Marine plants

[mansiz]

I'm wondering if marine plants really release nutrients back to the tank water if they are not harvest? Lets take PO4 for example, if a plant were to take in PO4, it will take in and convert it to phosphorus and 4 oxygen atoms. But heard that if we don't harvest them, they will actually release back the PO4 into the water again. Is it true?

[big_ben102000]

i dont think so .. wat happens to the remainings after harvest ?

i think they have to trim often so that the algae can grow at their optimum rate thus absorbing as much PO4 ... nitrate etc as possible.. if they are left there untouch, the compartment will eventually fill up with alage and there wont be enough space for them to grow properly, therefore the levels of unwanted nutrients gets accumilated again, which result in increasing levels when water are tested.

thats juz my theory

cheers

[mansiz]

oh so trimming is the key. but mine is calerpa (maybe wrong spelling ), can I cut them?

[Dazza]

chk with bro Bob lah... Hes got the most impressive caulerpa forest I've ever seen

[mansiz]

Who is bro bob? Bro Bob can help me?

[Bob]

Hi there Mansiz,

Is your caulerpa algae a fern or grape?

As a matter in fact they have afew species under caulerpa.

As for trimming ,i usually my finger & crush the vine till it breaks.If you cut them,they will produce a white slime which could cloud the water.

FYI,

if it is a fern caulerpa,try not to trim as often as they are very sensitive.

Trim a vine or two & then stop for a few days .Do not trim like 50% at one goal.

Notice that a few vine started to rot (die) just after trimming.

Which is why i try to avoid fern.

[mansiz]

Hi Bro Bob. Mine one is fern. Then if i have to aviod trimming, do I still need to harvest? Or I can just leave them there? Is there such a thing that once they got or store enough nutrients, they stop taking in? Do you have any pictures of grape caulerpa? Cas last time I use to have them, they are a lot more expensive than the fern type, thats why I bought the fern. But the grape type like cannot last long ler, one month becomes white liao. Btw, my T8 white light is on 24/7 for the plants (in the sump). Is it ok?

[MoZuKa]

Is this a fern caulerpa?

[M4rk4nth]

Ya thats the fern... Don't know why but I never seem to be able to keep calerpa... all species of it... always become white or receed in 2weeks.

but Cheato and red Macro algae seems to do fine in my system though.

[Bob]

Hi Mansiz,

They do need some nutrient to thrive but not 'store nutrient'.The more they grow,the more nutrients it absorbs.

I would not recomend 24/7 light on the refuge.Got no comment as i don't use refuge.But i felt that it should be as natural as possible like 11-12 hrs? BTW If your algae can thrive,then you probably you have lots of pods which i think they need ' Day & Night' like we do.

[Bob]

The normal grape caulerpa close up.

[mansiz]

Oh thats cool. Thats the grape that I bought last time but I was'nt able to keep them for long. But now my fern are growing more and more, like bushes, haha. So for e.g. PO4, will they release the phosphate back to the water or they will convert them to gaseous and release out of the tank? Btw your fern looks healthy, do you give them lots of current? What type of lighting are you using?

[Bob]

They consume PO4 ,its like plants needs fertilizer.

Besides consuming Po4 & nutrients,they commands a good water parameter as a normal reef tank.Like optimal calcuim level,temperature, lighting .

I'm using 3 x 150watt mh,daily replace water evporation with kallwasser & regular water changes.

They also grow on my back of my tank where the water moment is low as long there's light.

[mansiz]

Wow bro bob, no wonder your plants looks so nice. Mine I just gave them a FL, but 24/7. But if I were to put some of it in my main tank, which have a 250 watt MH, do you think it will be too strong for them? My tank is 2 ft dept. And I have 1 yellow tang, 1 purple tang and 1 blue tang, do your think they will eat fern caulerpa? They can finish one whole rock of red bamboo in one day, so wondering if fern is safe. Oh ya, and will fern attack corals?