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You are here: Home / Refugium Education / Using Ulva to Remove Excess Nutrients
Sea Lettuce grows in ribbons

Using Ulva to Remove Excess Nutrients

by Kenneth Wingerter

Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) is an extremely versatile refugium macroalgae. It’s big, verdant fronds can add a little “greenery” to a reefscape. Highly palatable and nutritious, it serves as an excellent live food for larger herbivorous fish and invertebrates. Its broad “leaves” can grow in dense clumps, providing an enormous amount of microhabitat for small, beneficial protists and animals such as copepods. But if there is one thing Ulva really excels at, it’s removing excess nutrients from the system water.

For sure, the ability of sea lettuce to “absorb” nitrate and phosphate is a thing of legend. This is only possible because of its extremely fast rate of growth. Even among the green algae, which are known as a group to be pretty fast growers, sea lettuce can really pack on the biomass rapidly. This of course can happen only when two important resources are available: Very intense light and nutrient-rich water. 

Sea Lettuce: One to grow on

The Ulva we have for sale is an opportunistic seaweed that occurs widely in estuaries and shallow coastal waters, which are some of the most eutrophic (nutrient-rich) environments on Earth. Its capacity for rapid proliferation is in part a competitive adaptation. That is, it outcompetes other macroalgae for space and outcompetes both macroalgae and microalgae for nutrients. This includes competitors/epiphytes that might grow on its fronds. In many cases, these seaweeds live in boom-or-bust habitats where waters might be highly eutrophic during one season, and then fairly oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) during the next. Depending upon local ambient nutrient regimes, either nitrate or phosphate can be limiting. In most cases however (at least in the wild), nitrate appears slightly more often to be the limiting nutrient. 

A baby outgrowth of Sea LettuceInterestingly,  percent-tissue nitrogen values can exceed the critical nitrogen requirements for minimum growth. Percent-tissue nitrogen values of sea lettuce can reach up to 5.8% and likely represents excess nitrogen storage. This likely enables the seaweed to sustain maximum growth during times of poor nutrient availability. 

No worries about that here, right? Aquarists seem to have no problem supplying the fertile waters. Overfeeding and overstocking are the main culprit, usually combined with poor filtration and inadequate water exchange. Well, reef aquaria are brightly lit environments, which sets the stage for endless battles with nuisance algae. These algae can grow at a terrifying pace when nutrient levels are elevated. And that’s not merely an issue for a tank’s “looks,” but also threatens the health of corals. Runaway hair algae problems in particular have killed bazillions of corals and caused countless reef aquarists to give up forever.

Many solutions have been put forth to solve this problem. As a very natural approach, macroalgal nutrient sequestration has appealed to quite a few hobbyists. Nowadays, planted refugia are almost a standard component in aquarium filtration systems. Ulva undoubtedly is among the most popular of seaweeds used in refugia; but given its unusually high capacity for sequestration, it’s a little surprising that these macros aren’t just a bit more popular than they presently are.

Provided that very intense lighting is used, sea lettuce is rather easy to cultivate. It grows well in loose clumps on the bottom, but may eventually grow to form a solid sheet across the refugium water surface. It doesn’t need–and perhaps prefers–moderate or even weak water movement. While strong flow doesn’t necessarily harm it, it does increase the odds that you’ll be peeling wads of seaweed off the refugium pumps or screen on a regular basis. To use Ulva in a high-flow application, one would best circulate the mass in kreisel style refugium where it more easily stays in constant motion (and is evenly illuminated). The easiest way to compensate for low-flow applications (i.e. increased turnover times) is simply to use a larger refugium; that is, a larger algal bed can strip more nutrients from the passing waters at a given flow rate.

As the algal mass begins to fill the grow chamber, sections (preferably older parts) are removed and are either (1) discarded or (2) are fed out to your tangs, angelfish, trunkfish, rabbitfish, sea urchins, etc. This process of continual harvest is how the nutrients are ultimately removed or recycled; it is important to time correctly because overly dense masses grow more slowly (thus removing fewer nutrients). In the worst case, the mass begins to die back, consuming oxygen and making a nasty mess as it decomposes and releases all those nutrients back into the aquarium water! To keep the mass happy and growing at an optimal rate, try to cut back around 25% of the mass as it fills about 75% of the available grow space.

