Caulerpa Mexicana

[jamesbuf]

I've read alot about caulerpa going sexual, mostly about the grape caulerpa doing this though. Do all caulerpa species do this??? I grow the caulerpa mexicana fern algae in my fuge so I'm quite curious if anyone knows whether it'll eventually spew nutrients back into my system??? Thanks again guys.

[BillW]

All species of Caulerpa can “go sexual” and crash. To prevent the sexual maturation of a Caulerpa colony it is necessary to prune it on a routine basis. Do not trim the “fronds”; each one is a single cell and if broken will leak its contents into the water. Instead cut a “runner” and remove a whole strand.

Later,
Bill

[kjenkins]

Unless you keep up on this algae, I would stick to other species, just less chance for error....if it does go sexual, it can be a big drain on your dissolved O2 levels.