Caulerpa

[bergshawn]

Anyone have experience growing Caulerpa MacroAlgae in your display tank? Do not want to get a refugium and would like to put a small amount in my display tank.
I have read that some of the Caulerpa goes sexual very easily which will cause it to (not sure) dump toxins in the water or start growing uncontrollably. I would like to know what Caulerpa is easy to maintain without any fish that will be grazing on it. Do not want anything that will have the possibility of getting out of control.
I am interested in getting it to help naturally remove nitrates from the water as well as to look a little more like a real reef.
Thanks...

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by bergshawn
Anyone have experience growing Caulerpa MacroAlgae in your display tank? Do not want to get a refugium and would like to put a small amount in my display tank.
I have read that some of the Caulerpa goes sexual very easily which will cause it to (not sure) dump toxins in the water or start growing uncontrollably. I would like to know what Caulerpa is easy to maintain without any fish that will be grazing on it. Do not want anything that will have the possibility of getting out of control.
I am interested in getting it to help naturally remove nitrates from the water as well as to look a little more like a real reef.
Thanks...
I am growing caulpera (and other macro algae) in my 55g display tank. Your concerns appear to be well founded but not what I have personnally experienced. My only problem is that my tang and cleaner crew eat the caulpera before it can grow much.
I highly encourage you to grow macro algae or marine plants to provide a balanced stable environemnt in your tank. What I do is culture the macro algae in a seperate tank and transfer a handful to the display tank each week. The culture tank has had 0.0 nitrates after about 3 weeks after setup. That was an accomplishment as a fish was in the tank dead for three days before adding the algae. Needless to say ammonia and nitrates were off the scale.
I may even swap water between the two tanks each week. kinda a manual refugium.
And besides, I am an old planted tank freek and like the plants in the display tank.
none of this is original see: www.wetwebmedia.com/greenalg.htm

 

[kinkfish]

how do you get it to grow in your main tank ?

 

[marvida]

I have some razor type in my tanks & the only problem I have had was keeping it under control.
Ken

 

[legion]

Same here. The first razor I bought got eaten by my sally. So, I bought two more rocks with razor on it and I have to cut it back almost daily. It grows just fine under my 130watts. It gets no special care from me(They may like to have some light other than actinic)
Thought about getting some grape, less of a pain to control or not?

 

[squidd]

I have Caulpera in my tanks, both the 125 fowlr and the 20 sw hotel.
I put it in about 8 months ago (a big handful about the size of a packed sandwich bag) That I got fom my LFS. He just gave it away, pulled it out of his BIG refuge.
Kind of a wavey leaf, not sure exactly what its called.But its been holding its own with a couple of Tangs and Angels nibbling on it. Not taking over, not being mowed down.
When it gets a litle low I add seaweed sheets to "distract" the fish and give it time to recover.
My nitrates are down from the 20-40 range to less than 5 consistently. Means I have to change out the water less often
I believe the Caulpera plays a big part in this!!
I've heard about the stuff "sexualy blooming" and turning the water green, but i haven't experenced it.
My next tank a 350 will have a sump/refuge and I'll try growing it there, but I do like seeing it "flowing" in the main tank too!!

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by kinkfish
how do you get it to grow in your main tank ?

I just put it in there.
Squidd: nice to know someone else like the flowing plants in their tanks. sounds like you are at where I am trying to get too. My nitrates are still 40 ppm or higher. But trending down.