caulerpa

[orcafood]

What is the fastest growing and best nitrate reducing macro algae? I was told it is caulerpa.

Right now I have a 20 gallon refugium (on my 90 gallon) with two 6500K 85 watt bulbs. There is no sand, just a rock weighing down the clump of caulerpa.

What situation grows caulerpa the best?

[MalHavoc]

chaetomorpha. Stay away from caulerpa - it can go sexual and cause tank crashes.

[jamiep]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11621361#post11621361 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MalHavoc
chaetomorpha. Stay away from caulerpa - it can go sexual and cause tank crashes.

Agreed! I was talking to one of my LFS owners yesterday and he had never heard of chaetomorphia! I spent like 5mins trying to explain it and calling all the other names I'd heard for it but he still didn't understand and the worst of it is...he specilises in marines! The guy I was with and just bought $300 worth of live rock off walked out a we bit worried!

[orcafood]

Thats interesting. I have heard very mixed reviews on this subject, and I know many people who have never had their caulerpa go sexual, even with it in their main display. I think I have some cheato in there to though.

quote:
What situation grows caulerpa the best?

[jamiep]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11621732#post11621732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by orcafood
Thats interesting. I have heard very mixed reviews on this subject, and I know many people who have never had their caulerpa go sexual, even with it in their main display. I think I have some cheato in there to though.

quote:
What situation grows caulerpa the best?

24h lighting is best for caulerpa.

Why take the chance in my opinion? Its not worth the risk I feel when you can just go for chaeto which is far far less likly to spore and wipe your tank!

[orcafood]

With regular trimming and 24 hour lighting, caulerpa should not go sexual right? There has to be people who still use it or it would no longer be sold.


Is caulerpa faster growing then chaeto?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There are different species of Caulerpa, and they do not all respond the same. Even within what is called Caulerpa racemosa, there are varieties that easily reproduce with spores, and those that seem to not do so (IME).

I've grown the grape form of Caulerpa racemosa for more than ten years in my system, and it works great without ever sporulating, while in the same tank I have had small patches of the peltata variety sporulate. That wasn't a problem, however.

IME, Caulerpa is faster growing and better able to remove nutrients than is Chaeto. Caulerpa easily outcompeted Chaeto in my refugia.

That said, a drawback to Caulerpa is that it gets into the main tank and can become established. That can be OK, but it can overrun organisms there if not frequently pruned back, and it can begin growing in hard to remove places.

There has to be people who still use it or it would no longer be sold

True, but there are loads of totally crappy products that people buy for reefs. :D

[jamiep]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11624137#post11624137 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley

There has to be people who still use it or it would no longer be sold

True, but there are loads of totally crappy products that people buy for reefs. :D

LOL!:lol:

[orcafood]

There has to be people who still use it or it would no longer be sold

True, but there are loads of totally crappy products that people buy for reefs.

:p I was just trying to get the attention of someone who has had experience with caulerpa. Thanks!

[ugluk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11621361#post11621361 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MalHavoc
chaetomorpha. Stay away from caulerpa - it can go sexual and cause tank crashes.

Could someone please post apic of chaetomorpha. I am going to be buying some soon and I want to know exactly what I am getting.

[kau_cinta_ku]

I have tried to grow cheato in my fuge 5 diff. times from 5 diff. strains and never had any luck. went with caulerpa even after reading the horror stories and I have never had a prob. with it and it actually grows :D I do leave the light on 24/7 and prun it twice a month though.

[zhenjw]

definitely grows much faster than chaeto, and exports nutrients like crazy. only time i had it sporulate was when i stressed it out by snapping off too many pieces of one strand. pulled it out before it did though.

[IceWish]

somehow caulerpa does not grow in my tank but chaeto grows really well,....

[qfrisco]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11626399#post11626399 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ugluk
Could someone please post apic of chaetomorpha. I am going to be buying some soon and I want to know exactly what I am getting.

Here's one from LiveAquaria.com - http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=2401&N=0.

It looks like a wad of brillo pad - type material, but with thicker strands.

[shuturhole316tx]

I use them both with no problems.

[Ratkiller]

The green stuff on the right is cheato-
http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa267/Ratkiller007/?action=view&current=Sumpfugeleftside.jpg