Going Sexual?

[djc1026]

What does grape caulerpa look like when it "goes sexual"? I have a batch that has turned white with black dots.

Dave

 

[3D-Reef]

djc1026-Thats what happening,yes. Now go pull them out,NOW.Before they let loose of their insides.
Clay

 

[djc1026]

Thanks, I had read it, but never seen a picture. Plus I've read conflicting stuff that says it turns white/pale after releasing and others that say it happens before releasing. So I didn't know if I was too late and I didn't know if this is indeed what was happening because in everything I've read, I never came across any pics.

Dave

 

[Samala]

Dave those are fantastic pictures! Another thread for the hall of fame here in the macro forum. One day it will be a stickie I think.

Interestingly, Halimeda also forms dark spherical structures, most likely the gametangia, or the reproductive parts, just before sporulation ("going sexual"). I havent seen this reported for Caulerpa before now.. nice catch!

>Sarah

 

[djc1026]

I don't know about hall of fame pics. I was just looking for an answer/confirmation.

 

[tekknoschtev]

Well, thanks for this thread! Now I know what to look out for. We've got some grape caulerpa growing in our display (against our will, it just wont go away ) and this has been one of my bigger fears. We keep it ruthlessly pruned though.

Amazing pictures for sure!

 

[3D-Reef]

EXCELLENT pic's
When they look like that, there is only a couple hours at most,before sporulation begins.
Did you get 'em pulled before the green cloud of despair made an appearance?
Clay

 

[djc1026]

Yes I did !!! I don't know when they turned. The night before they were green and beautiful. When I got home from work they looked like that. This was a small bunch, maybe a handful size that started from a single branch maybe 3 inches long that was in a bunch of saw blade caulerpa. I had read about the pruning but didn't think it was necessary yet being such a small bunch. I have a theory that I will throw out. Since the macros are used for nutrient export, and this export is accomplished by pruning and removal. I wonder if the sexualization process can be triggered by the overload of nutrient absorption?

Dave

 

[3D-Reef]

Dave,
Thats good,...Sorry about telling you what to do so rudely,it's just that my freakout responce kicks in when I see that happening.
Normally,it happens when it lacks something..Fe,no3,co2, po4,or light.
Clay

 

[djc1026]

Must be lack of no3 or Fe (as I have no way of measuring Fe). It was in a 29 gal seahorse tank with 5 other healthy macros (less volatile than the grape caulerpa and a healthy batch of Xenia. Needless to say my nitrates are 0 However, I think my theory coincides with this line of thinking as the macros are sucking the nutrients (no3, Fe, etc) out of the water, they become so saturated that it triggers the response.

Dave

 

[yiliyang]

How do you clean it up?