Grape Caulerpa?

[AndyH5512]

Hello all. I have what I believe to be grape caulerpa in my main tank. I have no clue how it got there. It is a light green, clingy vine with a lot of small light green bubbles on it. I have manually plucked as much as I can. Does anything eat it? What can I do to get rid of it? TIA.

Andy

 

[Hara]

pulling it by hand should take care of it just fine.

 

[melosu58]

I have a fuge full of it that I feed my yellow tang.

 

[newfound77951]

I have a ton of it in my 10 gallon FOWLR, it's a good nutrient sponge, and when I have too much I give it to a friend who has a tang, or to the LFS for store credit.

 

[AndyH5512]

When I first noticed it in my aquarium, I was happy since it is a nutrient sponge. But after a while it got to be too much. I have a kole tang, and it doesnt seem to eat any of it. I will try a yellow tang and see if it can help. Thanks.

 

[melosu58]

I had a Kole tang for many yrs and they wont mess with the grape calerpa but my yellow eats it like there is no tomorrow.

 

[AndyH5512]

Mel, that is exactly what I want to hear. Thank you. I will be getting one, if not 2, Yellow Tangs this week. I have a 120, so I think they should be OK.....

 

[Fluff]

I will be getting one, if not 2, Yellow Tangs this week. I have a 120, so I think they should be OK.....

Tangs are funny about numbers. If you get two, they may fight. They should be kept singular or in a small group. I'd stick with one since three might be overkill in a 120g.

 

[melosu58]

I kind of agree with Cindy on that. Believe me one will be enough. just get a large one.

 

[AndyH5512]

OK, that is good to know. If I were to add three, I should do it at once, right? That would eliminate the chance of one becoming territorial right out of the gate, correct? Thanks again.

 

[Fluff]

OK, that is good to know. If I were to add three, I should do it at once, right? That would eliminate the chance of one becoming territorial right out of the gate, correct? Thanks again.

That's right.

 

[Hara]

I think buying fish just to get rid of a temporary problem is pretty much a mistake. Especially seeing as yellow tangs can get very aggressive. If you had always wanted a yellow tang, that is a different story. I have never seen grape caulerpa that couldnt be managed by manual removal. If you decide that the tang is problem fish down the road, I guarantee you it will be alot harder getting it out of the tank.

Just my two cents.

 

[Fluff]

I have never seen grape caulerpa that couldnt be managed by manual removal.

I wish it were that simple for me because so far it hasn't been. I'm always picking at it trying to keep it at bay. Adding a fish to eradicate it wouldn't be my first choice either but, if it's gonna be done, gotta do it right. Caulerpa is a serious pain. I was lucky enough for it to come already on my live rock. I tried to cultivate some and left it grow in for a while. HUGE mistake. When it gets a foot hold, it's almost impossible to get rid of. It reaches in between the corals which dislodges them when you (I) pull it out. In a reef, it can be a big problem if you don't stay on it early. I also don't like to see fish suggested as a means to cure another problem but if it's something you want, go for it. A tang will mow it down.

 

[melosu58]

I agree that the tang will take care of it but one will do the job. I put a ball as big as a softball in my tank every couple weeks and its gone in a few days. Do you have that much in your tank? I`m just thinking 3 would be too many.

 

[Ducky]

My Purple Tang & Fox Face both like to graze on it.

 

[AndyH5512]

To clarify, I have in fact wanted to get a yellow tang for some time. It was not just to eat the caulerpa, although that was a good selling point. I tried (and tried) to manually remove the caulerpa, to no avail. I ended up breaking coral, making a mess.

I acquired a naso tang and a yellow tang a few days ago. They get along great. As a matter of fact, they hang out together quite a bit. The naso tang seems to like the caulerpa more than the yellow tang. They are both great looking specimens, and the serve a purpose as well. Cant ask for much more than that.

 

[melosu58]

They should get along together since they are different color and body shapes. Good Luck.

 

[AndyH5512]

So far, so good. And they never stop picking at stuff. Thanks.

 

[melosu58]

Eventually you will run out of calerpa and you`ll have to supplement your tank with more calerpa as I do or feed them some seaweed selects. They are herbivores and love green stuff. Hope all works out.

 

[AndyH5512]

I am looking forward to the day where I have to ADD caulerpa, LOL.