up at the end at the same rate... to match your system water. Bob Fenner>

Fresh Nori
Hi,
As you may be aware I commenced supplying the Tropical marine Centre, here in the UK, with their fresh Nori seaweed about a year ago and am very pleased with the quantities we are selling (about 1000 packs weekly in England alone).
<Ah, great... It took me twenty plus years to talk Chris Turk into selling friends "expired" product in the U.S. and then Julian Sprung stole the idea...>
About 6 months ago I introduced the product to Bob at PW with a view to being our wholesale distributor in the USA. For whatever reason this has not succeeded and I need to start looking for a distributor who is capable of introducing the product into as many fish stores in the US as possible.
<Mmm...>
If you know of any main distributor I would really appreciate their contact info. There seems to be no product that is similar over there with only Julian Sprung's sea veggies which are dried. This is the only truly FRESH sea vegetable product available to the hobbyist.
<There are a few select choices to mention... not the biggest players, but people I know to be honest, competent, hard-working here. I will cc them and ask that they respond directly to you>
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Martin Levy.
Director - The French Garden Ltd.
Moderator - Reef section- Petswarehouse.com
<Nice to meet you. Bob Fenner>

Freeze-dried microalgae
Hello Mr. Fenner
<Anthony Calfo in your service>
I am looking to buy spray dried/freeze-dried microalgae Nanochloropsis for the culture of zooplankton. I
understand that many pet suppliers do sell these, but I am looking to buy a few kilograms of these alga, not in the small quantities offered. Do you buy any chance know of anybody who sell the spray dried/freeze dried version.
<have you tried Argent Labs at http://srd.yahoo.com/goo/argent+chemical/1/T=1023952668/F=45c2029d3ff1ed2996347
aec26eb0fd8/*http://www.argent-labs.com/>
Right now I am using microalgae paste but it is getting too expensive to use on a long run.
<indeed>
Many thanks in advance Joey
<with kind regards, Anthony Calfo>

Feeding fresh algae
Dear Bob,
<Hello>
I just wanted to check your position on feeding marine algae that I might collect on the beach to my Ctenochaetus strigosus. I live on the South Coast of the UK and it would be relatively easy to get hold of some macroalgae from our beaches.
Would there be a practical way to preserve the nutrients and get rid of possible microbial or viral diseases (freezing?) and also eventual pollution washing?), so as not to harm him unduly?
<I think this is an idea, resource worth trying. As you likely know, such material has been used as fodder... If it were me, I'd rig up a simple marine tank with low lighting, something in the way of filtration (perhaps just an air-powered sponge filter)... and leave the collected algae (of a few, "softer" species... reds and greens, but not browns) to simply float, lose whatever "hitchhikers" it has over a week or two's time... try feeding them... if they're accepted, go on to trying various ways of preparation and storage: parboiling, rinsing and freezing, microwaving, blending and freezing in cubes, and freezing altogether for handy use.>
Also, I hear a US public aquarium has very successfully used broccoli to augment the intake of vitamin A in HLLE disease in blue tangs. What do you think about feeding some organically grown broccoli to my Ctenochaetus?
<Worth trying. But, many folks simply use liquid vitamin supplements applied to all sorts of foods to augment iodide, C, D et al. nutrients>
Finally, he/she's about 10cm long. What length can I expect him to achieve in a 60 Imp Gallon system where his only housemate is a small Huma Huma trigger (4cm)?
<Perhaps another 5 cm. over time... they're slow growers comparatively>
Thanks for your answers and for your illuminating insights throughout your site.
Massimo, Brighton, UK
<Thank you for your participation, sharing. Bob Fenner>

Seaweed Selection
Hi All!
<Scott F. today!>
I work at a lab where we have tested various seaweeds  for a local company-Maine Coast Sea Vegetables. I wonder if I can use some of their product to feed my blue hippo tang and dwarf flame angel?
<Sounds like a good idea to me!>
I have samples of ground Laver aka Wild Atlantic Nori (Porphyra umbilicalis), Kelp flakes (Laminaria longicuris), Dulse flakes (Palmaria palmata), Alaria aka wild Atlantic Wakame (Alaria esculenta) and Sea Lettuce flakes (Ulva lactuca). I believe these are harvested around Nova Scotia and/or New Foundland and
are certified  organic. I know the fish are from warmer climates and maybe these seaweeds should  not be feed to them...? I also have a certificate of analysis that states the Sea Lettuce and Dulse may contain Arsenic; Dulse with 1.10 mg/Kg and Sea Lettuce <13 mg/Kg As. Not sure if flake  foods sold over the counter have ever been tested for As levels or if this is even a concern?! Any ideas or comments? Thanks Denise
<Great connection to have, Denise! I'd would not be hesitant to try these "temperate" algae. I'll bet a fair number of the macroalgae used in commercial fish foods are not of tropical origin! As far as the arsenic...I don't know of any such analysis being conducted...I'd err on the side of caution and not feed the macroalgae that are stated to contain arsenic...Perhaps you could contact the manufacturer for an interpretation here...Better safe than sorry! Good Luck! Regards, Scott F>

