grape caulerpa is EVIL

unclereefer · 08/23/2006, 11:19 AM

I made the misinformed mistake of adding grape caulerpa to my display about 2 yrs ago and i have been fighting it ever since. I just go to town with a pair of tweezers and about 2 hours later I have mowed it down pretty good. My tank is too small for a tang but i was wondering if there is a fish that would fit in a 37 gal. that likes to eat this stuff. Any suggestions?

unclereefer · 08/23/2006, 11:32 AM

I should have read further down. It looks like someone already asked this question.

somethingphishy · 08/23/2006, 11:55 AM

How many fish do you have?
I hear the tang police coming but i'll tell you this anyway....I have only three fish in a 38g a clown,six-line,and a tang.......all of which have been surviving fine for over two+ years...If you keep #'s low you can get away with it. Three fish is the max. for me

SCR · 08/23/2006, 02:41 PM

I've had two yellow tangs for a year now and mine have not grown to where I can notice. I take rocks out of the refgu. when they get covered with the plants, and put them in with the tangs. After 1 or 2 days they are ready to go back into the refgu. LOL

HKSTurbo28 · 08/23/2006, 02:55 PM

You may be able to trade it in at your LFS

ACBlinky · 08/23/2006, 03:08 PM

My dwarf angels (CB, flame & white tailed pygmy) devoured the roots of my grape caulerpa, which killed off the plant. Once it died off, it never came back. I keep Caulerpa verticillata in my 21g and occasionally tear out a chunk for the angels -- within minutes they can make a fistfull disappear. They prefer living algae to the seaweed sheets I feed every day, practically jumping out of the water when they see it coming. Centropyge angels aren't always reef-safe, and there's no guarantee you'd end up with one that liked Caulerpa, but it might be worth a try

Sk8r · 08/23/2006, 03:14 PM

In the invert dept., there is the hairy colored pincushion urchin, which is easy to catch and quite adept at dodging corals. Ask for a small one.

FishyLover · 08/23/2006, 03:16 PM

Yeah urchins work way good! I don't see why not a small tang. There would be plenty of food for them!

Lake75 · 08/23/2006, 03:21 PM

My yellow tang as well as coral beauty don't even touch the caulerpa I put in there. Guess it's a hit or miss.

08/23/2006, 11:19 AM	#1
unclereefer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 302	grape caulerpa is EVIL I made the misinformed mistake of adding grape caulerpa to my display about 2 yrs ago and i have been fighting it ever since. I just go to town with a pair of tweezers and about 2 hours later I have mowed it down pretty good. My tank is too small for a tang but i was wondering if there is a fish that would fit in a 37 gal. that likes to eat this stuff. Any suggestions?

08/23/2006, 11:55 AM	#3
somethingphishy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Fleetwood, pa Posts: 852	How many fish do you have? I hear the tang police coming but i'll tell you this anyway....I have only three fish in a 38g a clown,six-line,and a tang.......all of which have been surviving fine for over two+ years...If you keep #'s low you can get away with it. Three fish is the max. for me __________________ "Set the gearshift for the high gear Of your soul, you've got to run like An antelope out of control!" Current Tank Info: 50g/20l sump

08/23/2006, 03:08 PM	#6
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	My dwarf angels (CB, flame & white tailed pygmy) devoured the roots of my grape caulerpa, which killed off the plant. Once it died off, it never came back. I keep Caulerpa verticillata in my 21g and occasionally tear out a chunk for the angels -- within minutes they can make a fistfull disappear. They prefer living algae to the seaweed sheets I feed every day, practically jumping out of the water when they see it coming. Centropyge angels aren't always reef-safe, and there's no guarantee you'd end up with one that liked Caulerpa, but it might be worth a try __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

08/23/2006, 03:14 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	In the invert dept., there is the hairy colored pincushion urchin, which is easy to catch and quite adept at dodging corals. Ask for a small one. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/23/2006, 11:32 AM	#2
unclereefer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 302	I should have read further down. It looks like someone already asked this question.

08/23/2006, 02:41 PM	#4
SCR Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Central, Fl Posts: 708	I've had two yellow tangs for a year now and mine have not grown to where I can notice. I take rocks out of the refgu. when they get covered with the plants, and put them in with the tangs. After 1 or 2 days they are ready to go back into the refgu. LOL

08/23/2006, 02:55 PM	#5
HKSTurbo28 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 277	You may be able to trade it in at your LFS

08/23/2006, 03:16 PM	#8
FishyLover Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. George, Utah Posts: 80	Yeah urchins work way good! I don't see why not a small tang. There would be plenty of food for them!

08/23/2006, 03:21 PM	#9
Lake75 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 158	My yellow tang as well as coral beauty don't even touch the caulerpa I put in there. Guess it's a hit or miss.