Ogo is Ooh So Good

Nutramar Ogo is likely the best algae product you can feed your marine herbivores and omnivores. The only possible better way is to culture Gracilaria algae yourself and feed it live! Perhaps we should back up a little bit. Why do you need to feed algae? Lots of marine fish have macro algae as an important, or even primary component of their diet. Even if you're feeding these fish an excellent algae-based food like Nutramar's Algae and Color Boost Pellets and Shots, your herbivores are going to need the roughage supplied by real, whole algae in order to process those nutrients effectively and keep their digestive tracts healthy.

Fish like Algae / Lawnmower Blennies, most of the popular Tangs / Surgeonfish, the very appropriately named Rabbitfish and even a lot of Marine Angels all need bulk algae in their diet. Many other popular aquarium fish will also happily take down little chunks of algae if offered the opportunity! If your local LFS doesn't have a supply of live algae, which is almost always only seasonally available, Nutramar Ogo is your best bet.

In some ways, Ogo is superior to live algae. It is pure freeze-dried Gracilaria. This means you are guaranteed not to introduce unwanted pests, fungi and bacteria to your system when using it. As Nutramar Ogo is freeze dried, it retains the nutrition and salt content that it had the moment it was processed. Often “fresh” Gracilaria is shipped damp to keep it alive, and every day it goes in transport, it loses a bit of the nutrition it once had. It's like the difference between getting lettuce out of your garden and getting lettuce from a grocery chain. They’re both good for you, but one of them is great for you. Nutramar Ogo is the closest you can get to grabbing your Gracilaria out of the ocean and feeding it, without any of the risk of contamination in your tank.  In fact, a lot of the aquarists here in house feed it in their own tanks instead of live algae! Herbivore and omnivore fish that are regularly fed Ogo have been shown to be healthier, more colorful and more active.

Feeding Ogo is really easy. You just take out as much as you want to feed and re-hydrate it in aquarium water, this takes between 10 and 20 minutes. You'll know when it's ready as it will feel soft and full. It does not need to be soaked in any vitamin or amino acid supplements. After hydration, the Ogo will be nearly ten times its dry weight and will look just like it does in the wild and your fish will accept it just as eagerly. Attach it to a clip in the aquarium so your fishy friends can more easily tear into it!

Nutramar Ogo is so well accepted that if there is any left over after feeding, your fish are full; remove any uneaten product and reduce the amount that you feed next time. Difficult to feed fish like many Butterflies Angels and some Tangs are easier to keep and feed when Gracilaria is a part of their feeding regimen. Ogo is a great base for a natural diet, as it is filled with amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C, zinc and a bunch of other essential vitamins and minerals.

Nutramar Ogo Gracilaria might well be the best algae commercially available for marine aquariums. It is cultured, freeze-dried and packaged in the USA. It's excellent quality control throughout the culturing process guarantees optimal composition and eliminates any pathogen and other contamination concerns often associated with imported foods. It is 100% Gracilaria algae, with no added dyes, ingredients or preservatives.

Once upon a time, it was common practice to feed things like spinach and lettuce to your marine herbivores. These are nutritionally poor for marine fish because of their inability to digest these terrestrial greens. Now that a quality, freeze dried product is available year-round, there is no need to ever use these less effective foods, and your fish will never need to go without a superior diet choice. It comes in ¼ ounce, resealable packages, and each of these will re-hydrate into two and half ounces of feedable product.

Right now, some of you are saying, hold up, what about Nori? This isn't a bash on Nori, which is a great product too, and Nutramar also offers a very high quality, pathogen free, and durable Nori. In an ideal world, you'd be using both in your aquarium and changing them up occasionally. They're both nutritious, and they're both incredibly long lasting as long as they stay dry.

The Nutramar Nori is fed in the same way, just rehydrate in aquarium water and attach to a clip. It will hydrate much more quickly than the Ogo. It is also well accepted, enticing, nutritious and easy to feed. Nori is often soaked in supplements, though this is of dubious usefulness. It is better to just use it as it is.

Regardless of the algae you feed your fish, you should also offer them a high-quality pellet or shot as well, and for herbivores and omnivores, there is no better choice than the Nutramar Algae and Color Boost formula. We use and trust both the Ogo and the Nori from Nutramar here at QM. They are proven both for their safety in our system and for their nutrition. If we trust it, you should too! If you have fish that need algae in their diet, head to your LFS and ask them to get you ONLY Nutramar Ogo and Nori. You'll never look back and your fish will never be happier.