How much light does Prolifera Caulerpa need?

Medium light, around 40–60 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of PAR. Watts are not comparable between fixtures; PAR is. If the manufacturer does not publish PAR, pick one band lower than the tank depth suggests.

Does Prolifera Caulerpa need CO₂?

No. Marked "not needed": it grows normally in a tank with no CO₂ at all. These are usually slow growers that are also forgiving about light.

What water does Prolifera Caulerpa want?

22–28 °C, pH 8–8.4, 7–12 dGH. At 5 dGH wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.

How fast does Prolifera Caulerpa grow, and where does it go?

Growth rate: fast. Placement: background / specimen. Substrate: substrate optional, reaching about 8–25 cm. Difficulty: moderate.

G-02 / 24Marine

Prolifera Caulerpa羽毛藻

Caulerpa prolifera · Caulerpaceae

A fast caulerpa that strips nutrients effectively but runs across the substrate like a creeping plant.

Illustration to come

G-02 / 24 · Prolifera Caulerpa Caulerpa prolifera

SpecificationsPlant atlas

Name: 羽毛藻
Scientific name: Caulerpa prolifera
Family: Caulerpaceae
Origin: Sandy and muddy bottoms of the western Atlantic and the Mediterranean
Light: Medium light
PAR: 40–60
CO₂: Not needed
Hardness: 7–12 dGH
Growth: Fast
Placement: Background / Specimen
Substrate: Substrate optional
Height: 8–25 cm
Level: Moderate

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.22–28 °C

pH8–8.4

Salinity1.023–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–12 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Growing notes

1It spreads by rhizome over sand or live rock at a few centimetres a week, so isolate it or pull it regularly.
2A sudden change in temperature, salinity or light makes a colony release gametes, clouding the tank overnight and leaving the parent to die back.
3Harvest by pulling whole lengths of rhizome; stumps left behind by leaf-only trimming simply regrow.
4Eight to ten hours of light with medium flow suits it, and in dead spots blue-green algae coats it.
5Caulerpa releases metabolites that suppress corals and any fragment regrows quickly, so keep it out of the display rockwork.

Frequently asked questions

How much light does Prolifera Caulerpa need?: Medium light, around 40–60 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of PAR. Watts are not comparable between fixtures; PAR is. If the manufacturer does not publish PAR, pick one band lower than the tank depth suggests.
Does Prolifera Caulerpa need CO₂?: No. Marked "not needed": it grows normally in a tank with no CO₂ at all. These are usually slow growers that are also forgiving about light.
What water does Prolifera Caulerpa want?: 22–28 °C, pH 8–8.4, 7–12 dGH. At 5 dGH wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.
How fast does Prolifera Caulerpa grow, and where does it go?: Growth rate: fast. Placement: background / specimen. Substrate: substrate optional, reaching about 8–25 cm. Difficulty: moderate.