Caulerpa Dedicated Tank

[sbash]

Hi Everybody!

Primarily, I need to create a quarantine tank for macro algae, largely just to eliminate ich and other such fish diseases from macros I buy from people.

A secondary purpose will be to grow macros out in bulk. I am picking up a couple caulepras in a couple days (no contact protocols will be applied, don't worry), and want to grow them out over the next three months; before introducing them into other tanks.

I'll be setting up a 20L for this project, with a 300w (dimmable, lol, of course) grow light. With a layer of live rock on the bottom, possibly rubble, whatver small pieces I can pull out of my live rock tank I suppose. I'll start the light on low and ramp it up over a couple weeks.

What should I feed it? Straight ammonia, plant food, fish food?
I'll want to end up with a 24 hours light cycle, should I start with a 12 and 12 and slowly increase it?
Does anyone have examples of similar tanks?

Eventually I'll want to tie this into my clownfish system, which is cycled via fluidized sand, so nitrates are a battle (hoping the macro grow out will con

 

[kput]

I imagine you'd need to dose nitrate and phosphate, possibly others depending on the algae?

 

[Mr Fishface]

Was everything in the clownfish tank quarantined and treated? If your confident its free of disease you could do semi requent water changes on the tanks. Use the clown water for the tank with macros to feed your nitrate and phosphate. Otherwise you'll want to introduce those some way into the macro tank. Could ghost feed and let food decompose into nutes for the algae or dose the nitrate and phos directly. Even if you choose to dose directly it might still be beneficial to put a little food every now and then there. If i remember correctly here, they do intake small parts of ammonia before its converted.

As far as light schedule just start with what you want. I've startes my caulerpa on 24/7 and later reduced down to like 12 hours. Never had any problems. The biggest point of concern is the nutes here. Without actively feeding things the nutes will be low, and increased light wont do anything at all. At some point you're more likely to starve it. If nutes are real high in clown tank, even a 1g water change daily would prob work well. While slowly bringing levels down for the clowns the algae slowly comes up.

I would start your big light lower and ramp up. I went fron a cfl bulb to a 150w led plant grow light and my caulerpa prolifera died back a bit before it took off and exploded with growth. Depending on that light it comes from, don't be surprised if that still happens.

Got lots of experience with caulerpas. I'm getting set up to turn my 125g into just algae and sea grass. Love algae.

 

[sbash]

Was everything in the clownfish tank quarantined and treated? If your confident its free of disease you could do semi requent water changes on the tanks. Use the clown water for the tank with macros to feed your nitrate and phosphate. Otherwise you'll want to introduce those some way into the macro tank. Could ghost feed and let food decompose into nutes for the algae or dose the nitrate and phos directly. Even if you choose to dose directly it might still be beneficial to put a little food every now and then there. If i remember correctly here, they do intake small parts of ammonia before its converted.

Yes, the clowns are all captive bread and have never touched another system, so theoretically should be as clean and disease free as you can get. Using the clown water as food is a good idea. My biggest concern is the initial die off, with a fresh tank (literally setting it up today), there will not be a whole lot of nutrients in the water.

As far as light schedule just start with what you want. I've startes my caulerpa on 24/7 and later reduced down to like 12 hours. Never had any problems. The biggest point of concern is the nutes here. Without actively feeding things the nutes will be low, and increased light wont do anything at all. At some point you're more likely to starve it. If nutes are real high in clown tank, even a 1g water change daily would prob work well. While slowly bringing levels down for the clowns the algae slowly comes up.

Great info, thanks!

I would start your big light lower and ramp up. I went fron a cfl bulb to a 150w led plant grow light and my caulerpa prolifera died back a bit before it took off and exploded with growth. Depending on that light it comes from, don't be surprised if that still happens.

I have also experienced this, it's nice to have that confirmed, thanks!

Got lots of experience with caulerpas. I'm getting set up to turn my 125g into just algae and sea grass. Love algae.

Amazing!

 

[Mr Fishface]

Yes, the clowns are all captive bread and have never touched another system, so theoretically should be as clean and disease free as you can get. Using the clown water as food is a good idea. My biggest concern is the initial die off, with a fresh tank (literally setting it up today), there will not be a whole lot of nutrients in the water.

Yeah I would personally put a few gallons of water from clown tank to macro tank as soon as you can. Is the algae getting shipped or is it local pick up? If shipped there might be a small die off to feed the nutes too but if local pick up i wouldn't think of any issues.
Even putting the algae in a fresh totally nutrient devoid tank it'll take a bit to die off. Won't be an instant thing.

I'm actually setting up some experiments now to see how long my caulerpa can last in different situations. Like no light for different periods of time, no nutrients added, in room temp water; just a few examples. Gonna be interesting to see how some of these results play out.

 

[Cstar_BC]

This is my quarantine tank - I have cut down that caulerpa every 3-4 weeks .

Lights t5 , white bulbs . On roughly 12hrs

 

[sbash]

Yeah I would personally put a few gallons of water from clown tank to macro tank as soon as you can. Is the algae getting shipped or is it local pick up? If shipped there might be a small die off to feed the nutes too but if local pick up i wouldn't think of any issues.
Even putting the algae in a fresh totally nutrient devoid tank it'll take a bit to die off. Won't be an instant thing.

I'm actually setting up some experiments now to see how long my caulerpa can last in different situations. Like no light for different periods of time, no nutrients added, in room temp water; just a few examples. Gonna be interesting to see how some of these results play out.

It's a local pickup, so it will be in a bag for just over an hour. I did just order a couple others online, but yes, I expect minimal die off for the local stuff.

What are you feeding the tank? It would be good to see your experiments!

 

[sbash]

This is my quarantine tank - I have cut down that caulerpa every 3-4 weeks .

Lights t5 , white bulbs . On roughly 12hrs

That's crazy growth! I put a couple small pieces of feather caulerpa in my QT the other day to see if the tang would eat it. I just noticed today it is growing like mad! (Obviously the tang didn't want it, lol)

 

[Cstar_BC]

That's crazy growth! I put a couple small pieces of feather caulerpa in my QT the other day to see if the tang would eat it. I just noticed today it is growing like mad! (Obviously the tang didn't want it, lol)

It honestly grows like a ninja . Nothing , nothing , and then bam one day it’s huge .

Also - it will literally do everything in its power to root into some rock and then forget it , I have some in my display that I can’t move now