Caulerpa Crash?

[efrank]

I was reading in the Arc. that people have had experiences where Caulerpa die off has killed snails and inverts. Is this true? I know you should trim it back but when the tips turn white is it OK to leave it in your main tank or is it an absolute must that you get it out. I have had grape Caulerpa in my tank for a month and it hasn't grown at all. Blue legs keep it in check.

 

[kris walker]

I've heard the same thing, but when I allowed my caulerpa to overgrow, get spiny, turn white, then cloud the tank's water, nothing died. I guess it depends on other things as well.
kris

 

[efrank]

Anyone else heard of this?

 

[robster]

Yes i had a die off in my fish only tank and the caulerpa died fast one huge clump cant remember what kind it was spiny stuff the fish wont eat.died overnite woke up tank water was brown.boy was i pissed took a few days and water changes to clear it up,did not kill my african star fish or any thing else.

 

[nm reef]

I have heard of major problems with caulperas going sexual. Any thing from cloudy water to loss of critters. I have a ton of the stuff in my refugium. To keep things in check I keep lights on 24/7(its supposed to help prevent it from going sexual)...normally at least once a day I prune some of the white tips and toss 'em...on the average of once a week I remove a large portion and toss it...maybe once a month I bag some up and take it to a LFS that gives me purchase credit( they in turn re-sale it). I think the important thing is to monitor it and do whats needed to keep it in check...if it does go sexual water changes and carbon has been reported to help.

 

[nacl-h2o]

When caulerpa turns white and dies in a day or two clouding the tank white its called going sexual. The cualerpa is trying to reproduce. The cloud is gametes. This will clear. Some types do it more frquintly than others. Sometimes the tank is not capable of hadling it. I've had it happen many times, but its never been a problem. Keep your caulerpa trimed and make sure its not all one plant. If its all connected, it all goes at once. having several differnt species is also good.