Marine
macro algae and sea grasses have had a long history of importance
throughout the world, with their use dating back to ancient times.
Today, many varieties have important economic and commercial
value. Marine algae
is used in thousands of products including fertilizer,
bio-fuel, ice
cream and even cosmetics. In several cultures it is highly prized as
a food item and is a major part of some island diets. Its
appearance in the aquarium industry began sometime in the late 1970’s, with several species
of Caulerpa used mainly as tank
decorations.
With the many innovations over
the past several decades in marine reef keeping, marine plants
have increased in popularity among saltwater aquarists and large
scale commercial aquariums. Today,
many in the aquarium industry favor a more natural approach to
marine aquarium keeping.
Marine plants not only improve the health
of fish and corals in captive systems, but are nature’s nutrient
consumers, effectively removing nitrates and phosphates to nearly
undetectable levels. Another benefit is the food value of many
species of macro algae. In their natural environment, fish and
invertebrates feed continuously during the day, consuming
large amounts of micro and macro algae.
A
fairly new trend in the marine aquarium hobby is creating macro
algae and sea grass dominated
aquariums. These systems are quickly
gaining popularity as a change from the normal "reef"
setup. They are very popular with marine aquarists that are
interested in keeping peaceful fish and invertebrates, such as
seahorses, pipefish and dragonets. Just like a freshwater planted aquarium, there's something
alluring and fascinating about the sheltered lagoon habitat where
marine plants play host to juvenile fish and
invertebrates. The world’s oceans are filled with a fascinating
array of marine plants, some so striking and beautiful they often
look like creatures from another world. As the marine aquarium
hobby progresses, many more of these species should become
available for the aquarist to observe and enjoy in the home
aquarium.
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