Going Sexual?

djc1026 · 03/21/2006, 06:11 PM

What does grape caulerpa look like when it "goes sexual"? I have a batch that has turned white with black dots.

Dave

3D-Reef · 03/21/2006, 07:03 PM

djc1026-Thats what happening,yes. Now go pull them out,NOW.Before they let loose of their insides.
Clay

djc1026 · 03/21/2006, 09:14 PM

Thanks, I had read it, but never seen a picture. Plus I've read conflicting stuff that says it turns white/pale after releasing and others that say it happens before releasing. So I didn't know if I was too late and I didn't know if this is indeed what was happening because in everything I've read, I never came across any pics.

Dave

Samala · 03/21/2006, 09:23 PM

Dave those are fantastic pictures! Another thread for the hall of fame here in the macro forum. One day it will be a stickie I think.

Interestingly, Halimeda also forms dark spherical structures, most likely the gametangia, or the reproductive parts, just before sporulation ("going sexual"). I havent seen this reported for Caulerpa before now.. nice catch!

>Sarah

djc1026 · 03/21/2006, 09:32 PM

I don't know about hall of fame pics. I was just looking for an answer/confirmation.

tekknoschtev · 03/21/2006, 10:18 PM

Well, thanks for this thread! Now I know what to look out for. We've got some grape caulerpa growing in our display (against our will, it just wont go away

) and this has been one of my bigger fears. We keep it ruthlessly pruned though.

Amazing pictures for sure!

3D-Reef · 03/22/2006, 07:14 AM

EXCELLENT pic's
When they look like that, there is only a couple hours at most,before sporulation begins.
Did you get 'em pulled before the green cloud of despair made an appearance?
Clay

djc1026 · 03/22/2006, 06:42 PM

Yes I did !!! I don't know when they turned. The night before they were green and beautiful. When I got home from work they looked like that. This was a small bunch, maybe a handful size that started from a single branch maybe 3 inches long that was in a bunch of saw blade caulerpa. I had read about the pruning but didn't think it was necessary yet being such a small bunch. I have a theory that I will throw out. Since the macros are used for nutrient export, and this export is accomplished by pruning and removal. I wonder if the sexualization process can be triggered by the overload of nutrient absorption?

Dave

3D-Reef · 03/22/2006, 07:07 PM

Dave,
Thats good,...Sorry about telling you what to do so rudely,it's just that my freakout responce kicks in when I see that happening.
Normally,it happens when it lacks something..Fe,no3,co2, po4,or light.

Clay

djc1026 · 03/22/2006, 10:08 PM

Must be lack of no3 or Fe (as I have no way of measuring Fe). It was in a 29 gal seahorse tank with 5 other healthy macros (less volatile than the grape caulerpa

and a healthy batch of Xenia. Needless to say my nitrates are 0

However, I think my theory coincides with this line of thinking as the macros are sucking the nutrients (no3, Fe, etc) out of the water, they become so saturated that it triggers the response.

Dave

yiliyang · 02/06/2007, 08:01 AM

How do you clean it up?

03/21/2006, 06:11 PM	#1
djc1026 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lawton Posts: 1,061	Going Sexual? What does grape caulerpa look like when it "goes sexual"? I have a batch that has turned white with black dots. Dave

03/21/2006, 09:14 PM	#3
djc1026 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lawton Posts: 1,061	Thanks, I had read it, but never seen a picture. Plus I've read conflicting stuff that says it turns white/pale after releasing and others that say it happens before releasing. So I didn't know if I was too late and I didn't know if this is indeed what was happening because in everything I've read, I never came across any pics. Dave __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 150 gallon FOWLR -- 29 Gal Misc

03/21/2006, 09:23 PM	#4
Samala Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,930	Dave those are fantastic pictures! Another thread for the hall of fame here in the macro forum. One day it will be a stickie I think. Interestingly, Halimeda also forms dark spherical structures, most likely the gametangia, or the reproductive parts, just before sporulation ("going sexual"). I havent seen this reported for Caulerpa before now.. nice catch! >Sarah __________________ "Seaweed is cool, seaweed is fun, it makes its food from the rays of the sun!"

03/22/2006, 06:42 PM	#8
djc1026 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lawton Posts: 1,061	Yes I did !!! I don't know when they turned. The night before they were green and beautiful. When I got home from work they looked like that. This was a small bunch, maybe a handful size that started from a single branch maybe 3 inches long that was in a bunch of saw blade caulerpa. I had read about the pruning but didn't think it was necessary yet being such a small bunch. I have a theory that I will throw out. Since the macros are used for nutrient export, and this export is accomplished by pruning and removal. I wonder if the sexualization process can be triggered by the overload of nutrient absorption? Dave __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 150 gallon FOWLR -- 29 Gal Misc

03/22/2006, 10:08 PM	#10
djc1026 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lawton Posts: 1,061	Must be lack of no3 or Fe (as I have no way of measuring Fe). It was in a 29 gal seahorse tank with 5 other healthy macros (less volatile than the grape caulerpa and a healthy batch of Xenia. Needless to say my nitrates are 0 However, I think my theory coincides with this line of thinking as the macros are sucking the nutrients (no3, Fe, etc) out of the water, they become so saturated that it triggers the response. Dave __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 150 gallon FOWLR -- 29 Gal Misc

03/21/2006, 07:03 PM	#2
3D-Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Wichita,Ks Posts: 602	djc1026-Thats what happening,yes. Now go pull them out,NOW.Before they let loose of their insides. Clay

03/21/2006, 09:32 PM	#5
djc1026 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lawton Posts: 1,061	I don't know about hall of fame pics. I was just looking for an answer/confirmation.

03/21/2006, 10:18 PM	#6
tekknoschtev Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: SCS, MI Posts: 2,037	Well, thanks for this thread! Now I know what to look out for. We've got some grape caulerpa growing in our display (against our will, it just wont go away ) and this has been one of my bigger fears. We keep it ruthlessly pruned though. Amazing pictures for sure!

03/22/2006, 07:14 AM	#7
3D-Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Wichita,Ks Posts: 602	EXCELLENT pic's When they look like that, there is only a couple hours at most,before sporulation begins. Did you get 'em pulled before the green cloud of despair made an appearance? Clay

03/22/2006, 07:07 PM	#9
3D-Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Wichita,Ks Posts: 602	Dave, Thats good,...Sorry about telling you what to do so rudely,it's just that my freakout responce kicks in when I see that happening. Normally,it happens when it lacks something..Fe,no3,co2, po4,or light. Clay

02/06/2007, 08:01 AM	#11
yiliyang Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 07840 Posts: 191	How do you clean it up?