Cutting / Trimming Caulerpa

[WarEagleNR88]

Do you just cut and trim it how you want it to look? I pulled some pieces apart and some clear gel-like substance began oozing out of the damaged "runner" for some time. Did that gel contain the infamous Caulerpa toxins or am I just paranoid?

I have gone from this . . .

. . . to this . . .

The reason why I may be a little paranoid is this. It is a 10G aquarium with many animals in it and I'm trying to trim down the Caulerpa spp. to make room for some corals. Plus it's just getting a little ragged. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Close up of the growth.

 

[SuperNerd]

lol First look I thought "nice refugium." :lmao:

I'm no expert but I would imagine that the "gel" does contain some of the toxins but usually people worry about the stuff caulerpa releases when it goes sexual. The cut areas will heal and you can see it do this.

 

[WarEagleNR88]

Oh and just some other things. I've let the algae grow how it wants and I'm not letting it get nutrient deficient on anything. Plant growth is the primary user of all excess nutrients. I'm adding (in small amounts):

Seachem Reef Builder
Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium
Kent Marine Super Chelated Iron and Manganese
Potassium Nitrate solution, 2 tsp = 5 ppm
Mono Potassium Phosphate solution, 1 tsp = 1 ppm
Ocean Nutrition Forumla One Small Marine Pellet
American Marine Selcon Concentrate
Reef Nutrition Phyto Feast (primary food)
Sweetwater Zooplankton (primary food)
Kent Marine Micro-Vert Fine Filter Food

Like I said, lots of animals and yes that is a BIO-Wheel HOB filter.