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

[Susan]

I have recently been fighting some Caulerpa patches(firn like look) and a little hair algae in my 28 nano. In efforts to get this potiential problem remediated before it gets out of hand I am needing some guidance. My snails (turbos, nerites, cerith), crabs (scarlet red and blue leg), and tail spot blenny do not touch the stuff. My Phosphates and nitrates are at 0 from tests (Salifert). Lighting is on about 10-11 hrs using the stock 28nano LED from JBJ. I have tried pulling it out to no avail, and when pulling it out if some gets loose it re-attaches elsewhere (no fun). I have been running a media reactor with Seachem SeaGel, media basket with purigen and sponges, and a fuge with Cheato in there. I currently have my 9002 skimmer out of the tank and the media basket in there. I do weekly 4 gallon water changes with reef crystals keeping the tank PH between 7.85-8.2 and salinity at 1.025-.026. I feed my three fish every other day small amounts of food (Oce Clownfish, tailspot blenny, and two spot hogfish).

I have considered a small yellow tank or a small rabbitfish for a little while to keep the stuff in check, but I am reluctant to due to the small space, hence small and little while being noted. I have also considered getting a Coral Beauty, but not sure that it will touch the stuff either and it might take advantage of some of my SPS's/other small polyps?

Any other help and suggestions is greatly appreaciated. Is my above fish option a viable one for a temporary period?

[brdsti]

I have some grape caulerpa in my sump that I have been trying to keep in check (and hopefully get rid of) by regularly pruning it. This past weekend I screwed up and didn't think to turn off the return pump while doing this. The return pump sucked up a big chunk of the caulerpa and shot green slurry into the display. My tank currently has no livestock and no lights over it (I am still in the process of building the hood), the only thing in there is LR.

My Question:

I am terrified the green slurry of caulerpa is going to infest my display. Since there is no livestock in the tank, can I just cover the tank to keep out light and keep the spores and chunks of caulerpa from growing? If so, how long should it be in darkness to ensure the stuff is dead? How dark does it need to be? I currently have it covered with a doubled up thick painting canvas and a few black trash bags. When I peek in it is not completely dark, but probably the best I can do.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!