Mushroom Caulerpa

Cubman777

New member
Does anyone know anything about this stuff?
It somehow got into my system and I am having a tough time getting rid of it. Any help is appreciated.
 
Of the 21 pictures - I assume you are referring to the C. Racemosa Peltata ?

Others have commented on it being invasive in their display - I still stand by my original comment of "Please send me some!! :D"

As for removal, IMHO, if you are having a problem with how much it's growing, then your tank param's can't be perfect. You must have nutrients for this to grow. I don't know of anything that will eat it, but I would assume that urchins would be a good starting point (easier to remove once the job is done than fish). I have a Royal, but he doesn't eat it as much as carry it around like a hat.

Another option may be to out compete it with a faster more resiliant macro like Chaeto. Manual removal followed by an urchin or two (depending on tank specs - you haven't mentioned how large your tank is) then outcompete it to retard regrowth until your water param's are back down (Nitrate/Iron are both required by Caulerpa IME)

I'm sure others will also have helpful info to add... but that's my $0.02

John.
 
I have two Hawaiian sailfin tangs in separate systems. The only form of vegetation that these guys don't devour is Halimeda. I had macros get into a frag tank, and I removed the frags in shifts into the tanks with the tangs. Bye bye macros. A 90's plenty big to house a tang, depending on tankmates. I usually use a magnet to keep the glas clean, but every so often I give them a treat and use a razor blade. They follow my hand to get at the little rolls that come off.
 
thanks coralnut.
I actually purchased a Kole Tang because I heard that they are great workers. He picks at some stuff, but doesnt have a taste for macro algae. Maybe his pallete will mature and he will acquire a taste for it. . . and maybe Ill find buried treasure in my apartment.
 
Koles are obviously a different species. I don't have any personal experience with them. They are more the rock-scraping sort from what I've read. My sailfins as well as a purple I have, are just vegetation-hoovers. I have a 125, that I tried to grow c. passiflora in, on one side. It started to grow into a really nice grass bed across the right side of the tank. In the course of a week the purple got the munchies and just mowed it down. It seemed like it took him about a month to figure out it was food. Then he just went to town. You may want to do some digging on the Kole' s dining habits. I'd would give him time in any case.
 
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