Caulerpa battle. Please help!

pusanpa · 11/27/2009, 01:44 PM

I've been battling it for 8 months now.
I tried a rabbit fish, emerald crab. I also manually remove.
My tank is 50g(60G total) with 80% sps. Color is OK.
I dose MB7 and bump up the vodka dosing to 5ml a day.
It has been couple of months but no luck yet. SKimmer is old gen Euro RS80.

Livestock: royal gramma, yellow wrasse, blue damsel, chromis, yellow tang, bangai cardian, pajama cardinal

Please let me know if you have won this battle before.
Maybe a yellow foxface would do it?

Thanks,

Joe

Peter Eichler · 11/27/2009, 01:49 PM

My guess is that you've found a partuicularly noxious type of Caulerpa and that herbivores won't touch it since a rabbitfish refused. Manual removal may be the only way other than replacing rock...

jb61264 · 11/27/2009, 01:58 PM

I've read some threads about a "sea hare" that mows down algae?...never had one but the liveaquaria web site says it feeds on caluerpa.

Personally, I don't get why anyone uses caluerpa as a nutrient removal mechanism...chaeto is SO much easier to maintain and works just as well if not better than caluerpa.

luther1200 · 11/27/2009, 02:02 PM

I have been using Polyp Labe Reef Resh system for about a year now,(its like dosing vodka) and I have noticed that my Caulerpa in my fuge has slowed down to a crawl. But it has taken a while for thiss to happen. I would say after 9-10 months of dosing I started to notice it and now at about 12-13 months it hardly grows at all. I think that vodka dosing and manual removal is your best bet.

pusanpa · 11/27/2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Eichler

My guess is that you've found a partuicularly noxious type of Caulerpa and that herbivores won't touch it since a rabbitfish refused. Manual removal may be the only way other than replacing rock...

I agree. It is non destructible! It has been removed quite a lot but still covering around 20% of my liverock.

jflick345 · 11/27/2009, 02:24 PM

I'm not sure how well it would work with Caulerpa but I've had some luck so far with slowing the growth of bryopsis by raising the pH in my tank to 8.5-8.6 and maintaining it there for the last 2 weeks. The bryopsis has turned from bright green to a dark greenish brown and I haven't really had much growth to speak of in the last week. I've actually been able to get ahead of it with manual removal and my tank is looking much better. The one issue could be that the reason this method is effective seems to be that the elevated pH inhibits photosynthesis by limiting the CO2 available. I don't have many sps at the moment so I don't know the more sensitive types would respond to this treatment

pusanpa · 11/28/2009, 12:06 PM

anyone else who has this caulerpa?

sjames · 11/28/2009, 12:17 PM

it has been my experience that heavy gfo use will kill caulerpa of any variety.

reducing nutrients will slow its growth significantly. I don't run gfo currently, but since vodka dosing, my caulerpa growth has slowed or even stopped. I doubt you will get it under control by adding fish.

ds4x4 · 11/28/2009, 01:56 PM

The sea slug mentioned Above will take care of the problem and feeds exclusivly on Caulerpa Taxifolia as seen on Killer Algae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caulerpa_taxifolia

scapes · 11/28/2009, 03:59 PM

my foxface and whitecheek tang would tear that stuff up!!

tylorarm · 11/28/2009, 04:15 PM

i've been battling caulerpa nummularia for a while. I had some tangs that previously kept it in check. Once the tangs were gone it took over. I tried several species of sea hare, none would touch it. I got two diadema urchins, no interest. I finally have had success with of all things a regal angel taking a liking to it, even though my achilles tang has no interest. Seems like some sort of fish is the best solution. Problem is finding a fish that likes it. Rabbit seems like it should be best choice, as they keep caulerpa under control in the real reefs. Maybe you can pull some out and go to local fish store and see if any of their fish like it a lot. I also found that when i pulled out some the fish were more likely to finish the job rather than take on an untouched growth area. It's a bugger when caulerpa gets hold, no doubt. Still not sure where mine came from, as i use chaeto in fuge.

zachfishman · 11/28/2009, 04:20 PM

Vote yellow tang, only because Foxface tangs get a little large for your system (and I've had bad luck with them - really skiddish).

