Algae went sexual! Help!!

[cprice]

So I just came home to a very cloudy tank and a refugium full of white caulerpa algae. I am very confident it went sexual and the cloudiness in the tank is a result of the released spores. I have 300 gallons in my system and can only make so much RO waters what should I do to help solve the problem?? Will this kill my SPS??


Also, does anyone have a needle wheel for a Bubble Magus Curve 9? Mine has just cracked and I need it to help solve this problem


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[CuzzA]

If you can get a UV sterilizer on your system asap it may mitigate some of the damage. That is not a species I would keep in my system for this very reason. Some algaes are also known to release toxins in an effort to kill corals so they can acquire more real estate. I would treat with UV, water changes and lots of flow to keep the spores from settling.

I have a Emperor Aquatic High Output 80 watt UV. New bulb, new power supply, new union fittings. It's basically like new that I'm selling. It could handle your size system. Let me know if you're interested.

 

[cprice]

If you can get a UV sterilizer on your system asap it may mitigate some of the damage. That is not a species I would keep in my system for this very reason. Some algaes are also known to release toxins in an effort to kill corals so they can acquire more real estate. I would treat with UV, water changes and lots of flow to keep the spores from settling.

I have a Emperor Aquatic High Output 80 watt UV. New bulb, new power supply, new union fittings. It's basically like new that I'm selling. It could handle your size system. Let me know if you're interested.

How much do you want for the UV?

 

[Postal]

Run fine micron filter socks if you are not already doing so.
I don't know that UV is necessary. I have had this happen twice over the years (once at a horrific level) and never had any spores successfully propagate.
The one time I had a huge amount of caulerpa go sexual in a 50g display tank. The water was so white I couldn't even see my fish. I did a water change and then siphoned from the tank into the sump through a filter sock to help speed up the filtration. I didn't have sps, but my lps and anemone recovered just fine.

 

[TampaSnooker]

I've never seen successful settlement after a reproduction event. To me, ammonia monitoring and control is far more important initially. 24 hour light cycles with caleurpa tend to inhibit its tendency to reproduce sexually.

 

[janes_mw]

Based on my experience, if you see caulerpa, pull it before it's too late. It will grow like crazy if "things are right for it" then it can crash your tank. Early in my reefing, it liked the environments I was providing evidently (high nitrates/phosphates). Until I figured out how to actually control these two items to a "healthy level", I always fought both micro and macro algae. You may test for these two parameters and read low or zero, but if they are thriving, you definitely have more than your test reveal. Pull it and continue to reduce your nitrates and phosphate levels by other means.

A bunch of folks I am sure will not agree, but that comes with this hobby ....... zillion ways to skin a cat

 

[Postal]

Based on my experience, if you see caulerpa, pull it before it's too late. It will grow like crazy if "things are right for it" then it can crash your tank. Early in my reefing, it liked the environments I was providing evidently (high nitrates/phosphates). Until I figured out how to actually control these two items to a "healthy level", I always fought both micro and macro algae. You may test for these two parameters and read low or zero, but if they are thriving, you definitely have more than your test reveal. Pull it and continue to reduce your nitrates and phosphate levels by other means.

A bunch of folks I am sure will not agree, but that comes with this hobby ....... zillion ways to skin a cat

I'll disagree simply because "caulerpa" represents an entire genus of macroalgae. The many different species of caulerpa have large differences in their rates of growth, potentual to "go sexual", as well as their proclivity to be invasive. For example, C. ashmeadii and C. racemosa are vastly diffrrent macros when it comes down to having them in your tank.
Also, assuming you don't completely ignore a sporulation event, the likelihood of it crashing your system is commonly overstated.

 

[janes_mw]

I'll disagree simply because "caulerpa" represents an entire genus of macroalgae. The many different species of caulerpa have large differences in their rates of growth, potentual to "go sexual", as well as their proclivity to be invasive. For example, C. ashmeadii and C. racemosa are vastly diffrrent macros when it comes down to having them in your tank.
Also, assuming you don't completely ignore a sporulation event, the likelihood of it crashing your system is commonly overstated.

Ya, I don't fess up on being too much of an expert on macroalgae (or anything really in these tanks). I was simply relating to a bad experience I had many years ago when I thought it was "cool" that it was growing so fast and looked nice where it was, then not knowing that it could have a sporulation event and what it did to me. So now, I just avoid it . Didn't mean to give bad advice, based on a "one off" for me.

mike