Why?

THEUNION1 · 02/17/2018, 07:30 AM

Why is it so hard to find macro algae for sale in pieces bigger than a 1" frag?

Even 10 years ago it seemed so easy to acquire bushels of it, but now days you spend $20 on a 1" frag that would take years to grow into a large bushel (depending on strain).

Does anyone know where you can acquire display quality LARGE pieces?

Michael Hoaster · 02/17/2018, 09:57 AM

I've been asking the same question. I emailed a popular vender about a plant, and he said it would be awhile until the water is warmer. So, apparently, they don't collect in the winter. I surfed year round, living in North Florida. It's called a wetsuit people! And they're in South Florida!

It's also apparent they don't keep enough stock to grow and maintain inventory when they aren't collecting. I will say that Gulf Coast Ecosystems gives you huge portions. I'd be willing to get half what they give you, if they could maintain inventory year round.

It seems these businesses are very small. It would be nice if someone got a bigger enterprise going, that wasn't out of stock all the time.

We need some kind of collective, where we could send our exported plants in, to maintain a collective inventory. That would be sweet…

THEUNION1 · 02/17/2018, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

I've been asking the same question. I emailed a popular vender about a plant, and he said it would be awhile until the water is warmer. So, apparently, they don't collect in the winter. I surfed year round, living in North Florida. It's called a wetsuit people! And they're in South Florida!

It's also apparent they don't keep enough stock to grow and maintain inventory when they aren't collecting. I will say that Gulf Coast Ecosystems gives you huge portions. I'd be willing to get half what they give you, if they could maintain inventory year round.

It seems these businesses are very small. It would be nice if someone got a bigger enterprise going, that wasn't out of stock all the time.

We need some kind of collective, where we could send our exported plants in, to maintain a collective inventory. That would be sweet…

Thats would be amazing.

THEUNION1 · 02/17/2018, 03:09 PM

I'll may be relocating to Colorado next year. Maybe we can get a farm going. Haha

Michael Hoaster · 02/17/2018, 11:36 PM

Colorado is a nice, central location, for shipping…

Subsea · 02/20/2018, 06:51 AM

You are going to have to compete with me in Austin. Come by and we can eat Red Ogo chevichee and talk about the co-op. I also know someone in Dallas with a greenhouse that would join a seaweed coop.

THEUNION1 · 02/20/2018, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subsea

You are going to have to compete with me in Austin. Come by and we can eat Red Ogo chevichee and talk about the co-op. I also know someone in Dallas with a greenhouse that would join a seaweed coop.

I’m pipe dreaming.

Subsea · 02/20/2018, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THEUNION1

I’m pipe dreaming.

No worries. It depends on what’s in the pipe!

SaltySully · 02/21/2018, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

I've been asking the same question. I emailed a popular vender about a plant, and he said it would be awhile until the water is warmer. So, apparently, they don't collect in the winter. I surfed year round, living in North Florida. It's called a wetsuit people! And they're in South Florida!

It's also apparent they don't keep enough stock to grow and maintain inventory when they aren't collecting. I will say that Gulf Coast Ecosystems gives you huge portions. I'd be willing to get half what they give you, if they could maintain inventory year round.

It seems these businesses are very small. It would be nice if someone got a bigger enterprise going, that wasn't out of stock all the time.

We need some kind of collective, where we could send our exported plants in, to maintain a collective inventory. That would be sweet…

Water temp has nothing to do with the divers not collecting as much in the winter, it is the bad weather and poor visibility.

Most of the macro algaes dont grow in the winter time down here, they grow all spring and summer and the fall and winter storms wash it away.

Rooted grasses and calcified plants grow all year, but not many wholesalers buy them because plants are not worth the space they take up, corals and invertebrates are worth many times as much per square foot compared to macros. As the popularity of planted saltwater tanks grow, the demand will increase, and so will supply.

Yes, many of the places that sell plants and macro algae are small, quite a few are the collectors themselves.

There also was a HUGE hurricane last year that destroyed 90% of the lower Florida Keys tropical fishermens facilities. Mine was washed away, and I am just now finding a suitable new location 5+ months after the storm. I went from having over 4000 gallons of holding tanks down to less than 300 gallons, a 90%+ reduction in holding. The storm also washed away or killed off many places that the macros grew in good concentrations.

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Michael Hoaster · 02/21/2018, 09:19 AM

Thanks, SaltySully for the clarification.

I had no idea macros were so seasonal. Also I'm sorry to hear of your loss to the hurricane. You brought up another good point about wholesalers' space I hadn't thought of as well.

I guess we'll have to wait until marine plant keeping gets more popular and drives up demand. Maybe we'll get a year or two without a hurricane as well.

SaltySully · 02/21/2018, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Thanks, SaltySully for the clarification.

I had no idea macros were so seasonal. Also I'm sorry to hear of your loss to the hurricane. You brought up another good point about wholesalers' space I hadn't thought of as well.

I guess we'll have to wait until marine plant keeping gets more popular and drives up demand. Maybe we'll get a year or two without a hurricane as well.

No problem, I never noticed they were seasonal untill I started looking for them.

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JZinCO · 03/16/2018, 07:31 AM

Definitely seasonal. While GCE is hands down the best, I just received an order two days ago. Also anything GCE aquacultures is going to be smaller than wild-collected macros (though they are upfront about this and set up expectations). After futzing around with many dealers, they are the only vendor I will trust for macros or gorgs.

Newms118 · 04/03/2018, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JZinCO

Definitely seasonal. While GCE is hands down the best, I just received an order two days ago. Also anything GCE aquacultures is going to be smaller than wild-collected macros (though they are upfront about this and set up expectations). After futzing around with many dealers, they are the only vendor I will trust for macros or gorgs.

Yep. I got some of the aqua cultured blue algae and its was about a 1.5 x 1.5 inch square that has sense died off bc of who knows what. I emailed GCE about it and he said that they didnt have much luck growing this with LED and have to use metal halide at like 500 watts or something.

GCE is seriously the best to buy from. Biggest issue is getting the algae in the two days its shipped. Each time Ive ordered, Fedex has taking their sweet *** time to get to my apt. Last order took a full 5 days to get here, even though my package was in the city. And i requested it to be brought to a fedex store to hold so i could just pick it up myself. I have a feeling this ended up killing my ricordia and halimeda plant that I ordered. The ricordia melted in a day after putting it in my tank and not under burning light, and the halide plant has slowly turned white and died off.

02/17/2018, 07:30 AM	#1
THEUNION1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ORANGE COUNTY, CA Posts: 928	Why? Why is it so hard to find macro algae for sale in pieces bigger than a 1" frag? Even 10 years ago it seemed so easy to acquire bushels of it, but now days you spend $20 on a 1" frag that would take years to grow into a large bushel (depending on strain). Does anyone know where you can acquire display quality LARGE pieces?

02/17/2018, 09:57 AM	#2
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	I've been asking the same question. I emailed a popular vender about a plant, and he said it would be awhile until the water is warmer. So, apparently, they don't collect in the winter. I surfed year round, living in North Florida. It's called a wetsuit people! And they're in South Florida! It's also apparent they don't keep enough stock to grow and maintain inventory when they aren't collecting. I will say that Gulf Coast Ecosystems gives you huge portions. I'd be willing to get half what they give you, if they could maintain inventory year round. It seems these businesses are very small. It would be nice if someone got a bigger enterprise going, that wasn't out of stock all the time. We need some kind of collective, where we could send our exported plants in, to maintain a collective inventory. That would be sweet… __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

02/17/2018, 11:36 PM	#5
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Colorado is a nice, central location, for shipping… __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

02/20/2018, 06:51 AM	#6
Subsea Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 1,882	You are going to have to compete with me in Austin. Come by and we can eat Red Ogo chevichee and talk about the co-op. I also know someone in Dallas with a greenhouse that would join a seaweed coop. __________________ Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout

02/21/2018, 09:19 AM	#10
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Thanks, SaltySully for the clarification. I had no idea macros were so seasonal. Also I'm sorry to hear of your loss to the hurricane. You brought up another good point about wholesalers' space I hadn't thought of as well. I guess we'll have to wait until marine plant keeping gets more popular and drives up demand. Maybe we'll get a year or two without a hurricane as well. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

02/17/2018, 03:09 PM	#4
THEUNION1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ORANGE COUNTY, CA Posts: 928	I'll may be relocating to Colorado next year. Maybe we can get a farm going. Haha

03/16/2018, 07:31 AM	#12
JZinCO Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: northern CO Posts: 502	Definitely seasonal. While GCE is hands down the best, I just received an order two days ago. Also anything GCE aquacultures is going to be smaller than wild-collected macros (though they are upfront about this and set up expectations). After futzing around with many dealers, they are the only vendor I will trust for macros or gorgs.