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Caulerpa
- Thread starter 7santiago
- Start date
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
7,
What is the issue with the tank being full of Caulerpa? Aesthetic? Overgrowing other inhabitants? Yellowing water?
Finding a fish that will eat Caulerpa is a bit hit and miss.
There are some species of Tang and Rabbit Fish that have the odd individual who will eat it, but there is no rule to that any one species will always go it. I had a pair a Blue Tangs that like it but my Sailfin Tang would not touch the stuff.
You should also consider that Caulerpa is toxic to fish if enough is consumed. However, I will admit to never having heard of a fish ‘knowingly’ dying from it.
CEL's point is somewhat relative. If you have an excess nutrient issue, removal of all of the Caulerpa may result in another form of algae taking its place. However, Caulerpa will grow quite well in low nutrient water. So its presence does not necessarily indicate that you have a high nutrient issue.
As is always the case with marine aquariums, there is no set rule, and every system will respond differently to changes.
Just as a side point…. Here in the State of Victoria Australia, Caulerpa taxifolia have been listed as a noxious weed. As of early this year it is illegal to sell or even have it in your aquarium.
AJ
What is the issue with the tank being full of Caulerpa? Aesthetic? Overgrowing other inhabitants? Yellowing water?
Finding a fish that will eat Caulerpa is a bit hit and miss.
There are some species of Tang and Rabbit Fish that have the odd individual who will eat it, but there is no rule to that any one species will always go it. I had a pair a Blue Tangs that like it but my Sailfin Tang would not touch the stuff.
You should also consider that Caulerpa is toxic to fish if enough is consumed. However, I will admit to never having heard of a fish ‘knowingly’ dying from it.
CEL's point is somewhat relative. If you have an excess nutrient issue, removal of all of the Caulerpa may result in another form of algae taking its place. However, Caulerpa will grow quite well in low nutrient water. So its presence does not necessarily indicate that you have a high nutrient issue.
As is always the case with marine aquariums, there is no set rule, and every system will respond differently to changes.
Just as a side point…. Here in the State of Victoria Australia, Caulerpa taxifolia have been listed as a noxious weed. As of early this year it is illegal to sell or even have it in your aquarium.
AJ
Clint
Stay chooned in for more!
well this is way late of course...
But Cualerpa is nasty stuff.
1) it can go sexual (which means it dissolves into a bunch of reproductive cells) when this happens you can kiss everything in the tank good bye.
2) it is noxious
How do you control it?
Get in there, rip as much of it out as you can. every last shred you can get your fingers on.
Do a massive water change.
Biological control of Caulerpa is almost impossibe - if there is something else palatable for a grazer, its gonna go for it.
you may have luck with Elysia subornata, a sea slug that eats caulerpa if you can find it, but I find that doubtful.
The only way I have ever heard of it being eliminated from a tank is the old fashion way.
pull your rocks, remove your coral put in a holding tank. Manually remove all the cualerpa, brush your rocks with a stiff bristle rock.
If you have a sand substrate, bye bye, replace it it only takes a shred of this stuff to restart.
Rebuild the tank, and keep your nutrient levels nearly non existent to keep it from gaining a foothold again.
Your other option is to remove everything you want to live, and deny the tank light for a week or 2 until everything becomes a noxious soup. drain it, re-cure your rock, and start over.
But Cualerpa is nasty stuff.
1) it can go sexual (which means it dissolves into a bunch of reproductive cells) when this happens you can kiss everything in the tank good bye.
2) it is noxious
How do you control it?
Get in there, rip as much of it out as you can. every last shred you can get your fingers on.
Do a massive water change.
Biological control of Caulerpa is almost impossibe - if there is something else palatable for a grazer, its gonna go for it.
you may have luck with Elysia subornata, a sea slug that eats caulerpa if you can find it, but I find that doubtful.
The only way I have ever heard of it being eliminated from a tank is the old fashion way.
pull your rocks, remove your coral put in a holding tank. Manually remove all the cualerpa, brush your rocks with a stiff bristle rock.
If you have a sand substrate, bye bye, replace it it only takes a shred of this stuff to restart.
Rebuild the tank, and keep your nutrient levels nearly non existent to keep it from gaining a foothold again.
Your other option is to remove everything you want to live, and deny the tank light for a week or 2 until everything becomes a noxious soup. drain it, re-cure your rock, and start over.
