Has anyone gone sexual??

[rick58]

Just wondering if anyone has had their macro algae go sexual on them? I'm looking for personal experience - not hearsay. If so, please list the type of algae and the affect it had on your system. If not (and you have macro algae) list the type and how long you've had it.
I'm just trying to get a feel for the risks associated with algaes going sexual. I've had razor caulerpa in my refugium for about 2 years with no 'sexual misconduct'.

 

[rick58]

Just saw it's my hundreth post - is there a prize for taking the longest time to get to one hundred??:jumping:

 

[toddpolish]

wow...almost 2 yrs for 100 posts. that's gotta be a record

 

[reef fool]

I have had that occur with grape colerpa so I rid my fuge of it totally! I now have 2 types of mexicana, chatemorpha(green brillo look), grass blade colerpa, and red bubble colerpa. They have been in this particular fuge for about 10 months now without a single problem. Except that they grow fast! I have a few other kinds in small quanities, but the ones I have mentioned seem to grow the best.

 

[beaslbob]

I had a feather caulpera which arrived basically dead. Really created a mess in my culture tank. So that could have gone sexual but it looked really bad when i got it. I have received other caulperas that were dead but that one was really bad.
my caulpera prolifera( sp) just doesn't quit. Have had it for a year now. Just keeps on going and going and going.

 

[elguapo]

when they go sexual is it the macros trying to reproduce? Im guessing they release something into the water to do this?
-gabe

 

[dburr]

Huh, I thought that was a personal question.:nervous:
But now that you cleared that up in the post, YES I HAVE.
One day my tank looked a little green. Went to my refuge and what do I see. White macro.:notsure: I shut the pump off, pull out 95% of the grape that was turning, (I have 3 kinds of macro)and threw in some carbon and did a 20 gallon change. No harm done. I think I caught it just in time.
BTW, Razor does not go sexual, so your safe.
Dan

 

[rwhite]

Can anyone describe the razor sp? or post a pic? Not sure if we've seen that type.
So when caulerpa go sexual, they start to lose color and this is a bad thing. Cause I just pulled out an almost clear strand of grape the other day. Are there any other indications?

 

[rick58]

dburr - thanks for the confirmation on the razor caulerpa. I was pretty sure it was a type that didn't 'go sexual' when I added it, but not positive.
I am still curious about the other types - so far we have 2 folks having had caulerpa go sexual, both grape.

 

[inigomontoya]

I go through lots of calupera that my Lemonpeel Angel eats. I dont have a refugium so I just put what my LFS gives me directly in my tank. I was worried once becuase I noticed lots of clear, mushy leaves when I received one batch, but at the time I had no idea that was bad and my lemonpeel actually ate it ALL. He didnt care whether it was green, clear, red.. whatever! Anyway, maybe the more herbivore-type fish species will get to plants before they go sexual... ?

 

[rick58]

It appears that either very few folks have macro algae in their tank/refugium or that it is unlikely to go sexual unless it is grape caulerpa. (Assuming this is a valid random sample)

 

[brock]

I have had halameda aka money plant, sea cactus go sexual on me. the left side died off, and at the time I didn't know what going sexual ment so I did nothing, I also had a part o fmy calerpa go sexual on me, I dont know what kind it is it looks like long ferns. AND I killed a bunch of sea letus. I haven't had much luck, I have a lot left but I have lost about a third. I jsut dont' know when to harvest. or do you wait untill it goes clear to do it?:notsure:

 

[dburr]

You should harvest every three weeks or less. It goes when it all gets bunched up in the tank. It think (if it does think:notsure: ) that it's to confind and needs to move onto better waters, sort of speak. Where it less dense, to keep on living. It turns white then mush. All the spores move on to find a new spot.
I have had halameda aka money plant, sea cactus go sexual on me.
I would bet your calcium was depleted and this turned to sand.
I am still curious about the other types - so far we have 2 folks having had caulerpa go sexual, both grape.
I have also caught my teacup starting to turn. I guess i'm sometimes lazy. I now keep up even if it doesn't need to be cut.

 

[pyro]

Well, first off, how is everybody doing? It's been a while - busy.
Anywho, sorry for bringing up an old post, but I'm curious about this "fern" algae mentioned. I have had one rock (just one large rock) on the bottom of my tank that has a massive hair algae problem that won't go away - tried new lights (2 X 96W PC at 8-9h a day), no readable PO4's or anything, have a phosphate reactor on the tank, fuge stocked with macros (only one of which I bought, somehow ended up with about 3 different kinds), and adding flow to the area. Well, I don't know if the hair algae is receding or not, but there are strange plastic looking long thin fern type things growing out of the rock pretty quickly. Any information on it? I'll take a picture and post it when i get the chance.
Thanks!