Conclusion

Healthy ulva lactucaFrom Caulerpa to Chaetomorpha, fast-growing green algae have always been favored for planted refugia that are designed primarily for nutrient sequestration. While all different macros have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages, it’s hard to argue that any species accomplished the task of nutrient removal like Sea Lettuce. This “nutrient sponge” can take any levels you might throw at it, yet not crash hard and die off as the nutrient levels fall. It doesn’t secrete copious allelopathic compounds (unlike most Caulerpa) and therefore won’t irritate corals. It’s fleshy in texture and tasty (unlike Chaetomopha) and can therefore be used as a high-quality live food. Though it may not really be very new to refugium keepers, sea lettuce definitely has not seen its day in the sun–yet!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. William maupin says

    September 12, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    Very good information thank you all

    Reply
    • OU812 Reefing says

      November 14, 2021 at 9:07 am

      Sea lettuce works

      Reply
      • chris early says

        November 20, 2021 at 4:38 am

        I agree

        Reply
      • diana Aliprandi says

        December 1, 2021 at 1:21 pm

        Thanks for letting me know it works

        Reply
      • diana Aliprandi says

        December 1, 2021 at 1:21 pm

        Thanks for letting me know it works

        Reply
      • Edwards Edwards says

        December 12, 2021 at 11:28 am

        Very good info, thanks

        Reply
      • Cameron says

        December 20, 2021 at 9:46 pm

        I really want to use cheto

        Reply
    • Mark Keller says

      November 22, 2021 at 5:16 pm

      I’ve never tried it. I rin a scrubber

      Reply
    • Mark Keller says

      November 22, 2021 at 5:16 pm

      I’ve never tried it. I rin a scrubber

      Reply
    • Wesley Hicks says

      November 23, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      Agreed definitely good info

      Reply
    • Wesley Hicks says

      November 23, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      Agreed definitely good info

      Reply
    • Wesley Hicks says

      November 23, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      Agreed definitely good info

      Reply
    • Josue Burgos says

      December 4, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Very good info

      Reply
    • Lynn says

      December 13, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      great info!

      Reply
    • Quoc Nguyen says

      December 29, 2021 at 12:13 pm

      Agreed, great information! Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Fawn says

    October 11, 2021 at 1:55 pm

    I love having Ulta! It’s such a good food for my tangs!

    Reply
  3. kmeyersusmc says

    November 8, 2021 at 3:11 pm

    Love this stuff

    Reply
    • juan carlos perez says

      November 23, 2021 at 2:40 pm

      Id like to feed this to my tangs instead of dried nori sheet.

      Reply
  4. srortega says

    November 8, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    Can it be used in the display tank under the blue heavy lighting that is used for coral?

    Reply
    • Rhett Unbehagen says

      November 23, 2021 at 9:39 am

      I believe so

      Reply
  5. Mark Miller says

    November 8, 2021 at 4:19 pm

    Hmm. I’m going to have to give it a try in my fuge. Chaeto keeps getting gunked up with slimey green stuff.

    Reply
  6. Merlin Ruiz says

    November 8, 2021 at 4:30 pm

    I haven’t had the need to user this just yet.

    Reply
  7. Merlin Ruiz says

    November 8, 2021 at 4:30 pm

    I haven’t had the need to user this just yet.

    Reply
  8. Heath Weitzel says

    November 8, 2021 at 4:36 pm

    Keep that no3 and po4 in check

    Reply
  9. Ryan says

    November 8, 2021 at 4:36 pm

    Think I’m going to try this over Cheato. I can never seem to keep Cheato alive.

    Reply
  10. scottsfca says

    November 8, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    Great treat for my fish.

    Reply
  11. keckke says

    November 8, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    Love macro in my refugium, great place for Pod growth

    Reply
  12. M says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    Cool

    Reply
  13. Alex says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    Love it!

    Reply
  14. Lea Richmond says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:25 pm

    Looks like great stuff!

    Reply
  15. Patricia Norris says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:25 pm

    Just received my first bit of chaeto from algae barn and things are looking great.

    Reply
    • Edwards Edwards says

      December 12, 2021 at 11:49 am

      Very good info, thanks

      Reply
  16. Christopher Andrew Catherman says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    That’s some helpful information 🙂

    Reply
  17. Tyler says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:37 pm

    I wish I had a refugium to use items like this.

