deacon hemp Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 IMO u may have just screwed this tank adding grape caulerpa,under a MH light it goes crazy and once rooted you can never get rid of it.The tank does look awesome tho right now. Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 lol - so I have heard... I will be keeping a close eye on it this week to get a feel for how invasive its growth is going to be - under 70w of MH for 6hr a day. Many noxious weeds make great FW plants, so I thought I would give this a spin. I understand the biggest problem is the runners in the LR going places you don't want them. So far my biggest mistakes have been the Rock Nem (too big and almost impossible to remove without a knife) and Sexy Shrimp (zoo killers) - we'll see if I can out do those with the evil Caulerpa. I have also heard that Xenia and Clavularia can be bad choices in a small tank - and am actually a little more worried about these... Link to comment
deacon hemp Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 You sound like u have a good grasp on it,but the problem is once u add any of those 3 its there for good (almost).GSP you could get rid of and xenia isnt impossible but once rooted 1 little root of grapes in ur rock and it pops up over and over.I once had it take over a tank it was no fun.Xenia u can cut at the base and frag glue a rock over it. I wouldnt want to see your awesome tank turn into a fuge. Deacs Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 I appreciate the feedback. I think I will reduce the amount of caulerpa in the tank to just one area where there is a more solid rock face (back right side) - with no crevices to grow into (that I know of anyways). Do you know much about the flat-looking stuff? Like this: I couldn't find much on it, but I am guessing it also generally considered bad news. Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 Ya, my guess was Caulerpa peltata - but I cannot find much info. I think I read somewhere that some types Caulerpa are not as invasive as others... thus my pondering. Link to comment
spanko Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Seems like any of the Caulerpa is just a pest. Once it has runners going out you can never get it all out. You pull up a runner and it leaves the little tiny pcs. that it attached to the rock with. They in turn grow a whole new vine. I hate the stuff and have been battling it constantly. I just recently put a sea hare in the tank. They are supposed to like it so I will see how it goes. Link to comment
klarion Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Seems like any of the Caulerpa is just a pest. Once it has runners going out you can never get it all out. You pull up a runner and it leaves the little tiny pcs. that it attached to the rock with. They in turn grow a whole new vine. I hate the stuff and have been battling it constantly. I just recently put a sea hare in the tank. They are supposed to like it so I will see how it goes. The caulerpa in my tank never even had a chance to grow out because the Emerald Crab just eats it all when it's young. It's a constant sourse of munchies for him. Maybe you'll get critters that controll your algae as well, or maybe you like the way it looks. I do! Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Well, I went and removed most of the caulerpa, just leaving the flat-leafed stuff and a small but of the grape variety in a controllable area (or so I think). Well what I was guessing was Caulerpa peltata appears to have completely melted / turned to mush - perhaps good karma on my part? The Codium and the Reds still are doing fine, as is everything else. huh. Link to comment
c est ma Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I can't get enough of your tank, Dan. Or your super pics. I think you can keep your Xenia under control if you just steel yourself to be bold in cutting it back as necessary. I do love the look of the Caulerpas you kept. Good luck with them! Sweet mini carpets, BTW. (Ever find the second one?) --Diane Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 Thanks Diane - I will have go go hunting for the mini nems again this evening. I think they have both moved into the higher flow area in the back of the tank now... Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 Well, this is most certainly not an uncommon occurrence, but just the same - I am guessing that my Scarlet HC has decided it is time for a new shell. And without regard for any of the of the other empty shells that s/he has been offered, it seems that nothing is better than a currently occupied one. and before you know it, another snail and some amphipods want in on the action: Well I thought it was interesting ... Link to comment
jhealey Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Haha, thats cool. My scarlet did the same thing with about 3 or 4 shells last week, and then decided to stick with the one he had. I thought it was pretty entertaining! Link to comment
divecj5 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Nice documentary....really cool sequence of shots. I used to have about 3-4 blue legged hermits in my 55 gallon tank and they would commonly switch shells. And of course they would much rather enjoy the occupied ones instead of the shiny new ones I had put in the rear of the tank Go figure.... Link to comment
c est ma Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Great catch--great pics of an always entertaining event! What was the upshot? Did the crabs trade shells? Funny how often I observe mixed contingents of CUC members when something's "going on." They must all have great sensory mechanisms for picking up on slight "commotion" and homing in to get in on any spoils... --Diane Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 Well he is still working on that snail as of this morning. He dragged it back into a corner. Last night a Pom Pom Crab joined the crowd looking to profit from the spoils. Link to comment
Left Coast DJ Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Is the other snail cruising the side glass a conch? If so, what kind of conch? Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 Not sure - I got two of them as hitchhikers with a Macro Algae order. I have been meaning to figure out what they are... Link to comment
Left Coast DJ Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 They're super cool looking and appear very small next to the Cerith and hermit. If you find out their name, please post Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Awesome tanks, fresh and salt. Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Work continued throughout the night last night and all morning this morning: And finally this PM: Finally, room to to stretch out FOR LEASE: Link to comment
Gourami Swami Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Your tanks look great, better than most reefs I see! Your going to like SW, good luck! Link to comment
klarion Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I must have missed it... was the snail attacked and killed or did it die on its own and the scavengers finished it? BTW, great pictures and doccu-drama. Link to comment
Jusiko Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 That is one happy looking crab. FTS? Link to comment
dapellegrini Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 nah - the hermit crab had plenty of other shells to choose from, he s/he picked a live one! took about 2 days to fully clean out and the new shell and move in. Link to comment
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