Bioindicators

[Subsea]

After 55 years of reefing, I don’t test much; I observe. I am fascinated with the ebb of flow of our ecosystems. As I peer into their micro world, it amazes me as to the complexity of biofiltration. In recalling a verse from a Beatles song “With a little help from our friends”, I lift up the flame scallop and Caulerpa Paspoides:

Flame Scallops are quite sensitive to water quality. They are the first to let me know when things are off.

Caulerpa Paspoides is my bioindicator for inorganic nutrients and trace minerals. At the moment, the slight increasing of white along the ends of some fronds tells me that nitrogen is limited. This white is a precursor to the seaweed going sexual.

My interpretation of a Caribbean lagoon.

 

[rayadog]

How often do you have to replace your test kits? I didn’t think Flame scallops had a great natural longevity as I’ve read.

 

[Subsea]

How often do you have to replace your test kits? I didn’t think Flame scallops had a great natural longevity as I’ve read.

I have unopened test kits with expiation dates.

With flame scallops, I get about 2 years, then they expire.

 

[BryanM]

I don't know if I will ever get this much experience where I can just tell whats happening by looking at the tank, but it is aspirational!

 

[Subsea]

I don't know if I will ever get this much experience where I can just tell whats happening by looking at the tank, but it is aspirational!

“Nobel Prize-winning Danish physicist Niels Bohr. He famously defined an expert as "a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field". [1, 2, 3]
Bohr used this definition to emphasize that true expertise and mastery are not achieved by simply knowing everything perfectly. Instead, experts gain their deep practical knowledge through trial, error, and overcoming every possible failure within their specific subject. [1]”

Bryon,
It helps that my corals are softies and don’t require steady state conditions. I focus on diverse food webs using diver collected live rock, cryptic refugium, and reverse flow UG filter. For me, I seek balancing livestock that compliments the marine community with function of behavior and ascetics.

 

[EnterName]

Caulerpa Paspoides is my bioindicator for inorganic nutrients and trace minerals. At the moment, the slight increasing of white along the ends of some fronds tells me that nitrogen is limited. This white is a precursor to the seaweed going sexual.

Is nitrogen limitation actually the trigger for C. Paspoides starting sexual reproduction?

I know that the whitening indicates the upcoming release of gametes, as this is well documented, but I'm not able to find anything on a nitrogen limitation triggering gametogenesis.

 

[Subsea]

Is nitrogen limitation actually the trigger for C. Paspoides starting sexual reproduction?

I know that the whitening indicates the upcoming release of gametes, as this is well documented, but I'm not able to find anything on a nitrogen limitation triggering gametogenesis.

“Releasing gametes” is the technical description of “going sexual”.

There are differrent degrees of going sexual. My first experience entailed Caulerpa Prolifera & Caulerpa Paspoides growing under 1000W MH over 150G tank. Both were growing fast and water clarity was stellar when I went to bed. In the morning, I could not see the back glass. It didn’t take an ICP test in the morning to tell me what happened and why. I continue operating my Caribbean lagoon in a similar fashion, except the lights are much less.

 

[EnterName]

Is nitrogen limitation actually the trigger for C. Paspoides starting sexual reproduction?

I know that the whitening indicates the upcoming release of gametes, as this is well documented, but I'm not able to find anything on a nitrogen limitation triggering gametogenesis.

“Releasing gametes” is the technical description of “going sexual”.

Yes, I know.
I was asking if low nitrogen triggers this because you said you use this as an indicator. I might have phrased my question weird, sorry.

 

[Subsea]

Yes, I know.
I was asking if low nitrogen triggers this because you said you use this as an indicator. I might have phrased my question weird, sorry.

In my experiences, when fast growing seaweeds become nitrogen limited, they deteriorate and release gamets as a survival technique.

PS: I consistently add ammonia to maintain nitrogen in this display.

 

[EnterName]

Yes, I know.
I was asking if low nitrogen triggers this because you said you use this as an indicator. I might have phrased my question weird, sorry.

In my experiences, when fast growing seaweeds become nitrogen limited, they deteriorate and release gamets as a survival technique.

PS: I consistently add ammonia to maintain nitrogen in this display.

Hm okay, I mean I started ammonia dosing a while ago myself but even with nitrate levels below 1ppm I wasn't able to tell if I actually had a nitrogen limitation, as natural sea levels are far lower. Maybe it's not a survival technique, but they are actually happy that now the nitrogen supply fits their natural environment which optimizes the reproduction success rate?

I doubt this applies to caulerpa, but some other organisms also start spawning depending on the moon phase as having all organisms spawn at the same time increases the chance of actually fertilizing something. Maybe dropping below a nitrate threshold is this trigger point for them even though they are still far from being limited by nitrogen.