Caulerpa Experiences

[tdileo]

If you have caulerpa in your main tank or refugium, please let me know how you like it and if you have ever had a problem with it going sexual. I just finished building my new sump and it now has a proper refugium area so I plan on getting many species of macroalgaes. Some people seem to love caulerpa and some hate it, but I like the look and hear it is good for nutrient export so I would like to have some.

 

[oceanfreak09]

I had grape caulerpa in my fuge and it went sexual spreading to my 3 display tanks.it was a huge pain to eradicate. I threw out a lot of rocks because it wasn't worth the risk. I won't even throw a piece in for my tangs to eat in fear of a small piece getting to where the tangs can't get to it, the runners come out and then good luck. Lol Now I use chaetto and sawtooth macroalgae. Much happier and I feed like a pig and only have Coraline Algae.

 

[tdileo]

I had grape caulerpa in my fuge and it went sexual spreading to my 3 display tanks.it was a huge pain to eradicate. I threw out a lot of rocks because it wasn't worth the risk. I won't even throw a piece in for my tangs to eat in fear of a small piece getting to where the tangs can't get to it, the runners come out and then good luck. Lol Now I use chaetto and sawtooth macroalgae. Much happier and I feed like a pig and only have Coraline Algae.

Oh man that sucks. I am thinking of getting caulerpa prolifrea if that makes a difference, I hear it is less likely to go sexual. Did you keep your grape trimmed back or no? I read that can affect it too

 

[keddre]

I used to have caulerpa prolifera, and have actually gone back to get more. It does a great job at nutrient exportation and looks nice. All caulerpa will go sexual if it gets overcrowded and can't spread out.

My advice:
If on the display tank, keep it on the sand bed and regularly trim it when it gets close to touching rocks; once it makes contact with rocks, there's no getting it out (truthfully there are some and I can share them, but for arguments sake, and ease of headache, I'm saying none). As far as tank mates, I know my long spine urchin and fox face can go through a ton a day, with my fox face preferring it over regular algae (emphasis on mine) so watch to see if any of your inhabitants will eat it faster than it will grow.

If in the sump, just dump it and make sure it has rocks or sand to attach to. Also print regularly to keep it from over crowding.

 

[tdileo]

I used to have caulerpa prolifera, and have actually gone back to get more. It does a great job at nutrient exportation and looks nice. All caulerpa will go sexual if it gets overcrowded and can't spread out.

My advice:
If on the display tank, keep it on the sand bed and regularly trim it when it gets close to touching rocks; once it makes contact with rocks, there's no getting it out (truthfully there are some and I can share them, but for arguments sake, and ease of headache, I'm saying none). As far as tank mates, I know my long spine urchin and fox face can go through a ton a day, with my fox face preferring it over regular algae (emphasis on mine) so watch to see if any of your inhabitants will eat it faster than it will grow.

If in the sump, just dump it and make sure it has rocks or sand to attach to. Also print regularly to keep it from over crowding.

I was going to grow it in my sump on some rocks. How come you say it shouldn't have any rock to attach to?
Edit: Misread that, thought you said make sure it DOESNT have any rocks/sand to attach to lol.

 

[lou dog420]

I have prolifera in my sump for over a year now, lit 24 hours a day. No problems with getting in the display tank. I thought I read somewhere that keeping it lit 24/7 will prevent it from going sexual. I had both prolifera and chaeto in there at one point, and the chaeto grew like mad until I got my phosphate down, then the chaeto died off and the prolifera took over. Seems that the prolifera consumes mostly nitrate while the chaeto consumes mostly phosphate.

 

[tdileo]

I have prolifera in my sump for over a year now, lit 24 hours a day. No problems with getting in the display tank. I thought I read somewhere that keeping it lit 24/7 will prevent it from going sexual. I had both prolifera and chaeto in there at one point, and the chaeto grew like mad until I got my phosphate down, then the chaeto died off and the prolifera took over. Seems that the prolifera consumes mostly nitrate while the chaeto consumes mostly phosphate.

I planned on having prolifera, chaeto, and ulva in my sump. Would having it lit 24 hours a day be problematic for the other macroalgaes or copepods/amphipods?

 

[lou dog420]

I planned on having prolifera, chaeto, and ulva in my sump. Would having it lit 24 hours a day be problematic for the other macroalgaes or copepods/amphipods?

No, my sump is full of life!!

 

[tdileo]

No, my sump is full of life!!