    Reply
  18. Chris MacDonald says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    Yep

    Reply
  19. stephen miller says

    November 8, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    Awesome

    Reply
  20. Chris Poynter says

    November 8, 2021 at 6:06 pm

    Tangs love this stuff.

    Reply
  21. Lindsay Marino says

    November 8, 2021 at 6:29 pm

    Seal lettuce was my choice over cheto because of the benefits you have listed here!

    Reply
  22. Derrick Lambert says

    November 8, 2021 at 6:54 pm

    Can multiple sea lettuce species be mixed in a refugium or will they compete with each other?

    Reply
  23. marshallbros59701 says

    November 8, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    May have to try some in my main display

    Reply
  24. James says

    November 8, 2021 at 7:41 pm

    Wow! Interesting . Didn’t know about this.

    Reply
  25. Austin Karpola says

    November 8, 2021 at 8:12 pm

    Hmm

    Reply
  26. Richard Allen says

    November 8, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    Very interesting article, will be adding it to my library of information.

    Reply
  27. Jessica Turner says

    November 8, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    Sea lettuces is great. It also helped my pod population.

    Reply
  28. Andy Stipe says

    November 8, 2021 at 8:28 pm

    I have used it before in my refuge. Grows fast.

    Reply
  29. jhoffman says

    November 8, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    Very good information thank you.

    Reply
  30. Christopher Snyder says

    November 8, 2021 at 9:24 pm

    Love it

    Reply
  31. Art Mulanax says

    November 8, 2021 at 9:27 pm

    Great Stuff

    Reply
  32. Arthur says

    November 8, 2021 at 10:29 pm

    Nice info

    Reply
  33. Mark J Laber jr says

    November 8, 2021 at 10:33 pm

    Never thought of that before

    Reply
  34. Dallas Tippie says

    November 8, 2021 at 11:14 pm

    Excellent idea — I just now need a sump with a refugium!

    Reply
  35. Michael Pimental says

    November 9, 2021 at 4:51 am

    Very good info

    Reply
  36. Josh says

    November 9, 2021 at 5:31 am

    Nifty

    Reply
  37. Menezes Industries says

    November 9, 2021 at 6:02 am

    I have used Chaeto for a long time, but I think Ulva is worth a try.

    Reply
  38. Blake Rickels says

    November 9, 2021 at 6:10 am

    Nice article

    Reply
  39. Kevin Johnson says

    November 9, 2021 at 6:13 am

    Please be sure to use a slow flow but the ulva will float and can clog your sump/refrugium.

    Reply
    • ibrianw0ng says

      December 28, 2021 at 9:56 am

      yes

      Reply
  40. Ray says

    November 9, 2021 at 6:34 am

    I’ll be putting this in my new tank!

    Reply
  41. Dan says

    November 9, 2021 at 7:00 am

    I tried it, it just unfortunately didn’t work and disintegrated.

    Reply
  42. William Zuk says

    November 9, 2021 at 7:12 am

    I may have to look into this further for my tank. . Great article!

    Reply
  43. Bob Seyfarth says

    November 9, 2021 at 7:25 am

    I used Caulerpa in the past and it over grew everything. I now have a small amount of Chaeto in w hang on the back filter with a grow light (I don’t have a sump), but this might work in the tank if the yellow tang leaves it alone. Thanks for the info.

    Reply
  44. Shawn Vest says

    November 9, 2021 at 7:45 am

    Great macro and tangs love it!

    Reply
  45. Shawn Vest says

    November 9, 2021 at 7:45 am

    Great macro and tangs love it!

    Reply
  46. Jason Vazzano says

    November 9, 2021 at 8:01 am

    Comment

    Reply
  47. Edward leslie says

    November 9, 2021 at 8:24 am

    I have it along with Algae Barn Red Ogo

    Reply
  48. Ethan Montoya says

    November 9, 2021 at 8:35 am

    Mmmm…..macro

    Reply
  49. Tori says

    November 9, 2021 at 9:23 am

    Good to know! Just started having an issue

    Reply
  50. Erin Rogers says

    November 9, 2021 at 9:35 am

    Love me some macros

    Reply
  51. Michael Fox says

    November 9, 2021 at 9:44 am

    will be in my next order

    Reply
  52. Russell Dugard says

    November 9, 2021 at 11:19 am

    never thought of this so a great help thanks

    Reply
  53. Mr Papu says

    November 9, 2021 at 11:21 am

    Great article

    Reply
  54. Kevin Weisen says

    November 9, 2021 at 11:45 am

    Sea Lettuce was the macro algae that came with my refugium pack. It has been awesome.