What to feed algae lover - 3/26/03
I have 90gal with 90 lbs Kaelini rock setup since 1/10/03. I have 1 coral beauty clown and have gone thru the brown diatom algae period and i now have green hair algae. Last Thurs. i received a standard algae attack pack of turbo snails, dwarf hermits and red tipped hermits. They are doing such a fantastic job that i am already worried about having enough algae for them to eat. What and how much should i supplementary feed them? <How much is to be determined by how many you have and a visual check as to who eats what, but as far as what to feed them there are many choices to choose from. Gosh......Mmmmmm.....Spirulina pellets, blanched spinach, seaweeds sold for the pet fish industry and in many Asian food markets now and days, uh..... meaty foods for hermits as well i.e. frozen mysids and plankton>  What is the correct photoperiod length for inverts? <standard lighting scheme applies. Whatever goes for your fish and corals will likely be fine for the rest.> Thanks <You're welcome. Paul>

Procuring Macroalgae
Dear crew:
<Scott F. your Crew member today>
One of you recommended me to try feeding tang heaven algae from IPSF at Hawaii.. but they say they cannot ship to Canada. and I know currently, FFExpress sale some of the type of algae, but was also unable to ship up to Canada, do you guys know who can ship up here for us?? Or perform a transship at some cost?? Because I am sure there are lots of demand here!! Eric
<Hmm, Eric...interesting problem...I was not aware that there is a problem in shipping macroalgae to Canada. Maybe an agricultural regulation or something? My recommendation to obtain this macroalgae would be to try other sources, such as Inland Aquatics, Sea Crop, or Florida Aqua Farms (do internet searches to see how to contact them). Other ideas would be to try a scientific supply company within Canada, perhaps with the assistance of a local educational institution, like a high school or college. Finally, you could see if any fellow hobbyists have this stuff available for trade or sale locally...Perhaps a posting on the WWM forum, or on another message board on the 'net. I sure hope that you can get Gracilaria, because it's truly an amazing food for tangs. Once you get some, I hope that you can really make an effort to propagate this macroalgae for your future needs. Good Luck! Regards, Scott F>

HELP -- need advice!
Thanks for the advice.  It troubles me to hear that you are surprised with their size.  Should they have grown more?  Am I doing something wrong?  I feed them every day (variety of foods high in protein) <Are you feeding them veggies? Sushi Nori is now available at many grocery stores, and you can find it at Oriental Markets if worse comes to worse. Some fish food makers are selling it as prepackaged fish food, for about 5 times the price of sushi Nori (and it's the same stuff!) and they look very healthy -- brightly colored and definitely not skinny. They are also all very active fish -- acting content with their surroundings. <Well, then I wouldn't be too worried.>
Also, how do I find a mate for the clown? <Buy a juvenile of the same species, after some squabbling (and maybe not even then) he'll change into a male, your female has already established her place.> I've tried an Anemone but didn't have any luck. <Anemones are generally hard to keep, and can live for decades, if not centuries in the wild. Please research them thoroughly before trying that again.> Plus she never would come out of it! <That's called hosting and is what clowns do in the wild. Prevents them from being eaten and their host Anemone is protected from predators too.> How can I get a mate for her?  I would love to do that.
One more question.  I have about 35lbs. of live rock in the tank right now. Should I add more with the new angel coming?  Could I add maybe one new piece every two weeks or so? <Most angels are nibblers and need a lot of LR. Getting a 100lbs+ wouldn't be out of line. Cure it in a separate container and add it to the tank once it's cured. Even then, you should wait a few months (at least) before adding the angel. Here's the info on LR: www.wetwebmedia.com/liverock1.htm  >
Thanks so much!  You all are lifesavers! :)
<You're welcome, and we try out best.>

Green water- phytoplankton
I would like to culture my own Phytoplex.  How do I do it?
Alex Reynaud
<do an Internet search for Florida Aqua Farms... they sell complete kits and individual starter components and cultures for Nanochloropsis and Isochrysis to get you on your way. Best regards, Anthony>

