Does caulerpa need tooting?

[Pete Hammersley]

Hi, I am not liking the mess that comes with chaeto, I find it too easy to disrupt when doing maintenance in the sump and ends up in the display tank. I have had caulerpa mixed in with the chaeto up to now, but want to go caulerpa alone instead as it is a bit more substantial.
I notice if the caulerpa if given enough time in one corner of the sump in low flow, it will attach to the bottom of the sump glass. Does anyone intentionally attach theirs to stop it moving?
I was thinking of using a cable tie for a week or so to tie a few bits to some rubble, and see if they attach themself. That way it would stop it migrating, let me position it directly under the lights, and still be able to remove to vac the sump periodically.
anybody tried this?

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

If your chaeto is not substantial it sounds like you need either better lighting or more nutrients. For most sumps/fuges it is better lighting. Put one of these over it, and your chaeto and caulerpa will really thrive

 

[TriggerFinger]

It might grow better if there is substrate. Do you have any sand in the fuge? If not, maybe a small dish of sand and then tie the macro to rubble and place in a sand dish?

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Also, if you don't have enough baffles/compartments to separate and keep things in place, you can get cheap plastic containers/shelving a walmart and DIY to meet your needs

 

[Pete Hammersley]

If your chaeto is not substantial it sounds like you need either better lighting or more nutrients. For most sumps/fuges it is better lighting. Put one of these over it, and your chaeto and caulerpa will really thrive

Yeah a better light might help it grow better, but I mostly meant about caulerpa being more substantial as in a big bigger and less likely for it to all break up and spread when it’s disturbed.

 

[Pete Hammersley]

Also, if you don't have enough baffles/compartments to separate and keep things in place, you can get cheap plastic containers/shelving a walmart and DIY to meet your needs

I’m pretty well covered, I’ve got 5 chambers... one for ato, next bio balls and rubble rock, refugium, skimmer and lastly return.
I actually had to do it all twice, because the first time I used acrylic and all the silicone failed after about a month because of how poor the bond is compared to glass.

 

[Pete Hammersley]

It might grow better if there is substrate. Do you have any sand in the fuge? If not, maybe a small dish of sand and then tie the macro to rubble and place in a sand dish?

That’s a good idea, this would help too because I have a bare bottom tank, to the sand might ge a good way of adding surface area for bacteria too.

 

[TriggerFinger]

A little sand might get blown around but you could still move the container and cleanup around it

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Yeah a better light might help it grow better, but I mostly meant about caulerpa being more substantial as in a big bigger and less likely for it to all break up and spread when it’s disturbed.

If the chaeto is thriving it won’t be fragile and break apart. When I harvest mine every two weeks, I rip handfuls out of the pile , and it is not brittle or breaking up