    Reply
  55. Reginald(DJ) Kimble says

    November 9, 2021 at 11:54 am

    always a fan of marine helpers in a ecosystem, less work!

    Reply
  56. MARSHALL SANDS says

    November 9, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    Interesting

    Reply
  57. Lilly moore says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:02 pm

    My tangs love it

    Reply
  58. Lilly moore says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:02 pm

    My tangs love it

    Reply
  59. Lilly moore says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:03 pm

    Thank for the awesome info

    Reply
  60. Lilly moore says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:03 pm

    Thank for the awesome info

    Reply
  61. Lilly moore says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:05 pm

    Thank algae barn

    Reply
  62. Matt H says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    Might have to try this… my other macro attempts didn’t last.

    Reply
  63. Joshua DenBoer says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:40 pm

    Great article and great product.

    Reply
  64. Christie Frazier says

    November 9, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    Very interesting. I learned a lot!! Thank you!

    Reply
  65. Brandon Seay says

    November 9, 2021 at 4:42 pm

    Macro macro

    Reply
  66. Danielle says

    November 9, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    I actually used ulva to seed my ats & pull some regularly to feed the tangs & foxface. They love it

    Reply
  67. Ryan Smith says

    November 9, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    Again with another amazing article

    Reply
  68. sdpyle says

    November 9, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    I’ve tried this successfully! Thanks Algae Barn!

    Reply
  69. William Wahl says

    November 9, 2021 at 7:35 pm

    I have ulva covering the entire top of my refugium. Love it!

    Reply
  70. oodydog says

    November 10, 2021 at 8:37 am

    Need some

    Reply
  71. JessU says

    November 10, 2021 at 8:50 am

    I’ve only ever used cheato since I learned it would spread and take over the tank and was intimidated to try others. Thank you Algea Barn for the educational information on Ulva algea, I’ll be purchasing!

    Reply
  72. dan norwood says

    November 10, 2021 at 9:05 am

    nice

    Reply
  73. Griffin Adwar says

    November 10, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    good alternative to dealing with chaeto in all your pumps

    Reply
  74. Clifton Gill says

    November 10, 2021 at 12:08 pm

    Also a great host for pods!

    Reply
  75. Joshua Vaisman says

    November 10, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    Been toying with the idea of starting a refugium…if I do, this might be the macro for me, especially given it’s a great supplemental food for my tang!

    Reply
  76. Chun Chan says

    November 10, 2021 at 3:53 pm

    Thank you

    Reply
  77. BOUDREAUX Jordan says

    November 10, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    May have to try this! Good read

    Reply
  78. csordellini says

    November 10, 2021 at 6:09 pm

    Going to use this in my setup!!

    Reply
  79. Peter Davis says

    November 10, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    Sweet

    Reply
  80. Randy says

    November 10, 2021 at 11:55 pm

    Good informative read might have to try this in my fudge and display.

    Reply
  81. Randy says

    November 10, 2021 at 11:55 pm

    Good informative read might have to try this in my fudge and display.

    Reply
  82. Marco Martinez says

    November 11, 2021 at 9:12 am

    Better than chaeto?

    Reply
  83. Paul Guilliam says

    November 11, 2021 at 11:09 am

    Thanks for the info

    Reply
  84. Shawn B says

    November 12, 2021 at 10:44 pm

    I’ve never used this algae before very interesting! Thank you Algae Barn!

    Reply
  85. David Todorov says

    November 13, 2021 at 6:31 am

    I haven’t had much luck with the green area lettuce, I just ordered Chaeto and hope that works better

    Reply
  86. Stewart says

    November 13, 2021 at 7:17 am

    Great source for grazing Tangs and others 🙂

    Reply
  87. Sawyer Breslow says

    November 13, 2021 at 9:41 am

    This stuff grows like crazy

    Reply
    • Keith Schoenfeldt says

      December 14, 2021 at 8:11 am

      I will have to try some. Great information

      Reply
  88. Billy Seale says

    November 13, 2021 at 11:24 am

    Good article

    Reply
  89. Michael Luong says

    November 13, 2021 at 7:08 pm

    Thank you

    Reply
  90. Eric says

    November 13, 2021 at 10:36 pm

    Awesome

    Reply
  91. Brandon Romani says

    November 14, 2021 at 5:39 am

    Just ordered some ulva hopefully does better than chaeto.

