Caulerpa
- Thread starter Terryz_
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Mariner
New member
I think the answers basically are yes, yes, yes.
I believe Caulerpa does uptake nitrogen in some form, possibly phosphates too -- I know it is great for exporting dissolved organics from the water column. However, tangs will/do eat most species of it much faster than the Caulerpa can grow (and some species, especially the grape racemosa, can grow REALLY fast). My Hippo tang cleaned up all my Grape and Feather Caulerpa from my main tank in short order. He doesn't eat the Sawblade Caulerpa or the Spaghetti Algae (chaetemorpha sp?) though. If I didn't have a refugium/sump to keep my Caulerpa tang-safe, I'd consider trying some Spaghetti algae.
FWIW,
Mariner
I believe Caulerpa does uptake nitrogen in some form, possibly phosphates too -- I know it is great for exporting dissolved organics from the water column. However, tangs will/do eat most species of it much faster than the Caulerpa can grow (and some species, especially the grape racemosa, can grow REALLY fast). My Hippo tang cleaned up all my Grape and Feather Caulerpa from my main tank in short order. He doesn't eat the Sawblade Caulerpa or the Spaghetti Algae (chaetemorpha sp?) though. If I didn't have a refugium/sump to keep my Caulerpa tang-safe, I'd consider trying some Spaghetti algae.
FWIW,
Mariner
kmk2307
Active member
Hi Terryz_,
If you feed a lot of the caulerpa that you grow for nutrient export to your fish then you are just putting those nutrients back into the system. It might depend on your tangs' personality whether or not they eat it. You may want to ask that question in the reef fishes forum.
HTH,
Kevin
If you feed a lot of the caulerpa that you grow for nutrient export to your fish then you are just putting those nutrients back into the system. It might depend on your tangs' personality whether or not they eat it. You may want to ask that question in the reef fishes forum.
HTH,
Kevin
Mariner
New member
Yeah, IF (big IF) the tangs don't eat it, it would be fine in the main tank, IMO. Some species do tend to go "sexual" -- they release a green cloud of spores back into your tank and then disintegrate. I've found that pinching back quick growing caulerpa helps prevent this (you just pinch it back and remove it like you would a "leggy" plant in the garden).
FWIW,
Mariner
FWIW,
Mariner
quack
Premium Member
kmk2307 said:
Im not a chemist, but remember when 'tangs' consume macroalgae, the elements ( nitro, phos and others) have been chemically modified and are modified again passing thru the fish. The elements that are undesirable may now be attached to a nutritional protein, vitamin, or essential fatty acid (in the photosynthetic process).
When u feed ur fish and/or add nori, it makes sense to replace some of that with your home grown stuff!!
Question on feeding vs. nutrient export
Question on feeding vs. nutrient export
How is having your fish (tangs, whatever...) eat the macro you grow in the tank any different from them eating whatever you feed them? I mean, sure, whatever they eat is not being exported (well... *some* of the compounds we speak of could be converted into fish flesh...) but you'd be introducing nutrients into the water when you feed them. So my question is, although the macro isn't being removed and therefore isn't exporting anything as intended, aren't the chemical benefits still there?
-Anthony
Question on feeding vs. nutrient export
How is having your fish (tangs, whatever...) eat the macro you grow in the tank any different from them eating whatever you feed them? I mean, sure, whatever they eat is not being exported (well... *some* of the compounds we speak of could be converted into fish flesh...) but you'd be introducing nutrients into the water when you feed them. So my question is, although the macro isn't being removed and therefore isn't exporting anything as intended, aren't the chemical benefits still there?
-Anthony
