How to stop calerpa from going sexual

[las]

i have a refugium that is full of calerpa. i have been reading more and more about the threat of calerpa going sexual.

what can i do to try and stop this?
how should i prune the algae?
will this algae crash mytank if goes sexual?
Peace

 

[algaefree]

There are a ton of posts concerning this issue... Do a search on caulerpa.

 

[las]

i already went that route. it was useful but i still have these questions.

Peace

 

[despot101]

Your tank should survive if your macro goes sexual. Mine did fine when it happened to me. I just added fresh carbon to help clear it up.

 

[wally100]

from what I have read prunning often and pruning at the runners not the top will help keep it from going sexual...hope the info i read was correct, just got my 55 with fuge up and running will be adding caulerpa soon...

 

[piercho]

Pruning it back occasionally is the only practical preventative I know. I've had it happen when there was a big change in tank environment (moving caulerpa between tanks). I've also had it happen when I let my refugia get really packed with macroalgaes. Some specie seem more prone to it than others. Feather caulerpa is, IME, especially bad.

I've pretty much rid my system of caulerpa due to it leaking caulerpins into the water. Sometimes I regret it as caulerpa seems to be an especially fast grower under certain conditions. Anyway, if you are growing it in a tank where you can float the algae, you might try Chaetomorpha, instead. Some of the browns grow fairly quick and don't "go sexual" or spread readily by fragmentation. Sargassum is a brown that is easy to float in a sump and grows fast.

 

[mmgm]

I read somewhere that regualar pruning and constant lighting will prevent caulerpa from going sexual. I prune mine about once every 3-4 weeks and keep my refugium lights on 24 x 7.

So far so good......:lol: