Is my caulerpa dying?

[Tennyson]

Hey everyone,
received some grape caulerpa in the mail two days ago. Pics are from today. When I received it the water was cloudy and smelled putrid, and there were 5 dead bristle worms inside. I'm worried now about the appearance of the caulerpa and if it will get better.

The last pic is of healthy caulerpa for reference. The color is faded/translucent, and the grapes and stems are wilting on my specimen. 25% of it has melted away. I'd appreciate your opinions if these photos should warrant a refund, or if this is normal and they will get better. Seller says the color should return in a week.

Thanks!

 

[JZinCO]

I've had situations like that. Sometimes 90% of it dies back (often air bladders dissolve completely) and it rebounds. sometimes not.
Sorry for the non-answer but it is a wait and see game.

 

[hotelbravo]

I have had this happen with grape caulerpa and almost all of it died and turned to mush during shipment. But I put it in my sump anyways and it grew back from the dead.

 

[BlueCat1949]

This is probably the caulerpa going sexual. If it continues to turn whitish then your tank could become fouled like the shipping bag. Keep an eye on it and if it continues to decline, by not bouncing back from the stress of shipping, you will need to yank it. If large amounts of caulerpa go sexual it can crash your tank.

 

[Tennyson]

Thanks for the responses, as of this morning the caulerpa has fallen apart even more and continues melting. So is going sexual and dying due to shipping the same thing? I figured if bristle worms couldn't even survive the trip, then the caulerpa definitely wouldn't make it either.

 

[hotelbravo]

Yea if the bristleworms died in shipment something went wrong maybe the temperature of where it was held idk

 

[BlueCat1949]

Thanks for the responses, as of this morning the caulerpa has fallen apart even more and continues melting. So is going sexual and dying due to shipping the same thing? I figured if bristle worms couldn't even survive the trip, then the caulerpa definitely wouldn't make it either.

Time to yank it.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I had some wither away and vanish. At least two months later, it returned with a vengeance. If conditions are to its liking, it may come back for you too.