caulerpa in DT

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eric b 125

Guest
i just discovered that i have a 6" string of caulerpa growing in my DT, which is odd because i dont have (nor have i ever had) caulerpa in my fuge.
is it okay to just pull it off the rock on which it is growing? or is there some sort of chant i have to do before doing so?
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric B 125 http:///forum/thread/385748/caulerpa-in-dt#post_3384503
i just discovered that i have a 6" string of caulerpa growing in my DT, which is odd because i dont have (nor have i ever had) caulerpa in my fuge.
is it okay to just pull it off the rock on which it is growing? or is there some sort of chant i have to do before doing so?
You can pull it right out. Why not let it grow?
 
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eric b 125

Guest
idk, i just dont want it in my DT. i have a bunch of chaeto in my fuge. i never wanted caulerpa in my system at all, because of it's tendency to spread fast. it is kind of pretty, but from what i understand it can become a hassle
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
In my opinion best to get it while you can. You are correct is will spread in the display very quickly and will be a source of the constant need to harvest. The more it grows the more runners it will create and the harder it is to get rid of because every runner you break off a new one will grow from the small piece left attached to the rock.
If you like it you can keep pulling it out (harvesting it) as a good way to keep nitrates in check but IME it gets crazy really fast and is a pain to keep in check.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
So my hatred for caulerpa! Haha
I think I'm one of the few people that really doesn't have issues with it. I barely harvest, although my tangs merlot in check in the DT and I have found it to remove nitrates and phosphates much more effectively than chaeto.
 
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eric b 125

Guest
i tried pulling it out. it's already deeply rooted into the rock. i made the idiot mistake of not turning off my powerheads before trying to uproot it, so now i'm sure i've just compounded the problem by spreading it to every corner of my tank. i have a yellow tang and blue hippo in there, but i dont think they pay it much mind.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
All my calipura disapeard from my sump when I was in GA getting the new bus. I have since found it growing in the DT on a few pieces of rock. None of my fish are eating it. I am not sure about the snails. I have found that the mexican turbos I got from SWF.com love "bonsai" tree algea and I no longer have any "bonsai" trees in my tank. I think it was them who also like the bubble algea I have (good red kind) and I have that growing in spades all over.
 
fishhunter

fishhunter

Member
Ya I got some of the grape kind in my tank but I bought a Naso vlamingi tang its young and around 5" But he has been kicking the crap out of it. I am going to get a foxface as well when the dealer gets one in as I hear they are really good for that! t ang t
Oh BTW I have a 125 G long tank. So it shouldnt over grow it.
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
having it in your tank isnt a bad thing as long as u harvest it every few weeks. i have some in some softie tank, and no other kind of algae is visibily present. caulerpa is one the best nutrient absorbing algae out there.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
+1 nycob
I actually added it to one of my fuges and my other tank i rubberbanded it down to some rock. LFS said just pluck it every now and again. Grows quick though, this is the bubble algae looking stuff correct? stringy though
I got it to try and feed my blenny with it!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
There are quite a few different types of caulerpa. The "bubble" kind is grape caulerpa, and IMO is not as intrusive as Caulerpa prolifera.
 
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abeandlulu

Guest
I have caulpera in the fuges of my 90 and 265 gallon and have it growing in my daughters 29 gallon tank. My urchins LOVE it. I have one in each fuge and I will take one out and put it in my daughters tank when it get out of control.
 
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saxman

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by fishhunter http:///forum/thread/385748/caulerpa-in-dt#post_3384812
Ya I got some of the grape kind in my tank but I bought a Naso vlamingi tang its young and around 5" But he has been kicking the crap out of it. I am going to get a foxface as well when the dealer gets one in as I hear they are really good for that! t ang t
Oh BTW I have a 125 G long tank. So it shouldnt over grow it.
N. vlamingii will definitely outgrow a 125.
As for Caulerpa sp. and other macro algae in the DT, we're big fans, and it's just a matter of pruning it back when you do your regular tank chores. Be sure to freeze any prunings you don't reuse for 24 hrs to kill the cells prior to disposal (just toss them in a ziploc and stick them in the freezer).
 
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saxman

Guest
Yeppers...Henry is right. We don't want the stuff to end up anywhere it doesn't belong.
Some of the species we keep are illegal where we live, but we go to great lengths to contain it within our home.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
hmm this i did not know! Thxs for the info, i couldnt have imagined an algae spreading and doing so much damage....lucky for me my emeralds love it! If i ever do want to throw it away, i will deff freeze it first to make sure the cells are dead thxs!
 
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