    Reply
  92. Jorge Cabrera says

    November 14, 2021 at 6:47 am

    Very informative

    Reply
  93. Bobby Layland says

    November 14, 2021 at 10:07 am

    This is a great article now I need to start using it

    Reply
  94. Christopher Thomas says

    November 14, 2021 at 11:25 am

    Sea lettuce has worked great for me.

    Reply
  95. Tim Brown says

    November 14, 2021 at 1:41 pm

    Would this cause over filtering like Chaeto can?

    Reply
  96. Eric says

    November 14, 2021 at 2:37 pm

    Prefer to not use Macroalgae in some tanks. Will use this approach.

    Reply
  97. Ryan says

    November 14, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    Interesting!

    Reply
  98. Austin Metzger says

    November 15, 2021 at 6:21 am

    Helpful information!

    Reply
  99. Maria Lynn Slabonik says

    November 15, 2021 at 7:09 am

    Thanks for this information, may consider trying this in a refugium.

    Reply
  100. Matt Jennings says

    November 15, 2021 at 7:58 am

    Great Info!

    Reply
  101. Travis Phifer says

    November 15, 2021 at 9:02 am

    These blogs are great and very informative.

    Reply
  102. stephen doerr says

    November 15, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    Oh no chaeto sales will plummet! Nice information to know. Now you better stock up!

    Reply
  103. Peter Smith says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:04 pm

    Great article, might need to gets some ulva

    Reply
  104. Peter Smith says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    Great article, might need to gets some ulva

    Reply
  105. Emily Bell says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    Might give it a try!

    Reply
  106. Scott Lazzaro says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:09 pm

    Lettuce!

    Reply
  107. Seth Christopher says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    Well I’ll be

    Reply
  108. Dan Brands says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:21 pm

    I love the idea of using natural algae growth to reduce excessive nutrient buildup. I have used this method in my refugium for a few years now.

    Reply
  109. jeff.hershner says

    November 15, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    My AIO is only 28g, I don’t think I would be able to benefit from a refugium like some of the larger fuges provide.

    Reply
  110. James says

    November 15, 2021 at 4:51 pm

    Very interesting. Thank you.

    Reply
  111. James says

    November 15, 2021 at 4:51 pm

    Very interesting. Thank you.

    Reply
  112. James says

    November 15, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    Lots of great info

    Reply
  113. scotty8284 says

    November 15, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    My biggest problem are nutrients are too low! Would Brightwell’s Chaeto Grow also work for ulva?

    Reply
  114. Casey says

    November 15, 2021 at 6:08 pm

    My next tank will have a larger refugium where I can do stuff like this. I’ve even considered growing in the display in an acrylic cage so that as it grows out, fish eat it but not all the way down to nothing. It would have a filtration and an auto feeding effect.

    Reply
  115. Ellen Imbrie says

    November 15, 2021 at 6:50 pm

    New info for me. Thanks

    Reply
  116. Jessica Murray says

    November 15, 2021 at 8:33 pm

    I’ve had a hard time getting this to grow in my 29 gal biocube. I think it needs better lighting and more flow. :-/

    Reply
  117. hayhayharper56 says

    November 15, 2021 at 8:36 pm

    Great article!

    Reply
  118. Bob Trimper says

    November 16, 2021 at 4:23 am

    good stuff

    Reply
  119. bezag says

    November 16, 2021 at 6:08 am

    Thanks for the post.

    Reply
  120. TJ Lewis says

    November 16, 2021 at 7:32 am

    I will have to get some!

    Reply
  121. Rebecca Whitley says

    November 16, 2021 at 11:38 am

    thanks for sharing this info! I wasnt aware of this post and will look forward looking through more!

    Reply
  122. Dustin Ward says

    November 16, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    Anyone know if ulva can be used in the tunze algae reactor

    Reply
  123. greystoke420 says

    November 16, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    I would love a new tank

    Reply
  124. Sydney Monroe says

    November 16, 2021 at 3:16 pm

    As always excellent information.

    Reply
  125. Joe says

    November 16, 2021 at 7:24 pm

    Purchased some from you guys, loving it!

