Caulerpa Removal

[ScottL4619]

Well, even though I'm not really a newbie, I made a very newbie mistake when setting up my sump a year or two ago and added caulerpa. I now know the dangers of it going sexual and fortunately, it never did this to me and always grew fantastically.

So, I had to install my new Tunze ATO and I removed the sump/fuge from the tank stand and cleaned it out. The plan was to remove the caulerpa completely and add Chaeto back in. I removed all of my rock rubble, and as any of you with caulerpa experience know, it was attached to a good bit of the rocks. I scraped as much as possible off and got the rocks pretty clean. My plan is to leave the sump in the dark until the caulerpa is all dead and gone, and then add chaeto. There was only a small amount left on the rocks, and the lights have been off in the sump since Friday night (3 full days as of tonight). My question is, how long will it take before I can add chaeto and turn the lights back on? I don't want to chance any caulerpa being alive and growing back in with the chaeto.

Thanks in advance...

 

[ScottL4619]

No one has any idea how long it takes caulperpa to die off from lack of light? Wrong forum maybe??

 

[tank o tang]

Not 100% but I think the dark is what causes it to go asexual and spread. Not only that but when you turn the light back on it will probably grow back quickly because there will still be some roots in the nooks and cranies. Since you depleted the entire amount you also will have extra nutrients to fuel regrowth. I would suggest letting the rock dry out for a while than re seed. Maybe a boil?

 

[ScottL4619]

I don't think I left enough in there for any type of asexual behavior to have an impact. I couldn't even see any after cleaning the rocks, but I know there are some pieces somewhere. I took the entire sump apart, so there should be very very little left. I'm also hesitant to boil the rocks because there are loads of pods living in them.

I am aware of taking all of that out at once raising my nutrient levels, which is why I want to get cheato in there asap.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've been experimenting with unusual lighting cycles in my refugia which contain Caulerpa racemosa (in order to reduce cyano growth), and while it is early days, the Caulerpa seems fine after repeated cycles of 48 h of darkness. I expect it may take more than a week to kill it all.