Anyone have experience growing codium?

[Graffiti Spot]

So I posted in the nuisance forum about some codium algae that is growing like a weed in my display tank. If I keep on top of it it’s not too bad but it’s weekly work for sure. I didn’t get any reply’s from people with experience with it. Is anyone growing this stuff in a display tank or refuge without issues? I have not seen anyone post about keeping it and growing it successfully let alone having it sprout all over their tank. So I was hoping to hear people’s experience with this stuff so I can better to figure out how to deal with it. I also saw there are 44 or so types of codium and I can see that might make this hard for me.

 

[sixty_reefer]

The reason codium is growing well for you must be because you only have one type of macroalgae. Macro algae’s are really hard to keep specially the prettiest ones. And I f you have a mixed algae tank you will notice that only one of the algae’s will flourish against the others

 

[najer]

As above, got a pic, it is great nutrient export if you can get the balance right, what are your nitrates and phos at?

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I have some pics of it after I pruned half the tank. It looks nice when growing but is competing for space with my acros. Po4 and nitrate was high for a while at about .2 and 50 for a few months but finally it’s came back down to .02 and 2 since adding some vodka back to my vinegar. This is about the time when I started having to pull out the codium too. It was very hard to rip off the root in the rocks. I also find it odd it is rooted in so many areas around the tank. I found maybe 20 decent patches of it. I didn’t think this was normal for codium. These pictures are of maybe 1/3 of the codium I pulled out over a weeks time. I am hoping it stalls growth after a little while so I can keep it but not while it’s being annoying.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I have some pics of it after I pruned half the tank. It looks nice when growing but is competing for space with my acros. Po4 and nitrate was high for a while at about .2 and 50 for a few months but finally it’s came back down to .02 and 2 since adding some vodka back to my vinegar. This is about the time when I started having to pull out the codium too. It was very hard to rip off the root in the rocks. I also find it odd it is rooted in so many areas around the tank. I found maybe 20 decent patches of it. I didn’t think this was normal for codium. These pictures are of maybe 1/3 of the codium I pulled out over a weeks time. I am hoping it stalls growth after a little while so I can keep it but not while it’s being annoying.

If hard macro algae’s are growing well for you I wouldn’t be worried is a good sign, just remember coralline algae is also a algae ;) on the plus side codium is not cheap you could look at it as free frag $$

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Yea coraline doesn’t really grow well in my tank. I think it’s because the light is really bright.

 

[GlassMunky]

I have codiumbgrowing in my biocube and just moved some to my 210 fuge.
never had an issue with it growing, it just does it lol

 

[Graffiti Spot]

But you haven’t seen it pop up in unwanted places?

I am wondering if there are any specific micro elements or anything that would spur codium to grow fast. I am using sponge power and pohls extra so it would be hard to figure out if that’s what is making it grow so quick and in so many places. I really just wanted to read a paper done on this stuff or something to learn a little more about it but can’t find anything.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Well here is an update on this. I ended up stopping the pohls extra and mostly the spongepower except a few drops when I remember but this algae is still annoying. It does come off easily once it gets to a colony size but still leaves the base in the rock.
So I decided to cut what I found this week out and put it on some lighting diffuser and into my cheato reactor. It does spin around slowly and get light from all sides but we will see how it grows in there. Lots of bacteria from the carbon source likes to grow in that chamber so who knows it if will like that. I am going to try and keep it clean in hopes that the algae will grow mainly in there than my display. If it does I wonder if anyone would have a use for it.
I got a few pincushion urchins but they are like an inch around so they might take a bit of time to grow and make a difference.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

You have Bubble Algae, I’d declare open warfare on it. I thought I’d gotten rid of it, gave my Emeralds away, but it’s back. BTW The Emerald Crabs can’t eat the big stuff, only the small emerging Bubble Algae. I pick it off while using a Syphon hose, that flows into a dirty Filter Sock in my Sump. I pull the sock after I’m done, and put in a clean filter sock. BTW It will take over, and even crowd your Corals out along with other Macro Algae.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Codium is a firm type of algae and does nor absorb nutrients like most macroalgae but under good conditions, can look like a sea fern. Assure you have iron in the water as well as adequate light (red and green and white)

 

[Lojenn]

I've tried green codium macro algae in the past. Removed it after it turned deep black. Is this a sign of die off or possibly a nutrient imbalance? No significant growth over the 6 month I tried it. TIA

 

[WitheredMantis]

I keep three species of Codium in my main display. They are generally a cooler-water genus of algae & will often not do well if tank temps are rising over 80°F.

 

[SamGamOcean333]

I got a scoop of Codium from my LFS a couple years ago. I broke it up in my 3 tanks and put pieces in all the DTs. They never rooted, and all mainly melted away and died. In fact I still find little pieces. They just slowly whither away. I threw a piece in the back chamber of my Fluval Evo, and it is growing like crazy with the red/green plant light. The one tiny piece I threw back there is now larger than the original clump I got. Chaeto grows in my 2nd chamber. They dont seem to bother each other, but I did notice a reduction in Chaeto growth since the Codium is doing so well.

 

[goody]

Codium is one of the few macros that has not grown well in both my fuge and planted tank. I wish it would since it's one of the few greens I can have with Caulerpa species not legal in CA.

 

[Subsea]

Codium prefers cooler temperatures:


https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookcodium.htmA temperate water macro algae that features dark green, cylindrical branches connected by a single holdfast to rocks, shell fragments and hard bottom. The branches are irregular and have soft fuzzy filaments at the tips resembling the fingers of a sponge. Individual species are abundant in both shallow water and deeper habitats to about 60' worldwide. Most species prefer cooler water temperatures so are normally only available to the hobbyist seasonally in the United States. Depending upon the species they can grow as large as 12" in diameter. Its very hardy in the aquarium as long as the water temperature is kept below 80 degrees. Not palatable to fish or invertebrates.

 

[Paul B]

Most years I collect some codium and throw it in my tank.. It is very common here in Long Island NY and is all over the beaches at low tide. It only lasts a couple of months in a reef. I know my urchins eat it. I always have urchins so I am not sure how long it would last without them but I doubt it would be for more than a few months which is probably why it's not found in the tropics. (I think) :cool:

 

[SamGamOcean333]

Codium prefers cooler temperatures:


https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookcodium.htmA temperate water macro algae that features dark green, cylindrical branches connected by a single holdfast to rocks, shell fragments and hard bottom. The branches are irregular and have soft fuzzy filaments at the tips resembling the fingers of a sponge. Individual species are abundant in both shallow water and deeper habitats to about 60' worldwide. Most species prefer cooler water temperatures so are normally only available to the hobbyist seasonally in the United States. Depending upon the species they can grow as large as 12" in diameter. Its very hardy in the aquarium as long as the water temperature is kept below 80 degrees. Not palatable to fish or invertebrates.

My tank fluctuates at 78-82 and my codium is still growing well in my back chambers.

 

[goody]

My tank fluctuates at 78-82 and my codium is still growing well in my back chambers.

Interesting because that's about the same temp range as my macroalgae tank. My display tank is closer to 76-78, but again, it always dies in both tanks.

 

[SamGamOcean333]

Interesting because that's about the same temp range as my macroalgae tank. My display tank is closer to 76-78, but again, it always dies in both tanks.

It’s clearly super picky. It died in all three of my tanks but somehow started growing in the back chamber and is now taking over. Sometimes I still find little pieces floating around in the other tanks - weird how long it takes to die. I wonder if it likes very high flow? It’s in the first chamber being blasted.