Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 caulerpa prolifera, the dreaded macro for some, I am thinking if getting some, I fully expect metrokat to comment on this thread lol I have a 55 gallon dt with a 30 gallon sump 2/3 full and a 20 longb display fuge I am wanting to introduce caulerpa prolifera into the fuge I can't keep cheato alive and would like some display worthy filtration I am not against 24 hour lighting either But frankly I don't know enough about it to introduce so quickly Holocarpy is the proper term for going sexual I believe Will this crash the tank It has Lps in the dt Will a protein skimmer counteract the lack of o2 if it does go sexual I mainly find horror stories but I'm sure since its in the aquarium. Trade that some people have lick with it Comments and suggestions welcome Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 This do you have any caulerpa prolifera in your fuge. Or any species for that manner Link to comment
metrokat Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 With 24hr lighting caulerpa will not go sexual. Chaeto not surviving means you likely have low nitrates which macros enjoy. They also love ammonium. You can also dose iron to help the macros (not if you have clams or intend to keep clams) and use a red light. If you want better filtration (I'm assuming you mean nutrient export) you can also consider Xenia. Both pretty and effective, it is also an excellent candidate for a fuge. Link to comment
fgarbrec Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 What do you mean you can't keep chaeto alive? That's not even possible, is it? Even I can grow chaeto.... Link to comment
metrokat Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I have some serrulata but not a big fan of caulerpas in general. Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 My nitrate in that tank are a 10ppm and phosphate at 1ppm, Too much water for me to handle, It wont live, it just doesnt grow, i have tried two diffrent lights over it, currently i have a single t-5 bulb on a 12 hour schedule, Link to comment
M@! Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I can't keep Prolifera or Chaeto alive. If you have low nutrients it will probably just die. I guess my xenia is eating up all my nutrients. Ohh low nutrients aren't a problem, that's strange. Link to comment
metrokat Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 My nitrate in that tank are a 10ppm and phosphate at 1ppm, Too much water for me to handle, It wont live, it just doesnt grow, i have tried two diffrent lights over it, currently i have a single t-5 bulb on a 12 hour schedule, That IS unusual. Hmm. Try Xenia. Unless you don;t like fluffy pretty corals that self frag and multiply like bunnies? Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 With 24hr lighting caulerpa will not go sexual. Chaeto not surviving means you likely have low nitrates which macros enjoy. They also love ammonium. You can also dose iron to help the macros (not if you have clams or intend to keep clams) and use a red light. If you want better filtration (I'm assuming you mean nutrient export) you can also consider Xenia. Both pretty and effective, it is also an excellent candidate for a fuge. What species of xenia, might try the red light, i have a t12 grow bulb that i used before the t-5, might double team Water mixing now to do a large wc to bring levels down, i finally borrowed an ro unit,no more 30 dollar water changes need to buy a sprectra pure because 24gpd isnt going to cut it with three tanks, I dont understand how people have big huge tanks that aren't fowlr, i can handle keeping pristine water, in smaller tanks but in 70 Gallon+ it baffles me I also have to feed like crazy for my tilefish to stay happy, bioload is an issue Link to comment
metrokat Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 If you bought LR, your live rock could be leeching phosphates. This sometimes happens with old LR, and can also happen with the real reef brand of "painted" live rock. A simple test is to take said live rock into a stand alone bucket, in goes freshly mixed saltwater and take a reading after its been in there for a day or so (keep a powerhead and heater). Rocks can and will leech into the system, unless you started with dry dead rock and seeded with a shrimp or a small live rock piece. 2 Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 Most is dry dead rock, 1/4 is rock, but none is real reef rock, I was smart enough not to but that in my tank (my dad thought it was Coraline and put it in his lol) Hmmmm might need to start running gfo and biopellets if the fuge doesnt work, going to track down another strand of cheato at the other lfs. Might try xenia, i have some kenya in there that wont really grow either, my lps and zoas are happy though, so idk, and im sure my nitrate and phosphate readings are off becuase its an api test, that what all of my lfs stores that test water use Link to comment
fgarbrec Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Well it appears that nutrient depletion isn't a problem. I used to grow chaeto with a 100 watt standard bulb in a Home Depot work light fixture. Very low tech but it worked just fine to produce bushels of the stuff. Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 might grab some cfls to then this is so depressing But back to the orginal issue Calpuera Prolifica or however its spelled Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 Well this thread died quick Link to comment
metrokat Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Prolifera will do well, and proliferate, and go sexual unless kept on 24hr lights. I have chaeto in a 2.5 gallon stand alone fuge with no heater, no water changes or filter foam changes in many months. I don;t even top it off and the light is automatic for 16 hours. growing. Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 Prolifera will do well, and proliferate, and go sexual unless kept on 24hr lights. I have chaeto in a 2.5 gallon stand alone fuge with no heater, no water changes or filter foam changes in many months. I don;t even top it off and the light is automatic for 16 hours. growing. Jelous of your cheato growing ability, Thanks Kat, Might just try another batch of cheato Link to comment
BulkRate Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 How's it lit? The chaeto I initially had in the tank did nothing but turn glassy and melt when I switched from daylight spectrum to "reef" spectrum LEDs. The second batch did fine and has to be pruned monthly if I don't want the centerpiece theme to become "green Brillo pad". Maybe trying a different variety is indeed your best bet at this point. Link to comment
Julian_blnc Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 How's it lit? The chaeto I initially had in the tank did nothing but turn glassy and melt when I switched from daylight spectrum to "reef" spectrum LEDs. The second batch did fine and has to be pruned monthly if I don't want the centerpiece theme to become "green Brillo pad". Maybe trying a different variety is indeed your best bet at this point. Lit with a single white t-5 36 in bulb running across the 30 in tank, I got some t12 ballast and am going to do a retrofit to supplment the t-5 Link to comment
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