Fish or Invert etc that eats Caulerpa?

[CTaylor]

Hi,

Besides a FoxFace (which I prefer not to get due to it's size and appearance - lol ), what else would eat caulerpa? More specifically feather (especially the small, fine hard to pull out of the rocks type), secondarily the grape type (more easy to control with pruning) I'm open to whatever does not harm corals and other small fish. I have a mixed reef. Tank now is 65 gallons, soon likely to upgrade to 100-125 gallons.

I just pulled out almost all my live rock b/c it was infested with fine small feather caulpera. I seem to have suceeded in the change over (no ammonia/nitrite spike, still monitoring nitrate). I replaced it with Life Rock -- Belize Branch. Trying to keep it as caulerpa free as possible. The reason I would worry about it coming back is to change over I had to put about 1/3 of the old live rock in my refugium to help adapt the new rock over. And I've already seen some tiny springs of caulerpa in main tank, which I pull out. I need something to keep it at bay for good.

Thanks!

 

[themagicman]

A Sea Urchin perhaps?

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/rs/index.php

 

[oseymour]

If you are really going to upgrade then a tang would probably eat it. A yellow tang perhaps.

 

[CTaylor]

Hey Magicman and Osey,
Maybe an urchin... but I just dont like them either lol. And I heard Tangs are very iffy if they will eat caulerpa, even new, small "tender" caulerpa. And Tang will likely get too big for even a 100-125 gallon I think. The tank will be 'only' 4 foot wide (left to right). I like deep tanks (front to back to give more "3D' effect .. and at least appear to take less space (though not in reality!).
Thanks for all input though ... I think I'll end up getting a fox face. When it gets too big I dont mind taking it back to LFS or giving it to someone with a huge tank. Tang I'd consider same thing, but they are iffy (?) on caulerpa, and too nice looking to get rid of :-D

 

[kuzko]

Rabbit fish or small sea hare maybe. Lawnmower blennies are hit or miss as well for caulerpa.

 

[Mishri]

my urchin doesn't touch caulerpa. My powder blue tang loved it... ate it all.. He ate all kinds of algae though, even hair algae.

 

[CTaylor]

hmmm.. Definitely a pretty fish . LiveAquaria.com recommends 125 gallon tank. If I get a 100 gallon the only difference it the height (by about 5"). Still its 4' wide.
*Mishri, do you think your tang is the exception to the rule?

 

[Mishri]

powder blue tangs need a lot of swimming space, and can be somewhat aggressive (mostly towards other tangs).. some say to only keep them in 6' or longer tanks, but I don't believe in those kinds of rules, you'll have more swimming room in a 4' x 4' wide tank than one in a 6'x2' tank. I don't think the height really matters. They are also highly vulnerable to ich it seems, so you'll want to do TTM on all of your fish. (not a bad idea to do anyway).

My dad had a powder blue tang that only nibbled on hair algae, but I think he was overfeeding.. In nature they are big time algae grazers, I think they are generally all going to be good at controlling algae, just don't overfeed. I think most of his algae problems came from overstocking and overfeeding his 125 gallon.

 

[CTaylor]

My tank will be actually 4x2 , not 4x4 :-/ . So that might be pushing it . Looking more like a replaceable rabbit fish now haha

 

[kuzko]

Seriously why not a sea hare if you don't like rabbitfish.... you don't have to replace it that way and it's a great member of a CUC. a 4'x2' tank can more than accommodate them.

 

[CTaylor]

are hares sure to eat caulerpa?

 

[kuzko]

They eat everything