Grow your Own: Tang Heaven Red™

[dastowers]

I am a huge lover of freshwater planted tanks. Have had at least one for over 20 years. Question is- would this work as they say? I have all the equipment but don't want to be suckered in if it won't grow.

http://www.ipsf.com/tangheaven.html

QUOTED FROM THE SITE:

7) OK, I'm ready to propagate my own Tang Heaven. What next?
The sky's the limit on what you can accomplish here. For starters, consider using a simple 10-20 gallon setup with either an undergravel filter or a hang-on unit. One to two low wattage fluorescent tubes will suffice, as long as you have moderate water movement from airstones or power heads. The seaweed should be kept in constant motion but should not be damaged by the water movement.

The "used" seawater from your main tank should be more than adequate for your Tang Heaven farm. In fact, these macroalgae species are excellent Nitrogen consumers and will help remove both ammonia and nitrate very efficiently wherever they live. They love high nutrient levels!

8) How fast does Tang Heaven grow?
At the IPSF farmsite in Kona, we routinely achieve a biomass increase of 400% per month in our Tang Heaven Red (Gracilaria sp) cultures, even under shade. This means, for example, that 10 pounds of starter culture on Day 1 will increase to 50 pounds of harvestable seaweed on Day 30 - a fourfold net increase!

In a home culture system, you can expect a 150% increase of your Tang Heaven biomass each month. For example, if you start with 3 pounds of Tang Heaven (the amount we supply in our Tang Heaven Commercial Pack), within a few weeks you should be able to harvest - on a sustainable basis - a pound per week of fresh, nutritious Tang food! This is enough to supply all the dietary needs of at least 6 medium sized tangs. ****END QUOTE



I have a White Cheek Tang and Yellow Tang in a 150 gallon tank. 6 foot long. They graze on algae and seaweed sheets. Surprisingly my discus love the Omega One Super Veggie sheets too. So, it would be nice to feed the Tangs a fresh diet of greens/reds. Anyone have any experience with these? I grow Chaeto in the sump but that is the extent of my SW horticulture training.

[worm5406]

Yes it will work. I got some tang heaven red from him and it was growing in my sump. I loved it. But alias I got rid of it because I could not control where it was going and blocking.

I have since fixed it. but the tangs ate the last of it.

I am going to order some more.

[dastowers]

Thank you! I can't wait to try it. Did you have it growing with your chaeto? Have a 20 gallon long I have placed under the other side of my stand - was going to do a stand alone refugium with. Have a large one now but it is in my sump- so this would really be a pod/seaweed farm. :-)

[worm5406]

The smell... Whoooaaa... That was a hard one too.