11/27/2009, 01:44 PM	#1
pusanpa Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cupertino Posts: 1,497	Caulerpa battle. Please help! I've been battling it for 8 months now. I tried a rabbit fish, emerald crab. I also manually remove. My tank is 50g(60G total) with 80% sps. Color is OK. I dose MB7 and bump up the vodka dosing to 5ml a day. It has been couple of months but no luck yet. SKimmer is old gen Euro RS80. Livestock: royal gramma, yellow wrasse, blue damsel, chromis, yellow tang, bangai cardian, pajama cardinal Please let me know if you have won this battle before. Maybe a yellow foxface would do it? Thanks, Joe Last edited by pusanpa; 11/27/2009 at 01:51 PM.

11/27/2009, 01:58 PM	#3
jb61264 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,112	I've read some threads about a "sea hare" that mows down algae?...never had one but the liveaquaria web site says it feeds on caluerpa. Personally, I don't get why anyone uses caluerpa as a nutrient removal mechanism...chaeto is SO much easier to maintain and works just as well if not better than caluerpa. __________________ In the end (and the begining) we're all just stardust anyway... Current Tank Info: 75 gallon SPS reef/55 gallon sump/6x54W TEK T5HO/Reef Octopus 200 Extreme Skimmer/Reef Octopus Single Chamber Calcium Reactor/RKL

11/27/2009, 02:02 PM	#4
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	I have been using Polyp Labe Reef Resh system for about a year now,(its like dosing vodka) and I have noticed that my Caulerpa in my fuge has slowed down to a crawl. But it has taken a while for thiss to happen. I would say after 9-10 months of dosing I started to notice it and now at about 12-13 months it hardly grows at all. I think that vodka dosing and manual removal is your best bet. __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

11/28/2009, 01:56 PM	#9
ds4x4 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pennsville NJ Posts: 279	The sea slug mentioned Above will take care of the problem and feeds exclusivly on Caulerpa Taxifolia as seen on Killer Algae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caulerpa_taxifolia __________________ -Asking her for Forgiveness is much easier than asking for Permission.- Current Tank Info: 120gal Re-Build

11/27/2009, 01:49 PM	#2
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	My guess is that you've found a partuicularly noxious type of Caulerpa and that herbivores won't touch it since a rabbitfish refused. Manual removal may be the only way other than replacing rock...

11/27/2009, 02:24 PM	#6
jflick345 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 884	I'm not sure how well it would work with Caulerpa but I've had some luck so far with slowing the growth of bryopsis by raising the pH in my tank to 8.5-8.6 and maintaining it there for the last 2 weeks. The bryopsis has turned from bright green to a dark greenish brown and I haven't really had much growth to speak of in the last week. I've actually been able to get ahead of it with manual removal and my tank is looking much better. The one issue could be that the reason this method is effective seems to be that the elevated pH inhibits photosynthesis by limiting the CO2 available. I don't have many sps at the moment so I don't know the more sensitive types would respond to this treatment

11/28/2009, 12:06 PM	#7
pusanpa Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cupertino Posts: 1,497	anyone else who has this caulerpa?

11/28/2009, 12:17 PM	#8
sjames Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: PA Posts: 675	it has been my experience that heavy gfo use will kill caulerpa of any variety. reducing nutrients will slow its growth significantly. I don't run gfo currently, but since vodka dosing, my caulerpa growth has slowed or even stopped. I doubt you will get it under control by adding fish.

11/28/2009, 03:59 PM	#10
scapes Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Millbrook, AL Posts: 2,520	my foxface and whitecheek tang would tear that stuff up!!

11/28/2009, 04:15 PM	#11
tylorarm Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 759	i've been battling caulerpa nummularia for a while. I had some tangs that previously kept it in check. Once the tangs were gone it took over. I tried several species of sea hare, none would touch it. I got two diadema urchins, no interest. I finally have had success with of all things a regal angel taking a liking to it, even though my achilles tang has no interest. Seems like some sort of fish is the best solution. Problem is finding a fish that likes it. Rabbit seems like it should be best choice, as they keep caulerpa under control in the real reefs. Maybe you can pull some out and go to local fish store and see if any of their fish like it a lot. I also found that when i pulled out some the fish were more likely to finish the job rather than take on an untouched growth area. It's a bugger when caulerpa gets hold, no doubt. Still not sure where mine came from, as i use chaeto in fuge.

11/28/2009, 04:20 PM	#12
zachfishman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: St Petersburg, FL Posts: 3,577	Vote yellow tang, only because Foxface tangs get a little large for your system (and I've had bad luck with them - really skiddish).