Okay sweet, I'll just do that. Going to have to find a way to black out the back of my sump though since the light would keep me up at night. Might just drill on some plywood lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, concerns with sporulation are way overblown, but it is a huge pest that will overrun everything without good biological control, such as a fish that will eat it.

 

[tdileo]

IMO, concerns with sporulation are way overblown, but it is a huge pest that will overrun everything without good biological control, such as a fish that will eat it.

Well my tank is too small for anything that will eat it so looks like I'll just be hopeful lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well my tank is too small for anything that will eat it so looks like I'll just be hopeful lol

Caulerpa is more efficient than chaeto and will outcompete it, but was a long term nightmare until I got a foxface.

Even taking down the tank and scrubbing every rock and surface did not solve it as it grew back from tiny bits in crevices. But the foxface eventually stripped it so much that I never saw any, and brought it up frequently from my refugium to the display to feed him.

In more than 20 years of reading forums (many hundreds of thousands of posts), I do not recall ever reading of anyone with a first hand experience where sporulation from caulerpa actually caused a substantial tank problem.

I had two varieties. The normal grape caulerpa racemosa never sporultated in my tank. I had it for much more than a decade.

I did have a variant of it called peltatta, which did sorulate several times then die back over the years. Those events never caused any issue in my system. It might have been a good food for filter feeders. :)

 

[tdileo]

Caulerpa is more efficient than chaeto and will outcompete it, but was a long term nightmare until I got a foxface.

Even taking down the tank and scrubbing every rock and surface did not solve it as it grew back from tiny bits in crevices. But the foxface eventually stripped it so much that I never saw any, and brought it up frequently from my refugium to the display to feed him.

In more than 20 years of reading forums (many hundreds of thousands of posts), I do not recall ever reading of anyone with a first hand experience where sporulation from caulerpa actually caused a substantial tank problem.

I had two varieties. The normal grape caulerpa racemosa never sporultated in my tank. I had it for much more than a decade.

I did have a variant of it called peltatta, which did sorulate several times then die back over the years. Those events never caused any issue in my system. It might have been a good food for filter feeders. :)

My guess would be that the sexual events just released all of the built up nitrates and phosphates in it and if a lot of caulerpa dies at once all of it getting forced back into the system would just melt sensitive corals. It will only be in a small refugium so I also don't think it would be too bad. I have heard that urchins love caulerpa and for the time being he is in my display but eventually I wanted to give him away because he eats my zoanthids. If I do have a probably I can always pick up a tuxedo urchin or two I suppose

 

[oceanfreak09]

Oh man that sucks. I am thinking of getting caulerpa prolifrea if that makes a difference, I hear it is less likely to go sexual. Did you keep your grape trimmed back or no? I read that can affect it too

That one may be ok. I used that strain of caulerpa with no ill effects.
.........BUT as for the grape.........
I would keep the grape trimmed back, but it grew so fast that sometimes It got pretty thick. So I would say 50-50 on that one. But after trying to eradicate it, I wouldn't take a chance again. Lol

 

[devlou10]

Caulerpa is more efficient than chaeto and will outcompete it, but was a long term nightmare until I got a foxface.

Even taking down the tank and scrubbing every rock and surface did not solve it as it grew back from tiny bits in crevices. But the foxface eventually stripped it so much that I never saw any, and brought it up frequently from my refugium to the display to feed him.

In more than 20 years of reading forums (many hundreds of thousands of posts), I do not recall ever reading of anyone with a first hand experience where sporulation from caulerpa actually caused a substantial tank problem.

I had two varieties. The normal grape caulerpa racemosa never sporultated in my tank. I had it for much more than a decade.

I did have a variant of it called peltatta, which did sorulate several times then die back over the years. Those events never caused any issue in my system. It might have been a good food for filter feeders. :)

I know this is an old post, but Randy can you recommend how many hours should they got light? I just got caulerpa serrulata,

 

[OrionN]

My QT system and Refugium/sump are full of aptasia, Caulerpa and brissle worms. I often take a rock full of these "pest" to my DT as treat fro my fish. I need to be careful, have to remove the rock before my fish eradicated everything so the rock recover quicker and again become treats for my fishes. My foxface and all my tangs eat them. The CBB eat the aptasia and worms. The wrasses eat bristle worms.
I used to have my sump reverse light to the main tank, but now I have the same lighting cycle. I really enjoy my sump so I just keeo it the same light schedule as the DT.
Day 1

Day 2

Day 3 right before going back to the sump for recovery.