[obring]

I got some SeaGrapes for my tank and they do well enough...but... is there a supplier for some other kind of salt water plants? I saw this fern like plant in a tank once...but the local LFS is really a pain in the butt!~

[eses]

Flying Fish Express (www.ffexpress.com) sells varieties of Caulerpa that may of be of interest to you. The feather variety grows especially fast and is rather rewarding as far as plants go. It perhapes may be what your refering to as a fern-type. It has fawn-type leaves, and it grows much like Ivy only "bushier."

The only down side to the feather caulerpa is it requires you to cut it back often or it will easily become a nuisance.

[obring]

Thanks! I am sure that is what it is. I already have to cut back the seagrapes almost every three-four weeks. The main reason i dont like the seagrapes is becasue of the "milky" stuff they put out if i am a little late at cutting back the parts that are ready for repro... otherwise I like the look.

[David]

obring- I don't know where you are in Florida but drive to the coast and collect some macro's! Well, that's what I'd do anyway. That fern-like stuff may be Caulerpa taxifolia, you probably don't want it. To say it's prolific would be an understatement. The biggest problem is that you can't pull it out in clumps or bunches like C. racemosa, it's practically a leaf by leaf experience. I'm very curious about the "milky" excretions from your seagrape algae (racemosa I assume?). I have been cultivating this algae for over a year now and have never seen that. I do experience "cellophane" die off on occasion and notice a real difference in growth rates as seasons change, or maybe as my tanks mature, not sure. Please give more detail, inquiring minds want to know!

[obring]

Okay... now please do not hold any of this against me, since there is a lot of "someone told me" and "I read it somewhere". I am no expert, just someone who has gotten hooked and wants to learn. My tank is seven months old. I got the Sea Grapes (at least that is what the local LFS called it, and THAT LFS also called some Flame Scallops “Flame Clams”) when the tank was about four months old. They did great! One morning I woke up to a milky white tank and of course I died three times! I water changed (had water ready, thanks the good Lord in heavens) for three consecutive days took care of the problem, although I had no clue what it was. Someone told me that it could have been the Condy anemones or the caulerpa reproducing. Yeah right! I kept the caulerpa at check and the anemones went back to the LFS (who did not want to give me a refund, but was more than happy to take them back). Then about a week and a half ago, while doing a detail visual on the tank, I found a clump that I must have missed on back of the tank, when all of a sudden the bulbs started busting with a milky stuff. It was a cool sight, but one I don’t particularly care for on the tank, so I took the clump out. I read somewhere (I need to keep track of where and when I find info on the tank) that caulerpa will occasionally do this (it is asexual reproduction) and that it may be caused by water chemistry, although my tank readings have been steady and within normal parameters. Now I keep the caulerpa in close check. It looks great though and it is worth the effort.

By the way, I live in WInter Haven, Florida. Have thought about doing what you said... but dont know what it would be wise to bring. For instance, I did not know about the "leaf by leaf" on the macro you mentioned.,.. which woiuld be a horrioble thing to discover once they are established in my tank!

I have some pictures on a page i made..they are not great, but will look into getting better ones. I am still learning!


http://hometown.aol.com/obring/myhom...watertank.html

[ranaman]

Ah, the name of the place might be Pet World? Anyhow you can get some macro algae from Hawaii from Indo-pacific seafarms. http://www.ipsf.com or just the red OGO from stockly's http://www.ecosaqua.com
Most of grape caulerpa is collected in tampa bay and it might be already programed to sexual. When you find caullerpa growing in the wild it is not in clumps but leaves on a long rhizome.
BTW have you ever gone to PETS AND SHELLS in Kissimmee, Linda who owns it used to work at Pet world. THey are on Hwy 192 across from Medivial Times and Walmart. New fish day is tuesday around 6pm, and she does special orders

[eses]

The white cloud may be the plant trying to reproduce. I went through the same thing with my feather caulerpa. I would allow it to grow until it was basically out of control, and wake up in the morning to find my tank looking like it was full of milk. I have learned since then it will do it when you've got them in a day/night schedule, or when it has run out of nutrients or space to grow. Generous pruning has kept mine going in the main tank just fine, and I've moved most of mine to the sump.

Its a pity your clear out in Florida (I'm in Washington) or I would trade you a healthy amount for your grape caulerpa. I can't manage to get it to grow without the crabs or something else damaging it before it is big enough to support itself. I am at the moment cultivating it in what was my quarantine tank.

This may also help you, I found with the feather caulerpa (sorry for just using generic names, I don't know the scientific) I have found that using pleanty of plant food with lots of light makes it grow very quickly (duh) but I also prune it back much more than I ever did. It now grows quicker, larger, and hasn't nuked anything yet.

[Abet]

Hello Obring,
As you have found out keeping caulerpa can be a good and a bad experience. It can be a good addition to your tank if you prune it regularly. I keep razor caulerpa and I just have to prune it at least once a month. It will go sexual if not pruned for over two months
I would not add any algae that I find off the beaches simply because Im not sure what I am going to get with it.
I bought my razor from InlandAquatics.com