marco algea ID please

[boxboy]

is this green grape? should I keep this stuff?Thank you!! Yes ive looked for an id first. just trying to be sure.. before I take action with it.

http://m1130.photobucket.com/albumview/alb...=1&newest=1

[acropora1981]

is this green grape? should I keep this stuff?Thank you!! Yes ive looked for an id first. just trying to be sure.. before I take action with it.

http://m1130.photobucket.com/albumview/alb...=1&newest=1

 

Yep, grape caulerpa and another caulerpa, IMO, get it out out out. As fast as u can.

[boxboy]

really? what will it do? Ive had it my hob for about a month. just grows. its blocked by a mesh screen so it wont get into my display!

[acropora1981]

really? what will it do? Ive had it my hob for about a month. just grows. its blocked by a mesh screen so it wont get into my display!

 

If it gets into the display it is very very difficult to get out of rock cracks etc. not as bad as feather caulerpa, but it's not a great one to keep around. They tend to strangle corals or out compete for lit and space.

[boxboy]

Wow. that sux. It does not help export anything? that algea I was using to help filter.

[acropora1981]

Wow. that sux. It does not help export anything? that algea I was using to help filter.

 

Oh for sure it does take up nitrate and phosphate. It's just not a great species to use, caulerpa in general is somewhat invasive. I had feather caulerpa issues for 2 annoying years. Use chaetomorpha.

[boxboy]

Then I should just go swap out that stuff for filter floss right now. Thank u for help.

 

where in Ont are you?

[grmoore]

As long as you keep Caulerpa sp. trimmed periodically, it is not an issue to keep in a refugium or display tank. The problem is that many people don't keep it trimmed and then run into issues.

 

Caulerpa, in general, is a much better exporter of nutrients than any other algae, however its explosive growth, extensive 'root' system, release of caulerpenyne, and potential to go sexual in a closed aquarium system pose problems that make keeping the plant potentially more difficult than the much simpler (but unsightly) Chaetomorpha sp.

 

Because it grows so fast, Caulerpa can rapidly take over a refugium or display tank. This growth - both horizontally and vertically - leads to long 'roots' that will grip any surface they come in contact with, be it rock, substrate, other algaes, corals or even aqaurium hardware. This makes removal difficult, if not impossible, which is one reason periodic trimming is needed. These plants can also grow quite full, thus blocking much needed light from other algae and corals, thus helping to make the Caulerpa dominant in a closed system.

 

This growth also forces increased need for nutrients - as the plant gets larger, it requires more nutrients to continue its growth. If it doesn't get these necessary nutrients, the plant can sporulate in an attempt to propagate the species and rapidly die, releasing all of the absorbed nutrients back into the water column. This is another reason for keeping Caulerpa trimmed on a regular basis.

 

Finally, Caulerpa utilizes its own form of alleopathy by releasing a toxin called caulerpenyne into the water. This toxin will cause the deterioration of other algae - especially red algae - in a closed system. This can be accounted for by using carbon in filters, but carbon isn't typically desired in a display algae tank as it simply removes too many nutrients, thus stunting growth.

 

So, the short story is, Caulerpa sp. are fine if kept pruned and under control, but this has to be part of a regular maintenance program. Personally, I have removed the one Caulerpa sp. I had in my macro tank because its release of caulerpenyne was affecting my other algae.

[acropora1981]

As long as you keep Caulerpa sp. trimmed periodically, it is not an issue to keep in a refugium or display tank. The problem is that many people don't keep it trimmed and then run into issues.

 

Caulerpa, in general, is a much better exporter of nutrients than any other algae, however its explosive growth, extensive 'root' system, release of caulerpenyne, and potential to go sexual in a closed aquarium system pose problems that make keeping the plant potentially more difficult than the much simpler (but unsightly) Chaetomorpha sp.

 

Because it grows so fast, Caulerpa can rapidly take over a refugium or display tank. This growth - both horizontally and vertically - leads to long 'roots' that will grip any surface they come in contact with, be it rock, substrate, other algaes, corals or even aqaurium hardware. This makes removal difficult, if not impossible, which is one reason periodic trimming is needed. These plants can also grow quite full, thus blocking much needed light from other algae and corals, thus helping to make the Caulerpa dominant in a closed system.

 

This growth also forces increased need for nutrients - as the plant gets larger, it requires more nutrients to continue its growth. If it doesn't get these necessary nutrients, the plant can sporulate in an attempt to propagate the species and rapidly die, releasing all of the absorbed nutrients back into the water column. This is another reason for keeping Caulerpa trimmed on a regular basis.

 

Finally, Caulerpa utilizes its own form of alleopathy by releasing a toxin called caulerpenyne into the water. This toxin will cause the deterioration of other algae - especially red algae - in a closed system. This can be accounted for by using carbon in filters, but carbon isn't typically desired in a display algae tank as it simply removes too many nutrients, thus stunting growth.

 

So, the short story is, Caulerpa sp. are fine if kept pruned and under control, but this has to be part of a regular maintenance program. Personally, I have removed the one Caulerpa sp. I had in my macro tank because its release of caulerpenyne was affecting my other algae.

 

I agree with everything said here, but I am not confident that simply pruning it regularily will kept it undet wraps. I "pruned" mine every few days (read; ripped out as much as possible) and was not able to stop it eventually being on every rock in my tank. I eventually used peroxide dips to kill it all off.

[grmoore]

You need to prune it before it gets an opportunity to attach to the rockwork. Once attached, even a small amount left behind can grow into a new plant.

[Sub]

I agree with grmoore. I have grape in my tank and some in my hob refugium, and I am able to keep it trimmed quite easily. Whenever I see it shoot off a long thick root, I just grab and pull. This is sort of the bonsai way of doing it! It has grown to the point now where it is starving itself and I did have some turn white and die (remove it then asap) but now its just not really growing. I like to see it in my display - looks more natural.

 

The positive to this is that I literally have never seen algae in my tank. In the three months I've run my tank, I've never scraped it off the glass or seen it growing. And I also have no nuisance algae blooms or problems because the grape is starving it away.

 

IMO its a good macro as long as you keep on top of it. I have some red Gracilaria and another variety of macro in my little refugium but the name escapes me atm. It has little hammer head type bulbs - sort of like squished and rounded nails.

 

Here are some pics of my refugium and tank..

 

Can see one of the shoots here at the top - it all looks white in the pic, but its more of a dark green in person..

 

(little watchman was in here fro a while to escape death.. now in main display! )

 

 

BTW I also have some cheato but its being strangled by the other macros...