refugium---- should I use calurpa or xenias?

[carpus]

I have been thinking lately whether to take out my calurpa from my refugium and replacing it with pom pom xenia... is this a good idea?

 

[sfsuphysics]

well I wouldn't keep caulerpa in anyways, too much risk for a piece getting back to your main tank and once it roots into the rock forget about it. Chaeto is a much better bet as far as macroalgae.

I use xenia as a semi-filtration (I say semi because...) but it grows too slow compared to chaeto. I wonder if there isn't an article or two around about the nutrient absorbing qualities of xenia too to make a comparison.

Also I feel much less guilty if I yank out a bunch of chaeto and splat it on the floor than if there were xenia I figure in my sunlit refugium algae is going to grow anyways, so might as well make it my algae of choice.

 

[Ti]

go with both if u can

 

[sfsuphysics]

Something you might think of, is putting Xenias in your overflow, they might grab all the larger "particulate" matter before it hits your refugium... or atleast that's the reason why I put xenia in mine

 

[dswong01]

I would axe the caulerpera depending on the type can go asexual. I would go with chaeto as macro algae