    Reply
  126. Michael Vargas says

    November 16, 2021 at 8:29 pm

    All fun and games until the ulva takes over ?

    Reply
  127. Devon Maynard says

    November 17, 2021 at 4:19 am

    Didn’t know this about it thanks for the info.

    Reply
  128. Mike says

    November 17, 2021 at 3:27 pm

    Ulva, dragons breath and mangroves are my exporters, great stuff to recycle to your tangs

    Reply
  129. Tony Garcia says

    November 17, 2021 at 8:55 pm

    Great info and food for the fishies.

    Reply
  130. Alex Merida says

    November 17, 2021 at 10:49 pm

    I will definitely get me some of this

    Reply
  131. Joey Gatlin says

    November 18, 2021 at 8:03 pm

    Great in sumps

    Reply
  132. vbukhta says

    November 19, 2021 at 9:44 am

    will have to try this

    Reply
  133. vbukhta says

    November 19, 2021 at 9:44 am

    will have to try this

    Reply
  134. Frank Fodera says

    November 19, 2021 at 10:45 am

    Ive had cheto crash…. not something you want to deal with. If Ulva is less likely to crash, its a win

    Reply
  135. Tiffany Hook says

    November 19, 2021 at 12:24 pm

    What great I fo thanks for sharing saving this !

    Reply
  136. Pepper Darlington says

    November 20, 2021 at 6:33 am

    I got some once and it died off quickly. Might have been the light, I do need brighter.

    Reply
  137. Audrey says

    November 20, 2021 at 11:36 am

    I ordered some to try in my chaeto reactor

    Reply
  138. Audrey says

    November 20, 2021 at 11:36 am

    I ordered some to try in my chaeto reactor

    Reply
  139. MATTHEW WYATT says

    November 20, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    Ulva worked wonders in my fuge.

    Reply
  140. nicole morrison says

    November 21, 2021 at 10:23 am

    Nice info

    Reply
  141. mattsingledad says

    November 21, 2021 at 6:33 pm

    Just when you think you are done learning. Thank you for the information and taking the time to educate people

    Reply
  142. Matt says

    November 22, 2021 at 7:27 am

    Sweet! Goodbye Chaeto!

    Reply
  143. Zach Hall says

    November 22, 2021 at 8:18 am

    Ill have try these some day

    Reply
  144. Heath Hester says

    November 22, 2021 at 4:24 pm

    Very interesting

    Reply
  145. Colby Bullock says

    November 22, 2021 at 5:44 pm

    Interesting stuff right there!

    Reply
  146. Deva says

    November 22, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    sea lettuce for the win!

    Reply
  147. Maggie Dahl says

    November 22, 2021 at 7:45 pm

    What a great use of natural elements for nutrient export.

    Reply
  148. Edward says

    November 23, 2021 at 12:17 am

    Good luck everyone

    Reply
  149. Edward says

    November 23, 2021 at 12:18 am

    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  150. Charles Keri says

    November 23, 2021 at 5:16 am

    Nice!

    Reply
  151. Martin Strait says

    November 23, 2021 at 7:05 am

    Nice alternative to chaeto

    Reply
  152. Shawn Cypher says

    November 23, 2021 at 9:27 am

    Kk

    Reply
  153. Nora Castillo says

    November 23, 2021 at 2:51 pm

    I’ve always used chaeto

    Reply
  154. SHARON JAMES says

    November 23, 2021 at 11:10 pm

    Ours will be awesome.

    Reply
  155. finnianzsheehan says

    November 25, 2021 at 10:43 am

    My sea lettuce got eaten by something in my sump

    Reply
  156. Mindy Nasi says

    November 25, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    Very informative. I didn’t not know alot of this.

    Reply
  157. Tom Harbin says

    November 26, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    I used Ulva in aquaria for decades but never tried it in a fuge. Next time I set one up I’ll try the Ulva for sure. Great article.

    Reply
  158. Jason Nalley says

    November 26, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    Don’t have a refugium (yet) so adding Ogo to the Display is a better option for me.

    Reply
  159. Griffin A says

    November 27, 2021 at 8:29 am

    alt chaeto?

    Reply
  160. Greg says

    November 27, 2021 at 10:29 am

    Good Read

    Reply
  161. Stephen killam says

    November 27, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    I’m gonna have to try this. Using sea lettuce never even crossed my mind.

