2024 Ohio Reef Frag Swap

2024 flyer

Author Topic: Caulerpa Out of Control  (Read 1098 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline cgrogan

  • Fry
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Caulerpa Out of Control
« on: April 18, 2020, 10:04:38 »
I made the mistake of introducing caulerpa into our 20 gallon tank and now it has taken over. 20 gallons is too small for a tang or foxface. I have an urchin in there but it is not eating a whole lot. The sea hare was recommended but Gerber is out of those. Anybody have a sea hare for sale or loan? Any other ideas? I'm desperate enough to try the API Algaefix but I'm concerned that there will be nothing left for the urchin to eat.

Offline dbowman

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 461
Re: Caulerpa Out of Control
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2020, 13:23:17 »
you might try manual trimming to knock it down. pluck it where you can.

Offline Gary

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 781
Re: Caulerpa Out of Control
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2020, 13:38:08 »
I agree with Dave. Pull some of it out. I do have a small fox-face in my 25 lagoon and he does fine. There are some pygmy angels and tangs that might work as well. Manual removal is quick.

Offline cgrogan

  • Fry
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: Caulerpa Out of Control
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2020, 14:27:54 »

Yeah, I have done the manual removal once already and it's due for another go. Kind of pain since it hides in the crevices of the live rock.

My concern about the fox face is won't it outgrow the 25 gallon?

Offline briw2005

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Fry
  • *****
  • Posts: 30
Re: Caulerpa Out of Control
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2020, 16:54:26 »
I had a huge problem in my 2oo gallon tank with 2 sumps... 50 gallons each....one with pumps and skimmer, the other was a refugium with caulerpa..both feather and grape....every month I would harvest  half of a 5 gallon bucket out of both the display tank and refugium ....I finally removed my deep sand bed leaving about 1.5 inches...stirred up the remaining sand and did a 100 persent water change....I put filter socks in the sump that is no longer a refugium which I change each week...after 3 months I occasionally pick out a small amount of grape caulerpa....even my back wall which was covered with a slimy hair algae is clean...also my pulsing Xenia which also had over grown the tank has died back to a nice amount...everyone thought I was crazy to go to such an extreme,  but for me it has been great....I now have 45 ocellaris ( mocha , black storm, orange strom and several other varieties of orange ocellaris )  2 large pajama cardinals , 18 rose bubble tip (a couple have split ) blastocysts, Duncan  and numerous other frags doing well....I also changed my 6 shop led lights  to 4 ocean revive

Offline dbowman

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 461
Re: Caulerpa Out of Control
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2020, 18:43:20 »
wow what a deal!

Offline cgrogan

  • Fry
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: Caulerpa Out of Control
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2020, 19:33:15 »
Wow, that's quite a setup. I guess I should be glad to only have 20 gallons to get under control.

 

Powered by EzPortal