Best way to kickstart my caluerpa

[gulfsurfer101]

I just started up a 20 high for my kids and I want it to be overgrown in caulerpa algea and whatever other macro I can toss in there. I have a handful of cal in the tank as it is but how do I get it to seed everywhere. Will a 24hr lighting cycle help, overfeed the tank to raise nutrients. Advice needed from those who know.

[Markushka]

well you can just take the caluerpa and spread frags thru out the tank. keep doing that with the new growth till you have it everywhere.

[gulfsurfer101]

Thanks but I know this stuff will grow over everything and can take a tank over in a matter of days. That's the look I am going for since I want to keep sea hoarses n pipe fish in the kids room and I think a macro tank will be a good home for them and lots o tasty pods and bbs for them to eat. I've ran the light for 16hrs so far and plan on doing 24 on 12off.

[jeremai]

a matter of days? caulerpa doesn't grow that fast, lol. maybe a matter of weeks.

[gulfsurfer101]

Can't remember how much time it took, I just remember coming home from work everyday and yanking s%&%^t off my rocks daily. The stuff I'm reffering to was the grape looking cal. Seems like the stuff I had removed the day before would come back almost overnight. It seemd like overnight it would take over the rocks n sand bed

[Degener8]

Just do a normal light cycle and it will grow. extended light cycle is not going to really show a ton of extra growth in it.. but it will cause an algae explosion perhaps.. don't really think you want that.

 

Just a pinch of flake a week and regular light cycle .. in a few weeks it will be massvely grown from its original size.

[gulfsurfer101]

Ok so keep things normal and it will do it's thing eventually.

[johnmaloney]

take some out

leave it in freshwater for some time. a longer time than you are thinking, at least until it begins breaking down and going translucent, (not just pale green it hasn't release the spores yet),

remove the clear/white caulerpa and discard

top off tank with freshwater and spore mix, update us if something happens.

 

go slow and letting it grow is probably a better idea, but no sense not taking a shot for the sake of hobby science. (unfortunately though I don't think it has a high chance of working - i like the break it up idea ^^)

[adinsxq]

1. remove from tank

2. pulse in blender

3. return to tank

[bitts]

Funny I was about to say that.

[supernip]

noble martyrdom imo

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

what type of caluerpa?

 

my polifera would go sexual if there was noticable temperture swing (adding cooler water).... something i noticed back in my earlier days, when i wasnt so strict with how i did water changes.....

 

if that doesnt work, try taking it to dinner and getting it drunk