    Reply
  162. Logan Miller says

    November 27, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    Never used it, curious to try

    Reply
  163. adam.sorrell740 says

    November 29, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    Great info…thank you!

    Reply
  164. mrandyoconnor says

    November 29, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    Good alternative to chaeto

    Reply
  165. justan jenkins says

    November 30, 2021 at 12:59 pm

    never used it myself or thought about it, but if i ever win a tank ill have to give it a try.

    Reply
  166. John Bowman says

    November 30, 2021 at 3:14 pm

    Good info

    Reply
  167. Blade Luman says

    November 30, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    True

    Reply
  168. Joshua Douglas says

    December 1, 2021 at 5:02 am

    Should be called how to grow free food your your tangs

    Reply
  169. Robert Paterson says

    December 1, 2021 at 8:29 pm

    Not only effective, Ulva is pretty.

    Reply
  170. Larry Brazzell says

    December 2, 2021 at 9:47 am

    Looks legit to me

    Reply
  171. Edgar Diaz says

    December 3, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    That sea lettuce is awesome, can’t wait to get my refugium stuff so I can add it!

    Reply
  172. Kendra says

    December 5, 2021 at 9:15 pm

    Great information thank you

    Reply
  173. Kendra says

    December 5, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    Good info thanks

    Reply
  174. Kyle Santo says

    December 5, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    Might have to try this

    Reply
  175. Kendra says

    December 5, 2021 at 9:22 pm

    Great information thank you ?

    Reply
  176. Storm Elizabeth says

    December 6, 2021 at 12:19 am

    I can’t wait to set up my fuge!

    Reply
  177. Rafael says

    December 6, 2021 at 2:07 am

    For some weird reason, this algae died everytime i tryed to put in a refugium. Maybe when i get a tank again i will give it a try.

    Reply
  178. Kim Eberhart says

    December 6, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    Hmmmm. Perhaps I’ll try this with my chaeto. I always thought most other macros could cause problems so I haven’t tried anything else.

    Reply
  179. Juliana says

    December 6, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    Beautiful algae!!

    Reply
  180. Tony Mutti says

    December 7, 2021 at 7:09 am

    eh. I have no luck keeping it.

    Reply
  181. Tony Mutti says

    December 7, 2021 at 7:09 am

    I can’t keep it. Doesn’t grow.

    Reply
  182. Chris Lee says

    December 7, 2021 at 8:30 am

    Good info. Thanks

    Reply
  183. E says

    December 7, 2021 at 9:34 am

    Thanks

    Reply
  184. George S says

    December 7, 2021 at 3:14 pm

    I Used ULVA in my sump it wound up in my main display. Now i leave it in my main display it grows on the rocks and if it winds up growing in places i dont want it or if i have to much i just pull it its easy i love it. and looks great. Non of my algae grazers seem to eat it so its able to do its job reducing nutrients.

    Reply
  185. Jahr says

    December 7, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    Send me some NOW!!

    Reply
  186. Jahr Turchan says

    December 7, 2021 at 4:29 pm

    Definitely going to try this! Send it to me NOW!!

    Reply
  187. Gabriel W says

    December 8, 2021 at 8:50 am

    I want to start growing some of this in my tank. Will help with the nutrient export for sure

    Reply
  188. Deej says

    December 8, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    Going to give this a shot. Haven’t had much luck with chaeto.

    Reply
  189. Deej says

    December 8, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    Going to give this a shot. Haven’t had much luck with chaeto.

    Reply
  190. Paul Winchester says

    December 8, 2021 at 10:29 pm

    Thank you for the valuable information and options for nutrient control.

    Reply
  191. wymankmckinley says

    December 10, 2021 at 6:48 am

    great stuff

    Reply
  192. Noah Ford says

    December 10, 2021 at 10:44 pm

    Coool

    Reply
  193. Stewart Sbordone says

    December 13, 2021 at 10:03 am

    Ulva got into my display tank, hated it at first but now I love it. Looks really cool and takes nitrates and phosphates faster than anything I’ve ever seen. No issue if you accidentally overfeed, or just like to feed a lot to give all livestock plenty of food.

    Reply
  194. Jason Stuhmer says

    December 13, 2021 at 4:08 pm

    Awesome!

    Reply
  195. Nancy says

    December 13, 2021 at 8:23 pm

    Helpful

    Reply
  196. Tanya Hayward says

    December 14, 2021 at 8:18 am

    Good article

    Reply
  197. heffeweissen says

    December 14, 2021 at 8:35 am

    I can’t get Cheato to grow in my refugium but the Ulva thrives!