What is Nori?
What is Nori? Who makes it? Is that flakes? Pellets?
<It comes in strips and can usually be found at your LFS or grocery store.  Cody>
Thank you,
Luke

- Freshwater Algae for Marine Fish? -
Hello,
<Hello to you.>
I was wondering if you could feed rocks covered with that green stringy algae that grows in freshwater to a marine fish such as an angelfish or tang? <I would think so.> Would it be bad for them or would they just not nibble at it? <Won't know for sure until you try it, but I'd be more concerned about the 'rocks' that held the algae... just concerned they may react with saltwater, depending on their origin.> I read on your site about growing your own rocks in the window in a jar with saltwater so I have started that but no algae yet, but I have tons of rocks with freshwater algae on them from my pond so I was wondering if I could use them in a marine setup. Would the algae just die off when put in saltwater and the water? <I think it would eventually, unless the fish eat it first.> Just curious. <I would try with just one, and have a water change waiting in the wings in case something unexpected happens... if the fish eat it, then you know you're on the right track. If the algae dissolves and discolors the water, do the water change and don't put in any more algae rocks.> Thanks for all of your help all of the time, you are an invaluable resource.
Kylee
<Cheers, J -- >

"Ogo-Mania!"
Hello.  I have a 4" yellow tang (Tango) and would like to start feeding it some fresh macro algae like you suggest.  Any idea where I can buy Gracilaria (on the internet) so I can start propagating it at home?  All of the LFS's in my area only seem to carry grape Caulerpa, and even that is only on a limited basis.  Thanks!  Sherri Wilson, Buffalo, New York.
<Ahh- you can get my favorite stuff (Gracilaria parvispora aka "Ogo") from my favorite e-tailer, Indo Pacific Sea Farms in Kailua-Kona (www.ipsf.com)! They call it "Tang Heaven", but whatever you call it- your tang will call it "delicious!" This stuff rocks! Enjoy! Regards, Scott F.>

Macroalgae On The Menu?
WWM Crew,
<Scott F. at the keyboard tonight!>
Hello and thanks for all the knowledge gained from this site.  I have a question on a refugium.  I have a 125 gal FOWLR tank and have just added a CPR 24" hang on refugium w/ a 36w PC light. In it I have 12 lbs live sand (4" DSB), 5 lbs live rock, and a hand full of Caulerpa.  It has been set up for 3 days.  Will the Caulerpa attached to the live rocks and begin to grow?
<Given sufficient light and nutrients, it will definitely begin to attach and grow.>
I would like to farm the Caulerpa and feed it to my Tangs and Angel fish, is this ok.
<If they accept it- it is a good supplemental food source>
How often should I Farm it?
<If you're talking about harvesting it to perform nutrient export, then you should harvest small quantities on a regular basis, such as weekly, or more often if it grows like crazy. As far as using it as a food source is concerned- just feed it as often as your fishes will accept it-daily would be fine...>
After reading from you site I have learned that the Caulerpa can release organics back into the main tank, how would I know this is happening?
<Well, Caulerpa doesn't necessarily release organics into the tank. It does, however, have a propensity to go "sexual", and release cellular material into the water, which can severely tax water quality. It is also known to release some substances into the water that can interfere with many corals. Caulerpa is not the most evil algae in the world, but it does have a "dark side", which you need to be aware of. I prefer less "noxious" algae, such as Chaetomorpha, which floats freely and grows quite well in many systems. If harvested regularly, it is an excellent nutrient export vehicle, with none of the detrimental aspects of Caulerpa. However, Tangs don't seem to like the taste of this stuff! If you are looking for a great macroalgae to feed to your tangs, you should give Gracilaria a try. Once you get the knack of growing it, Gracilaria is really the premier macroalgae to feed to tangs!>
Thanks in advance. Mike
<Glad to help! Regards, Scott F>

