Caulerpa Lighting and Care
- Thread starter jtgrimes
- Start date
MondoBongo
Obligate Feeder Obsessed
personally i wouldn't use any kind of caulerpa in my display system. far too invasive.
i use it in my QT/grow out system just because it's easy and damn near bulletproof, but it's in the rocks now and i'll never get it out of there.
i use it in my QT/grow out system just because it's easy and damn near bulletproof, but it's in the rocks now and i'll never get it out of there.
jtgrimes
New member
It will send spores and fragments through the pump to get into your rockwork. If it gets into your rockwork, you will be fighting it for years. And if you have a power failure as I had (for 8 days) it can emit a toxin that would have taken out my tank. I earnestly urge not just getting rid of it, but voiding the sump and being sure every last hair root of it is gone. I had to break down my 54 after years of dealing with the stuff. It's particularly bad in a tank under 100 gallons, where absolutely nothing can eat it because of its toxicity.
I have caulerpa in my sump have no problems with it being invasive. I even feed it to my tangs in theDT. I use the same light bulb as you mention and have it turn on when my DT lights go out, and turn off when the DT light go turn on.
MondoBongo
Obligate Feeder Obsessed
it doesn't have to run 24/7, but it can. you can use a 6500K (daylight temperature) bulb from home depot, and that will grow it just fine.
the rub, if there is a rub and i'm not saying that there is, is to stick as close to the spectrum green plants like which is your 6500K. it will still grow fine under other types of lighting, but ones closest to that color temp should produce the best results.
aside from normal light bulbs there are also a wide array of LEDs that meet this requirement as well. if you want to get fancy there are plenty of fixtures for freshwater planted tanks that should do an excellent job.
the rub, if there is a rub and i'm not saying that there is, is to stick as close to the spectrum green plants like which is your 6500K. it will still grow fine under other types of lighting, but ones closest to that color temp should produce the best results.
aside from normal light bulbs there are also a wide array of LEDs that meet this requirement as well. if you want to get fancy there are plenty of fixtures for freshwater planted tanks that should do an excellent job.
jtgrimes
New member
Ive purchased a daylight led bulb at 5000k. I been doing some searching around and found this article, you may have seen. http://www.melevsreef.com/node/1742
As for lighting at 24/7, I thought this was a have to, but have been seeing others not run as long possibly 18 hrs then off for the rest. I dont mind running it 24/7, but i guess its based on preference.
I have heard great stories and bad as well. But it seems to me the stories I mostly hear are those not taking care of it, by proper lighting, trimming, etc.
As for lighting at 24/7, I thought this was a have to, but have been seeing others not run as long possibly 18 hrs then off for the rest. I dont mind running it 24/7, but i guess its based on preference.
I have heard great stories and bad as well. But it seems to me the stories I mostly hear are those not taking care of it, by proper lighting, trimming, etc.
jtgrimes
New member
When I was running chaeto, I was doing same lighting, 5000k - 6500k range but only opposite of day lights, so for me 12 on 12 off.