    Reply
  198. Charles Folstrom says

    December 14, 2021 at 2:32 pm

    Good information thank you.

    Reply
  199. Damian Thompson says

    December 15, 2021 at 8:00 am

    Good info

    Reply
  200. Troy Feeken says

    December 15, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    +1

    Reply
  201. jr kiatvorakun says

    December 16, 2021 at 12:08 am

    Good read

    Reply
  202. Joshua says

    December 16, 2021 at 4:49 pm

    Going to try this in my refuge so it can also be a snack for the tangs.

    Reply
  203. Joshua Dugger says

    December 16, 2021 at 4:50 pm

    Great info.

    Reply
  204. Boy On The Shore says

    December 17, 2021 at 1:53 am

    He have some cool algae in Hawaii

    Reply
  205. Ashley Bridges says

    December 17, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    I’m gonna have to try this

    Reply
  206. Ashley Bridges says

    December 17, 2021 at 6:54 pm

    I need to try this!

    Reply
  207. Ashley Bridges says

    December 17, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    Hopefully this can help my tank

    Reply
  208. Ashley Bridges says

    December 17, 2021 at 6:59 pm

    Gonna try this. Hopefully it helps my tank.

    Reply
  209. Jose says

    December 18, 2021 at 6:29 am

    Excellent article
    I’ve always used chaeto but have wanted to try different macro algaes. I love the look of a display refugium full of different algaes.

    Reply
  210. Kurt says

    December 19, 2021 at 7:54 am

    Love sea lettuce

    Reply
  211. Scott Lazzaro says

    December 20, 2021 at 3:09 pm

    Sea salad

    Reply
  212. Scott Wayne Christenson says

    December 20, 2021 at 4:28 pm

    Very good information thank you all

    Reply
  213. Mike Wakeen says

    December 21, 2021 at 6:45 am

    Awesome

    Reply
  214. Alice Peach says

    December 21, 2021 at 7:26 am

    Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  215. bhebbler says

    December 21, 2021 at 10:01 am

    Havent tried it yet

    Reply
  216. Jahr Turchan says

    December 21, 2021 at 10:35 am

    Looks delicious!! LOL

    Reply
  217. Shawn Cypher says

    December 21, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    Hi

    Reply
  218. Shawn Cypher says

    December 21, 2021 at 12:18 pm

    Yay

    Reply
  219. Christine says

    December 21, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    Macro algae saved my tank

    Reply
  220. Eric Mamola says

    December 21, 2021 at 6:17 pm

    Need to get some

    Reply
  221. Eric says

    December 22, 2021 at 9:36 pm

    Nice

    Reply
  222. RowenH says

    December 24, 2021 at 9:56 am

    Thanks for the info on this strain of algae. I haven’t tried it before, but did run chaetomorpha in my systems with good results. Use to cull it every 3 weeks since they grow as they consume nutrients out of the system.

    Reply
  223. RowenH says

    December 24, 2021 at 9:58 am

    Great info on this strain of algae. I haven’t tried it before, but did run chaetomorpha in my systems with good results. Use to cull it every 3 weeks since they grow as they consume nutrients out of the system.

    Reply
  224. Martin Robinson says

    December 27, 2021 at 2:12 pm

    Great company

    Reply
  225. jason bohr says

    December 27, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    ulva grows so fast and my urchin loves it.

    Reply
  226. Amanda Kuchyt says

    December 27, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    ??

    Reply
  227. Matt says

    December 28, 2021 at 9:59 am

    Definitely considering it.

    Reply
  228. Jerome Morignot says

    December 29, 2021 at 1:15 am

    Just received mine 🙂

    Reply
  229. Jason Williams says

    December 29, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    Used Chaetomorpha in my 275 gallon system and it was wonderful at keep unwanted algae away. Will definitely give Ulva a try next time.

    Reply
  230. Chris Crisostomo says

    December 30, 2021 at 9:23 am

    Always preferred Ulva over chaeto

    Reply
  231. Tian Sorg says

    December 30, 2021 at 4:06 pm

    Awesome information! Thank you!

    Reply
  232. Matt mims says

    December 31, 2021 at 9:11 pm

    Thanks for the info

    Reply

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