Sexual Caulerpa

[theappe]

What does it mean when caulerpa goes "sexual"??

 

[oreo12]

It turns white and goes to mush and will mess up your tank real fast.

 

[theappe]

Any warning as to when this will happen?

 

[fishgeek01]

bump i want to know as well any warning

 

[fishgeek01]

BUMP, any one know the warning signs of sexual caulerpa, before it turns white and poisins (sp) your tank

 

[robsw]

i was gonna ask the same question. Can you prevent it from going sexual, even tho im not really sure what that means, but i read somewhere that leaving fuge lights on 24/7 will prevent this but not sure if there is any truth to this.
Hope Someone answers this post with a detailed explanation.
Thanks
Rob

 

[oreo12]

what I have read is you want to keep it pruned and keeping the lights on will help. Don't know about the warning signs. I have it in a main tank and can't get read of it. I yank it out and it just grows back again. So I yank it out and feed it to my yellow tang.

 

[dirkdaplr]

In my experience it will start to fade in color before it turns white and no matter how long you leave your lights on it will happen if you do not carefully prune it. The problem exists when your aquarium grows this stuff to the point when the nutrients in the system can no longer support the growth of the calpera and in an attempt to move to a different more nutrient spot it melts down to "spread its seed".

 

[theappe]

Originally Posted by dirkdaplr
In my experience it will start to fade in color before it turns white and no matter how long you leave your lights on it will happen if you do not carefully prune it. The problem exists when your aquarium grows this stuff to the point when the nutrients in the system can no longer support the growth of the calpera and in an attempt to move to a different more nutrient spot it melts down to "spread its seed".
That makes a lot of sense. I also have the caulerpa growing in the main tank on some rock in the corner hidden. Mainly to help with nutrients. I prune it all the time. It grows like crazy. I'll make sure to keep an eye out to see if it starts turning white!

 

[reefrobert]

Why don't you put some Chaetomorpha marco algea is your refuge, it wont go sexual on you!

 

[theappe]

I dont have a fuge

 

[reefrobert]

I think they need a good flow rate on them. I was adding them to help pods and reduce nitrate and phosphate level in reef tank. I dont know if you can add them to a back corner in your tank, next to a power head for good flow, maybe.

 

[reefrobert]

I think you have to have a light on them, do a seach for them on this site.

 

[squidd]

I have been running Caulurpa for several years now...
While I don't recommend it for everybody (it has special needs) I have found it to be an effective "exporter" of malnutrients from my tank(s)...
Here's something from '04... https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...light=caulurpa
I have run it in several different scenario and layout, flow rates and lighting schedules
Most effective and least worrisome has been lighting 24/7 with 4+ watts gallon and medium slow flow (10x fuge size)
Other scenario have produced "sexual activity" but only a portion of "crop" fading or turning clear at any given time..I have never had a whole "batch" dump overnight or die out...(even during the "slime">dynoflagellate< episode I had) and do not believe it is as "unavoidable" as some would have you believe...Which isn't to say we haven't heard of Xenia crops or other scrubbers failing either...
I am still running clones (or subsequent generations) of the first "sprig or handful I started with...

 

[acrylic51]

Squidd then why the big turnoff of caulurpa then???? All you hear are the horror stories

 

[squidd]

Misinformation....

Or most likely lack of proper "technique" or set up...
Or trying to get too many things out of a fuge rather than setting a "Goal" and working toward maximizing a particular effect....
I have my "fuge" set up as an Algal Scrubber, with the express purpose of maximizing (forced) growth of Mass Quantities of Macros for the export of malnutrients thru regular harvesting....
I have a clean tank, "0" readings, happy corals and NO nuscience algae...there are also plenty of pods swimming around, but that's a side effect or benefit.
It took several tries of refining the technique to get and keep the Caulurpa happy, but have not had a breakdown since..
Calurpins...are released when trimming or during a meltdown...again, I have eliminated the melt down and run carbon for 24-48 hrs when doing a "harvest"... once a month or so, tends to polish the water and remove alelopathic residue at the same time so it's not like an "extra" step...
Tank and fuge are pretty much maintenance free now (other than regular harvesting) Calurpa may not be for everyone, but it works for me...
On the other hand I run a Bare Bottom tank as well... and everyone "knows"

your supposed to have 4"-6" of sand in there...

 

[acrylic51]

Hey........let's not start that DSB debate which we all know is a crock.....I use to run BB, but with new setup going to go SSB.......I agree with you on the 4-6" sand bed. Is there anywhere I can get this valuable information about the Caulurpa?

 

[squidd]

:thinking: ...Guess I really do need to sit down and write that book...
And then it would be "official"...

 

[acrylic51]

I'm not telling you to sit and write a book, but if you'd like I'd surely read, or can you put me the direction to obtain some basic information.......Again all you hear about is it's so bad, but you hear that about alot of things......Thanks!!!!

 

[tim86]

This is a little old, but what the heck...
Pretty much all I have to say is do what works for you, just today I heard people going on and on about how chaeto is so much better, but I remeber before chaeto was popular and people still had awsome looking tanks on calurpa.