keith gray
Member
Chaeto vs Caluerpa ?
What is everyone's preference. Plus's and minuses' of each ?
Can you use both in same sump ?
What is everyone's preference. Plus's and minuses' of each ?
Can you use both in same sump ?
opinions on macroalgae
- Thread starter keith gray
- Start date
cranberry
Active Member
Yes, you can use both in the sump. Some species of caulerpa are invasive... that would be the bad side. If you keep it in your DT, and don't manage it properly, it can cover everything and be difficult to remove. Besides liking the look of them, their fast growing nature allows them to utilize the nitrates and ammonia that a tank produces quickly. I have no doubt it helps keep my parameters in check.
I also use cheato, as I like to use a bunch of different macros. They don't remove the same amount of organics, they certainly aren't attractive and they throw fragments off everywhere in your tank. But they are very hardy, easy to find and are noninvasive,
I also use cheato, as I like to use a bunch of different macros. They don't remove the same amount of organics, they certainly aren't attractive and they throw fragments off everywhere in your tank. But they are very hardy, easy to find and are noninvasive,
keith gray
Member
Do you periodically remove some of the caulerpa to rid nitrates as you do chaeto ?
cranberry
Active Member
Most definitely, you have to or the macro with smother each other and outcompete each other "go sexual" as it has been coined. I really heavily on my macro in my FOWLR tanks. When I do a good pruning I'll get a light dusting of diatoms for a few days. That's because there is a reduced amount of macro in the tank removing nutrients.
But I use ALOT of macro, so I really can see these changes. If you have a little patch and prune a little bit here and there, you won't see this happening. But it does so the effectiveness of this stuff removing organics.
By a lot, I mean a lot
I don't recommend people do this without "learning" how to take care of it in small batches first. That could do some damage if it went off in the tank all at once. But over the years I've come to learn the signs and can prevent it from happening. You can also learn over time how to prune it without it getting into places you don't want it.
But I use ALOT of macro, so I really can see these changes. If you have a little patch and prune a little bit here and there, you won't see this happening. But it does so the effectiveness of this stuff removing organics.
By a lot, I mean a lot
I don't recommend people do this without "learning" how to take care of it in small batches first. That could do some damage if it went off in the tank all at once. But over the years I've come to learn the signs and can prevent it from happening. You can also learn over time how to prune it without it getting into places you don't want it.
keith gray
Member
Thanks for the info. I may try to add a handful of caluerpa to m ysump to join by chaeto .
PS: nice tank
PS: nice tank