Caulerpa Utilize Food

[wizardgus®]

I'm still at the point where I'm not sure if I'm observing cause & effect, or coincidence.

I have quite a few fine filter feeders in my tank, i.e. Tunicates and Fan worms, Sponges. So I feed Kents Microvert every 2 to 3 days. Been lazy lately and have been putting it in the refugium figuring that it all gets circulated anyway. In the refugium I have C. racemosa, C. mexicana, C. prolifera, and Chaetomorpha.

Now the Chaetomorpha never does anything growth-wise. It has been in there 4 months, I've never needed to take any out. Sometimes I wonder if the guy I got it from sent me Easter Basket stuffing. But the day after I dose the Mocrovert the Caulerpas have a growth spurt...big time.

Do they utilize food like microvert? Is this a bad idea? I also dose Kents Super Chelated Iron on about the same frequency only at opposite ends of the period, so could it just be the lag time in response to the Iron?

One last question. I have had Caulerpa in there about 2 months now. In that time I have watched as my previous PO4 and NO3 problems have dropped off the scale, nuisance algae has become just an unpleasant memory, water clarity has gotten crystal clear, and everything is doing fabulously well. I'm thinking this stuff is the greatest thing since sliced bread! Am I attributing too much to the addition of Caulerpa? Previously I had Chaetomorpha & Gracillaris in my fuge with no noticable improvments.

Thanks for any imput or info you can offer.

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

Yes, I see your dilemna. I would guess that algae doesn't use straight protein, but maybe there are nutrients in the microvert like Mn or iron that might help it grow. Also, there may be a spike in NO3/NO2/NH3 output from the microcritters that do eat the protein, which would directly feed the Caulerpa. IMO, Caulerpa is really big microalgae and seems to scavenge inorganic nutrients very well like micro algae does.

Other than that, i wouldn't be able to nail down cause/effect or coincidence either.

I have a theory that macros grow best in near zero nutrient conditions and micros/Caulerpa love that fertilizer. I would guess this is why the Chaetomorpha is just idling, or it is just flat being outcompeted by the Caulerpa for some other key compound.

 

[kmk2307]

Microvert is quite the "meaty" stew of nutrients. When I used to use it on my 45 gallon tank my Anthelia looked like a million bucks the next day. My money is on your caulerpa is reactiong to the nutrients from the Microvert, not the iron.

Kevin