growth rates

[siren]

What is the growth rate of gracilaria? I picked some up from the OK Aquarium, and I seem to be having growth, but I have no idea how fast it is said to grow. Can anyone help me out?

 

[graveyardworm]

Gracillaria can be kinda funky, it grows well for some and not for others. I can keep it alive but growth is very slow.

 

[DrHank]

I agree with David. It's growing like mad in my 10 gallon tank along with Ulva, C.Prolifera and C. Floridans. I've got it lighted for 14 hours on reverse of the display with a 13w curlicue florescent in a clamp on reflector. The plant tank has a 3'+ sandbed and the turnover rate is very slow.

I don't think that it's supposed to grow under those conditions but it's quadrupled in the last four months and seems to keep growing. All you can do is try it and see. Good luck!

 

[DrHank]

Oops! That should be 3"+ sandbed. Must have read by ruler wrong.

 

[graveyardworm]

Low light does seem to be preffered.

 

[siren]

I've got it under a freshwater coralife refugium pc ficture right now. I've got it growing with grape and fern caulerpa, and a clump of chaetomorpha. Other plants to be added later I'm sure.

 

[Samala]

I would agree with the above, growth rate is a highly variable thing. It seems most dependent, for Gracilaria, on water flow and movement, lighting levels, and availability of nitrogen.

The best growth I have had is under 4wpg of 6700K light in a tumbling flow with supplemented fertilizer. The Gracilaria in this tank would double in size every three weeks.

Gracilaria in my display tanks doubles about every month and a half or so I would estimate. Quite a bit slower. Major difference between the tanks is competition with other algae/plants, no tumbling flow.

>Sarah