Calurpa- turns clumpy-lights on 24/7

[fishnugget]

the calurpa in my miracle mud all of a sudden pulled away from their anchors and seems to have all floated to the top in a clump full of protein. what can cause this. Will this always happen.

the inventor of the miracle mud system said that the refugium lights should be on 24/7 to prevent spawning of calurpa into tank. Does anyone know if this is true. Does anyone have success with this system

Help

 

[Unarce]

Running it 24/7 will prolong Caulerpa from going asexual, but it eventually will. I've never used the mud system, but have tried the 24/7 algae thing. I much prefer the opposite photoperiod that I utilize now. I just have a 9W actinic over Chaetomorpha. This species of algae grows extremely fast and does not go asexual.

 

[tangir1]

>...Running it 24/7 will prolong Caulerpa from going asexual, but it eventually will.

Ditto. How the life clock of green algea works is still not well know, and some even doubt that the lighting cycle can influence much of it as well.

 

[danmhippo]

Hmmmm, maybe I haven't run 24/7 long enough, but the longest I've done 24/7 is about 3 years. If I still have my tank, it would make the 5 year mark.

Or maybe I have the cualerpa that is more resistent from going sexual.

 

[cdeakle]

Chaeto is the best, never have to worry about it turning sexual or die off. Should change out your macro.....

 

[Anonymous]

Wait a minute.

Calupera (be it feather, grape, etc) will go snexxual FOR SURE? It's inevitable? The stuff in my tank is a time bomb?

Hmmmmmm

 

[Unarce]

Wait a minute.

Calupera (be it feather, grape, etc) will go snexxual FOR SURE? It's inevitable? The stuff in my tank is a time bomb?

Hmmmmmm

Don't be so dramatic. You're fine as long as you frequently harvest the old growth before it dies off. You just don't have to worry about that if you have Chaetomorpha.

 

[cdeakle]

As long as you keep up on it. There have been tanks that have crashed because of macro die off. Chaeto would be much better.....

 

[pcragg]

Do Nasos eat Chaetomorpha?

 

[Luis]

I had my caulerpa for about 4 years but a month ago it crashed.... there was a temperature swing in the tank and maybe the caulerpa "thought" : change of season let's go sexual! and then I got crazy trying to save her, now I have chaeto, it's better.

 

[Anonymous]

Wait a minute.

Calupera (be it feather, grape, etc) will go snexxual FOR SURE? It's inevitable? The stuff in my tank is a time bomb?

Hmmmmmm

Don't be so dramatic. You're fine as long as you frequently harvest the old growth before it dies off. You just don't have to worry about that if you have Chaetomorpha.

Yeah, I was just gonna say, I used C. taxifolia in my first reef tank for several years, and it NEVER went sexual. I never had any kind of die-off, actually. However! (always a butt with me) I had to prune it at least every two weeks. What is crucial is how you prune it - NEVER ever cut pieces off it, always remove by the holdfasts.