Caulerpa problem

[ilovefish0]

I just got some caleurpa "cant spell".A friend said it will look cool and be a good secondary diet for my tank inhabitants. Well nothing has touched it and its growing like crazy. I have three fish and they are all damsels which i found out from the local store they wont eat the stuff so now im just pissed at my friend and yelling at him doesn't help the problem. Any ways to control the caleurpa, maybe a fish that will eat it or a good pruning method or something. Anything will help/

[Mr.Reefer]

I think a Tang or a Foxface will eat it



Caulerpa is a genus of seaweeds in the family Caulerpaceae (among the green algae). They are unusual because they consist of only one cell with many nuclei, making them among the biggest single cells in the world. A species in the Mediterranean can have a stolon more than 3 metres (9 feet) long, with up to 200 fronds.
Some species (especially C. lentillifera and C. racemosa) are eaten under the names sea grape or green caviar. They have a peppery taste. Seagrapes are eaten in Indonesian cuisine, sometimes fresh, and othertimes coated in sugar. They are raised in Cebu, for domestic consumption in the Philippines as well as export to Japan. Unconfirmed reports claim that the alkaloid Caulerpin found in seagrapes can sometimes cause poisoning.
Another species, C. taxifolia, has become an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, Australia and southern California (where it has been eradicated). It is thought that Caulerpa species capable of surviving in temperate waters are freed from predators, in part contributing to invasive growth. Most Caulerpa species evolved in tropical waters, where herbivores have an immunity to toxic compounds within the alga. Temperate water herbivores have no natural immunity to these toxins, allowing Caulerpa to grow unchecked if introduced to temperate waters.
In U.S. waters, the Mediterranean strain of Caulerpa taxifolia is listed as a federal noxious weed, under the Plant Protection Act. The Aquatic Nuisance Species Taskforce has also created a National Management Plan for the Genus Caulerpa. The state of California also prohibits possession of nine different species of Caulerpa.
Caulerpa is common in the aquarium hobby as a nitrate absorber because of its rapid growth under relatively adverse conditions. It may also be used in refugiums for a long term nitrite absorber. Many introductions of invasive Caulerpa to the wild are thought to have occurred via aquarium dumping.

[ilovefish0]

sweet! i didnt know that MUCH about the stuff

[DJChesnutRabbit]

I have a foxface and a hippo tank and they eat caulpera. I grow it in my fuge as a secondary food source. Bear in mind, you need a good sized tank for most species of these fish, typically 100 gallons or more. Hope that helps.

[DJChesnutRabbit]

Also, bear in mind that racemosa (sp) will go sexual VERY easy and can cause more harm than good. I've had it before and ended up freezing it. Bad stuff !

[ilovefish0]

o im starting to think i just need to take it all out period you guys are scaring me..... im actually in the process of trying to move and the tank i have now is just a starter, a friend from work keeps bugging me about buying his 120 acrylic long and it def does not fit where im at now i was just figureing i could transfer to the larger tank after the move or would it be better to start over and just keep the smaller one seperate? I DO KNOW NOW THAT THERE WILL BE NO CAULERPA IN THE BIG TANK