Is Caulerpa safe for my refugium?

[nepenthes99]

I just set up a 10 gallon fuge for my 40 breeder reef and am looking to introduce macroalgae. All my LFS has is Caulerpa and I cannot find Chaetomorpha locally. I have tried to introduce Caulerpa to the main tank repeatedly and it has been eaten by my Diadema urchin. Is it safe to keep caulerpa in my fuge if the urchin is present?

 

[Subsea]

No. If you wish to grow macro, do not put a lawn mower in the refugium

The word refugium signifies, a refuge from predators.

 

[nepenthes99]

Sorry, I should rephrase that. Is it safe to grow Caulerpa as a fuge macroalgae without it taking over as long as the urchin is in the main tank? I have heard quite a few horror stories of Caulerpa proliferating in reef tanks and killing corals etc.

 

[88rxna]

Why not use cheato?

 

[Subsea]

I choose to use Calurpae, because I feed it to herbivores like tangs and rabbits. When Chaeto grows big enough, it is pruned and removed. Nutrient export. When Calurpae grows big enough, feed it to your urchin as nutrient recycle or remove it for nutrient export.
Of course, fast growing Caulerpa is more prone to go sexual. If a macro goes sexual, replace activated carbon and continue filtration. It is not a big deal except for cloudy water for a day.

 

[tektite]

If the urchin's already proven to eat caulerpa, you shouldn't have an issue. One thing of note, as the Caulerpa grows, keep cutting the runner every so often. When Caulerpa goes sexual, its takes out that entire piece. If you keep each piece as a small separate growth by cutting the runner, that one small piece is all you lose and the others will be fine, plus it puts out a lot less spores. Much better than losing an entire sump full of Caulerpa and the tank having to cope with the massive amount of spores released.

 

[Don Quixote]

If the urchin's already proven to eat caulerpa, you shouldn't have an issue. One thing of note, as the Caulerpa grows, keep cutting the runner every so often. When Caulerpa goes sexual, its takes out that entire piece. If you keep each piece as a small separate growth by cutting the runner, that one small piece is all you lose and the others will be fine, plus it puts out a lot less spores. Much better than losing an entire sump full of Caulerpa and the tank having to cope with the massive amount of spores released.

Totally Agree with Tektite. One thing to do if you're worried about caulerpa going sexual is keep your Nitrates from bottoming out. A constant level of 3-5 ppm is best. This + trimming= no sexual crisis.

Regards,
The Don

 

[tmz]

Caulaerpa is a single celled algae. So,when it goes it all goes and gcan dump whatever nutreints it's hold and toxins intot th water column, It can be used with care. I wouldn't keep nitrates up to keep caulerpa as a a nutreint reducer in a refigum. i might if I were culturing the caulerpa for some othe use. NSW nitrate levels run around 0.2 to 1ppm. Tat level seems to work very well for most corals.

 

[nepenthes99]

Thanks! I have purchased a small amount and it is doing well so far. I will definitely prune it when needed.

 

[Don Quixote]

Caulaerpa is a single celled algae. So,when it goes it all goes and gcan dump whatever nutreints it's hold and toxins intot th water column, It can be used with care. I wouldn't keep nitrates up to keep caulerpa as a a nutreint reducer in a refigum. i might if I were culturing the caulerpa for some othe use. NSW nitrate levels run around 0.2 to 1ppm. Tat level seems to work very well for most corals.

I agree, perhaps I should have clarified. Optimum levels for growth is 3-5 ppm IME. Not allowing nitrates to bottom out (1ppm is perfectly fine) will prevent sexual crisis.
Regards,
The Don

 

[fishmate]

I use Caulerpa in my fuges, and I always have

As long as you keep it lit 24/7, and trim it back routinely, it will not "go sexual"

I dont see why you cannot grow caulerpa in your fuge with your urchin in the main display tank, it should grow fine, and you can trim it out to feed your urchin if you like

 

[llecaroz]

I keep different types of caulerpa in my refugiums since many years, just cut it regulary and Never had any issue !
If you are worry about toxins, prepare a bag of carbon in the case of...

 

[jwoyshnar]

I use Caulerpa in my fuges, and I always have

As long as you keep it lit 24/7, and trim it back routinely, it will not "go sexual"

I dont see why you cannot grow caulerpa in your fuge with your urchin in the main display tank, it should grow fine, and you can trim it out to feed your urchin if you like

I was just going to say this. I also have keep it for years without issue. It grows a lot faster than cheato.