Caulerpa vs Cheato

[mikeweber3]

I have always used Caulerpa in my sump, but see that some prefer Cheato. I don't even know what Cheato is. Which is better and why?

Thanks

Mike

[SushiGirl]

Chaeto doesn't go sexual and release all the bad nutrients it uptakes back into the water.
Chateomorpha algae

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The biggest concern, IMO, is caulerpa getting into the main tank where it can be nearly impossible to remove it.

I think some types of caulerpa are better export agents than chaetomorpha because they can outcompete chaeto for nutrients in many tanks, but that may not be the deciding factor. Some species and/or varieties of caulerpa are also more or less prone to sporulation.

FWIW, my several refugia have some caulerpa, some chaeto, and other types of macroalgae.

[SushiGirl]

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

The biggest concern, IMO, is caulerpa getting into the main tank where it can be nearly impossible to remove it.

I think some types of caulerpa are better export agents than chaetomorpha because they can outcompete chaeto for nutrients in many tanks, but that may not be the deciding factor. Some species and/or varieties of caulerpa are also more or less prone to sporulation.

FWIW, my several refugia have some caulerpa, some chaeto, and other types of macroalgae.

+1 to all of that. I pull out my feather caulerpa because it was outcompeting the dragon's breath. I absolutely love the look of caulerpa, but after losing a tank to the grape & seeing the feather take over the fuge, I refuse to put it in the DT.

I had a moment of panic last night when I looked in the tank & saw a tiny piece of feather caulerpa float by. Man, I couldn't grab the turkey baster and suck it out fast enough! Of course, it probably came from the baster, as I had recently fed a recovering coral down in the fuge. I'll definitely be watching THAT now!

[JMartin104]

I can't keep chaeto alive, but the caulerpa does well.

[OneReef]

I would use chaeto over caulerpa in a heartbeat

[davocean]

Actually I think the biggest concern w/ caulerpa is having it get dumped in the Ocean where it doesn't belong.
Most caulerpa are not even legal here in California.
Like others said going sexual or entering display can be a real headache, and should be lit 24/7 to keep it going sexual.
I'll stick w/ chaeto, much safer all around.

[SushiGirl]

Keeping caulerpa lit 24/7 doesn't keep it from going sexual either. We have a local LFS that lost tons of livestock because they were keeping caulerpa in their shared fuges lit 24/7 and it all went sexual at once.

[Khemul]

You'll find that the issue of what causes Caulerpa to go sexual is very much in debate.

I've heard arguments for 24/7 lighting causing and preventing it (which obviously doesn't make much sense).
It could be available space, but I know in my refugium I let Taxifolia practically fill ever corner (looked more lush then even those crazy high-tech freshwater planted tanks) for a while without it going sexual. But from a logical standpoint I'd think the biggest concern for reproduction with a plant would be available space. Then again, it could well be seasonal or some trigger that we don't even realize is a trigger.

[BCreefmaker]

I use and personally like Caulerpa, I found there was only one real trick for me to keep it from going sexual. Just rip out 70-80% of it ever few weeks. It grew so fast compared to other species it never really mattered. The main reason I started using it in the first place is because I read in a fish book Caulerpa can produce a type of antibiotic compound for reef tanks that helps fish and inverts resist infection. No idea if that is true since I have only read it printed on one place.

[Palting]

I started with caulerpa, grape caulerpa, simply because that's what the lfs had in stock. Did not hear about the horror stories until later. At my request, the LFS brought in gracilaria and chaeto.

So, when I set up my 20 gallon remote refugium, I had it stocked with grape caulerpa, gracilaria, and chaetomorpha. Within a few months, the gracilaria and the chaeto died off. The caulerpa, however, took off.

That was almost 2 years ago. My 20 gallon refugium is lush with the grape caulerpa. I run the refugium lights 20 hours on, 4 hours off. I harvest a bagful once a month and give it to the LFS, feed some to the tank once a week to give the fish a break from Nori. 0 nitrates, 0 phosphates, never gone sexual, never uncontrollable despite using it in the DT to feed the fish. Caulerpa is a fast growing, hardy, highly efficient phospate consumer, all in all an excellent refugium macroalgaee. That's my opinion, and my experience. Now, before you stock up on caulerpa, check out my sig .