Greens for tangs 5/10/04
Hi gang:
<howdy!>
Was at my LFS today (the best of three with significant saltwater collections in the area) and there was a note on the Gracilaria tank saying it "won't contaminate tanks like romaine or Nori".
<they are half right... romaine is a poor choice. but the Nori is fine/excellent>
I've never fed my tangs romaine-based products. . . but my understanding was that was primarily because it was nutritionally inferior.
<and the fact that they are polluted with phosphates from the fertilizer used to grow. But this is not true of Nori. Perhaps they lumped it in mistakenly>
I DO use Japanese Nori (available economically from a local organic foods supermarket) as the staple for my tangs, supplemented with Formula 1 and live bloodworms. Plus a refugium busy enough that everybody in the tank probably gets a few live Mysis shrimp a week. Anyway. . . is Nori a problem?
<nope... a very fine food... please continue to use/promote>
Last question: I saw a note in Anthony Calfo's article on acclimating inverts to captive lighting suggesting investment in a light meter. Um. . . how does one operate these generally non-waterproof devices underwater (or is a reading made from just outside the front pane?)
<they are not "generally non-waterproof" outside of wherever it is that you shop <G>. Do seek models used by field biologists and aquatics folks. Apogee makes nice, affordable ones>
and to what sort of reference scale does one compare them?
<depends on what info you seek to know/compare. If bringing a coral home from a friend or pet store, take a reading from the depth at which it last resided and adjust accordingly in your tank. For wild caught corals, there is data on light readings for various species from various locales: check the academic literature, libraries and databases for this majority of info. Some hobby literature includes it too (like Nilsen's articles from Aquarium Frontiers). And for species for which there is no data, get a measurement of light at depth from another similar coral in an aquarium before buying the new specimen. You can/will also use the meter to take a reading on new bulbs and in time to see how they age, stray. For this, seek a PAR meter instead of just a lux meter. Apogee brand my friend ;) Keyword search the 'Net>
Thanks in advance for your help on this. Chuck
<rock on my brother. Anthony>

NORI or etail algae on demand
Thanks for the advice guys, but you 'all go nuts over Nori. <I think its that we find it can be pretty inexpensive.> Listen, I live in Greenville, SC and I don't know where you live, but it is going to be a lot more trouble for me to go find a Chinese Grocery Store (we ain't got no Chinese in SC) than it does to pay 5 bucks on my next Dr. Foster's order for enough seaweed to last several months!<I understand!> Now, if you say this Nori stuff is better, well that is something different, but I am too busy than to have to get in my Benz and pile a bunch of miles on it goin outta my way to find a Chinese Grocery Store to save 2 bucks when I can just order the same stuff from Dr. Fosters and have it delivered right to my door! <I would suggest you order some type of food that has sponge in it for the angels. You just need to add a type of food that includes a bit more of what angelfish need. Hope this helps, MacL>

Phytoplankton, Live or Dead? (4/7/04)
Hi <Steve Allen tonight.>
I'm in Australia and I haven't been able to track down a supplier of real phytoplankton for my marine tank. I am going to order some from overseas and there is a choice between a kit to grow the stuff myself and "centrifuged" dead phytoplankton in a bottle. Do you have an opinion on whether the growing and feeding live stuff is much better than using the dead stuff? <It is more probable that your phytoplankton-eaters will consume live phyto than dead. Also, if you buy dead, you will have to keep ordering from overseas. I'd suggest building or buying a plankton reactor and cultivating your own on an ongoing basis from live starter. Start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fdcultfaqmar.htm> Thanks <You're welcome. Hope this helps.>

Fauchea for Tangs? 1/8/04
Hi, Will Tangs eat Fauchea and if so, does it supply nutrition similar to Tang Heaven?  
<it is not so readily accepted as Gracilaria. I am not sure about nutritional value though. I've seen the specs on Gracilaria (Tang Heaven), but nothing on Fauchea. My advice is to stick with Gracilaria... Fauchea can be a miserable nuisance over time. Somewhat noxious too>
Red Fauchea looks like a species that grows really well in a tank or refugium
<yes... because it is a nuisance <G>>
(we've tried several times to get Gracilaria to grow out for the tangs - no luck). Thanks!
<do try to find a copy of our "Reef Invertebrates" which has extensive coverage of refugiums, plants and algae species (the most comprehensive in the industry to date). But the crash course on Gracilaria is most people do not give it enough light (5 watts per gallon minimum... 2-3X even better), or enough water flow (very strong is needed to keep the colony tumbling in suspension in the aquarium). This algae is line or basket grown in shallow tropical waters under very bright light and strong wave action. Anthony>

Feeding herbivores in a treatment tank
Hey Guys,
Thanks for the quick response! Just a quick follow up... I got a larger hospital tank for housing my ich-ridden fish, filled it with water from my display tank and have it up and running. My fish seem to be much happier now. The question is what should I feed my lawnmower blenny while he is in the hospital as there is certainly no algae growth for him to munch on. Thanks again for all the help and terrific work!
Jason
<Not likely this fish will take prepared food, but I would try greens of all sorts... algae from the "oriental food store" mostly. Bob Fenner>