calerpa

[seakwon]

So is it really that good of a thing to have calerpa growing in the sump, cause i get so much algae down ther it is redonculis, i have to clean that thing so it doesnt get plugged up im thinking about getting rid of it, what should i do?

 

[Samala]

Refugium macroalgae setups are great if you have nutrient level problems in your system that are leading to nuisance algaes in your display tank. They help to outcompete algae within the system (including in the sump) but can bring their own headaches. Most people are using Chaetomorpha genus algae (looks like a brillo pad) instead of Caulerpa sp. in their refugia these days. Chaeto doesnt have the tendency to sporulate, or go sexual, that the Caulerpas do, is very forgiving for light levels and is pretty low maintenance. Just rinse it out when you harvest to get rid of accumulate debris or biofilms and you're good to go.

That said, nuisance algae (especially cyanobacteria, the red slime) in sumps can sometimes indicate poor flow. I think there is a thread in the All Things Salty forum that discusses fuge flow and design.

HTH
>Sarah

 

[seakwon]

thank you. i will try to find some of that. I have to much light on my refugium right now i think, i have to t5 daylight bulbs that stay on all night as long as the other lights are off, does that sound right. thats what i was told to do atleast. i dont have the cyano in the sump but i do have it in my tank, i have another thread about that but would you suggest to use the marycin tablets or not?


stephen

 

[seakwon]

my calerpa doesnt even grow, am i doing something wrong? also i read something about pruning it, if i keep the calerpa how do i do this?

 

[Samala]

From the presence of cyano in the tank, I would bet you have a very low nitrogen environment, which is great for corals, but not good for macroalgae, especially the Caulerpas. Lack of growth supports the idea that they are not getting enough of what they need - nutrients. Cyanobacteria tends to pop up in tanks when nitrogen levels drop so low that the plants/macro cant compete. They are capable of some mechanisms that help them do this.

Honestly, pull the Caulerpa, look for Chaetomorpha. I think the lighting is likely just fine if you're using T5's, macros should fluorish under that amount of light, but only if you have enough nutrients to support their growth. The thing with Caulerpa is that if the nutrients run out, they sporulate.. their method of trying to find a better home, and can crash the tank.

Pruning Caulerpas.. best to twist the rhizoid (the long strand) and then pull a section off. But this is only if you have a steady rate of growth.

I actually havent heard of using maracyn for a cyanobacteria problem. I hesitate greatly on using any medications in my setup just for algae warfare, but to each his own. Maracyn may have a negative impact on your biofilter though, so I'd be super careful. You dont want to effectively sterilize your LR and LS of all kinds of bacterial colonies.

I hope someone chimes in on best cyano-ridding strategies because my methods may not work well in a full blown reef. (What I do: up flow, siphon all of it you can see, get the fuge going, and feed your fish more so that the system isnt starving for nutrients and the macro can keep cyano from popping up again. Be careful not to feed tooo much though, )

>Sarah

 

[seakwon]

thanks

I will get back to you on this problem of mine.

 

[Cody Ray]

The thing with Caulerpa is that if the nutrients run out, they sporulate.. their method of trying to find a better home, and can crash the tank.

Hmm, that sounds like an indicatior species to me. Does calurpa always sporulate when the nutrient run out, or does it just die off part of the time?