Best lighting for Calerpa algae?

[sdaccord03]

What is the best lighting spectrum for calerpa algae (actually the girl at the store called it Califera) but anyways should I go with a 10,000K white or an actinic blue bulb? Any advice would be great. Thanks!

Jimmy

 

[ZoozFishMaster]

From my experience, caulerpa will grow under any light. I had caulerpa prolifera grow when only receiving light from the room.

 

[makana]

caulerpa sucks. use chaetomorpha - it is nontoxic, nonsexual, and just as good at removing nitrates and phosphates. plus it is easier to prune than stinky ol' caulerpa.

HTH

 

[makana]

AND chaeto provides an ideal place for microfauna to thrive and is a great host for bacteria that breakdown ammonia and nitrite.

 

[something_fishy]

I had 2 types of caulerpa, feather and razor, they both did extremely well under full spectrum and actinic combined. They really love the actinic though. Mine did great, escpecially the feather caulerpa until my emerald crabs decided to eat all of it, ALL OF IT, EVERY STINKING BIT OF IT. So, don't have emerald crabs if you want feather caulerpa...

 

[loganj]

I'd say, if you only have one bulb over it, anything from 6.5k to 10k would do great. If you can have two bulbs, an actinic couldn't hurt anything. It doesn't take a lot of light though...NO bulbs will do fine.

 

[indy]

Use a plant bulb and a metal flood hood, about $10-$12 total at walmart. It has no specific lighting requirements and will grow with just about any amount of light. I used to use a 13w fl. strip plan bulb and it grew like crazy in a 10g tank. I'm using a 65w normal plant bulb now and it grows even better.