when caulerpa goes sexual...

[ReefTECK]

Yeah, so I noticed my tank was pretty hazy and bad lookin last night, and I couldn't put my finger on it, and I said you know what, I'm tired, I'm exhausted, I'm going to bed.

Today I discovered the culprit, the caulerpa in the fuge is totally deflated, I presume it went sexual. Or maybe I just killed it by adding ROWAphos back into the reactor about a week ago after running the tank with no phos media for 2 weeks.

Anyways, the tank cleared by this morning and there was no signs of animal stress, inhibited polyp extension etc. So do I need to take some course of reaction? Water change? Anything?

See ya,
anyd

 

[ggk1988]

Might want to think about switching to some chaetomorpha. It doesn't go sexual. I am not totally sure about the effects of caluerpa going sexual, someone else should chime in about that.

 

[DetectiveTofu]

I've heard that when the leaves of Caulerpa turn white and dead looking after they go sexual. So it may be the case - as for the cause, I personally don't think that renewing your ROWAphos would have caused it.
I would switch to chaeto as well, simply because it is slightly more effective at nutrient export than most Caulerpa. Also, I like the idea that chaeto isn't as invasive as all Caulerpa.
I'm an advocate of water changes, so I'd say, heack, do a water change, it never hurts.

 

[ReefTECK]

you know I have a baseball size clump of cheato but, it doesn't seem to be growing at all! I'm not very impressed with the stuff thus far. I dose magnesium regularly and a supplement including iron.

So I thought that would be enough, but I really wonder if the phosphates aren't a contributing factor to growth inhibition. Because the caulerpa blew up when I removed my phoslock media for a couple of weeks.

Thanks for your input guys, and if somebody has some suggestion on getting cheato to take off, lemme kno.

ltz,
andy

 

[Electrobes]

You really should do a water change, especially if your culerpa went sexual. It dumping it's contents into the water column is never good, no matter how big one's skimmer is.

I'd also recommend running a little carbon to help filter out some of it's toxins, if you haven't already.

As for the chaeto it's mere speculation but my guess would be that the culerpa is out-competing your chaeto. I do suggest removing your culerpa all-together and sticking with just chaeto or something similar. I suggest this not only because I think chaeto will grow much better with this done, but risking any culerpa pieces going into the main display would definitely put fear in me.

I'm not sure about your additions helping out chaeto.. have you looked into Randy's posted article links in the chemistry section? They speak of certain additives helping while others not so much when it comes to refugium plants.

 

[Amoore311]

Ditto on the Carbon and Water Change.

I'd pull that crap out as well and just stick w/ the Chaeto.

How do you run your photo period?

I was reading on here a while ago if you interrupt the "lights out" period on the fuge w/ an hour of light, it will eliminate the chance of the culerpa go sexual. No first hand experience with this though, Culerpa is cause for more problems than it's worth.

 

[ReefTECK]

Yeah I did the carbon so far, I'll think about axing the caulerpa all together, I just like the way it looks so much better, but I suppose....

Good suggestion, I'm gonna go scoot through Randy's archives now. See ya guys, thanks for checkin' up on me! lol

Yeah and about it in the main tank, I'm already terrified, as I am already fighting aptasia, and these really obnoxious calcareous tube like barnacles, I have no idea what they are.

wish me luck!

ltz,
andy

 

[Amoore311]

and these really obnoxious calcareous tube like barnacles

Do they cast out a little mucus net when you blow off the rocks? If so I haven't found anything to get rid of em. Mine aren't that big of a problem though so I just leave em be.