Is Culpera(sp?) a bad choice?

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PrettyFishies

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Looking to add more macro algae to my fuge in addition to the cheato, red algae, hair and what looks to be some kind of red bubble algae.
 
Red bubble algae is bad because it can get into the display tank however there is a red macro algae that looks a lot like red bubble algae and it red caulerpa it can go sexual and cloud up your tank. Some people have great luck with it others like myself had a problem with it..
 
Best to stay away from caulerpa unless you are running a 24/7 lighting schedule on your fuge. As stated, it has a tendency to go sexual. In addition to lighting, temperature swings can also cause it to go sexual.
 
i've used various types of caulerpa for years with no problems at all. the key is harvesting it before it gets totally overgrown in my experience. i happen to like it better than chaeto because i can toss it in the display and the tangs will eat it.
i run my lighting opposite the display.
 
I run grape calerpa in my fuge. I run my lights in the refuge 24/7. The key is to not let it get too packed in there.
 
This is something im still trying to learn about,i think ive got two different kinds in the fuge, i yanked a gob out last water change seems to grow pretty good on reverse photo ive got it on. Dont know much about goin sexual?which one will the tang eat the long ones with little beads is that the cheato?
 
No prob because I dont know what going sexual means either.

How about red kelp as a macro for nutrients?
 
The term "going sexual" referres to the reproductive stage of the algae in which the macroalgae produces thousands of sexual reproductive spores into the environment and the macro form of the algae typically dies out. This occurs in response to seasonal changes in nature, and therefore changes in lighting and changes in temperature can cause this process to occur. Many who keep these types of macroalgae in fuges attempt to control is process (often successfully for long periods of time) by controlling their lighting scheme (i.e. 24/7 lights on the fuge), ensuring a constant steady temp in the system (minimal fluctations of no more than about 3 degrees), and regular harvesting of the algae. If you have the algae in either a DT or a fuge and it goes sexual, you will know. Your tank will go from looking like this;

img_1685884_0_35c0e3bc0572a510c7da5cbb390669c2.jpg


To looking like this very quickly (usually overnight);
img_1685884_1_90e73d927e1be7bfa8f25b1518f242d6.jpg


This particular event of grape caulerpa going sexual was caused by the failure of a chiller. HTH
 
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