Optimum lighting for caulerpa?

[Tony Quinn]

I have recently been trying to attain the optimum lighting for growing my caulerpa. In the fuge the light it was getting was reflected from the MH's on the show tank. As you can imagine the growth rate was minimal. Last night I put a 10,000K strip light across the fuge with a reflector only for a couple of hours (short spell to acclimatise it) to provide some direct lighting and aid growth. I noticed today that it had started to whiten and have left the light off. What is the lighting requirements necessary to grow caulerpa successfully?

 

[NaCl-H2O]

NO lighting is enough, some lower watt PC work well too. Alot of light is not needed. I use a 36w 10,000k PC under the 72g and 2 30w NO 10,000k under the 125g and have exellent growth in both.

 

[Tony Quinn]

Dan, are you saying I'm using too much lighting, I only have a 15w 10,000K tube over the fuge as I wasn't getting much growth. Is it just an acclimatisation issue when it whitens?

 

[NaCl-H2O]

No, That much light won't harm the caulerpa. If it is turning white, it's either wasn't acclimated right or it's going sexual. Some growth problems are associated with low nitrates, phosphates, iodine or iron. You may need a macro-algae supplement.

 

[Tony Quinn]

My point is that the caulerpa has been in the fuge for a while, it turned white on the ends after just a couple of hours with the new light. My presumption is that the light must have caused the whitening and therefore is it that I have to build up the this new lighting in small increments or was the light too bright? From your response it needs a slower acclimatisation to the new lights, correct? Thanks for your input Dan, I've grown sps corals easier than I've managed caulerpa!!!!

 

[aesop]

If its just white on the end that could just be a growth section.

if the rest of the leaf is still "green" then you are fine. I find that calp in my main tank will do that since there is much more light; whilst the one in the fuge with 13wPC takes forever to grow and doesnt' show the whitish edge.

 

[Tony Quinn]

That could be a valid point. When I returned home last night the white had returned to green, I put the light fuge light on again for 4 hours last night and this morning it had turned white at the ends again. I'll see the state tonight.