mskvarenina
Member
A friend gave me a clump of fern calurpula. Besides the ferns I'm also seeing some clumps of grapes. Do I just drop it into the refugium or should I try to root it into the mud?
Just received some fern calurpula, how to plant?
- Thread starter mskvarenina
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Saltliquid
New member
Firstly algae do not have roots, they are for attaching, and they look like roots, but are not. Just weight it down gently here and there and it’s all good. Do that in sections all over the mud area. Personally I wouldn’t use miracle mud in that way, but that’s up to you. In mud they make like a netted bulb that holds on by its volume and not like actual roots.Do not have the floor the algae will attach to any deeper then 8 inches under water and the lights, 4 to 6 inches off the water with no bubbles bursting.
joekidwell
New member
If I'm not mistaken, that stuff is highly invasive.
You can just poke the runners down into the sand/mud and they will anchor themselves in. If you are using them for nutrient export you can keep the grape caluerpa but it will almost certainly out compete the fern. There are multiple types of caluerpa that are called fern, some are easier to remove if they get where they are not wanted, you should try to find out which one. I definitely would not recommend either of those in the display unless you know what you are getting into.
-Steve
-Steve
enchelycore808
Member
I usually put a small piece of rubble on top of the runner and it'll attach itself. Don't worry to much about it. As long as it has enough light it'll be fine.
Most caulerpa species can also happily float in the refugium. Mine does. 
Saltliquid
New member
Too true, though if you trim to export it’s better if they attach so regrowth is quick, plus I found if they can attach and it is kept shallow they are much easier to keep clean that way of potential cyanobacteria or some other forms of algae that if you are not vigilant, may smoother it a bit. My water is 6 inches deep and the base on a false floor is of 20 to 50 mill coralline rollers, small bits of base rock will do though. A bit of nitrate reduction and more with all that and it stays clean!!!!
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