Caulerpa brachypus. Who keeps it?

[KonradTO]

Hi all,

I posted some threads some time ago where I complained about my macros not doing too well. Since I started dosing N and P they actually are doing TOO well.
Especially C. brachypus. I have also prolifera and taxifolia, and not having too many issues with, as I can just take big chunks of those out of the tank easily (I have macros in my DT, my plan is to have macros on the right side and corals on the left side). But with brachypus is another completely different story! tiny bits of it are starting to grow over my rockwork on the coral side (no corals yet for now fortunately). It is impossible to kill those bits because as soon as you touch them they fragment and disperse everywhere.
Anyone know this species? Do you manage to keep it in your display?
I am starting to considering to get rid of it. It is a pity because there is a whole lot of diversity of pods within its mass, but I am fearing that I will regret it if I do not start controlling it properly now.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Sadly yes lol , I wish I could get rid of it - this pic is before I went and trimmed it a lot! It took an hour of trimming and it’s still there / will grow back. It does add a lot of hiding spots for micro fauna/ food but nothing prefers to eat it

 

[dvgyfresh]

I will also add that I get no algae pretty much but that is due to the macro / Xenia I believe

 

[KonradTO]

Sadly yes lol , I wish I could get rid of it - this pic is before I went and trimmed it a lot! It took an hour of trimming and it’s still there / will grow back. It does add a lot of hiding spots for micro fauna/ food but nothing prefers to eat it

dang! is it damaging your corals in any way as far as you can tell?

 

[dvgyfresh]

It doesn’t damage anything , the only way for it to do that would be letting it grow over corals and blocking the light

 

[Heisenberg]

Any for sale?

 

[KonradTO]

Any for sale?

Lol. Don't do it, trust me. (unless you isolate it in your sump)

 

[WheatToast]

Here’s my Caulerpa brachypus:

9/15/2021

1/7/2022

It never really took off, unlike the other three species of Caulerpa in my tank (C. prolifera, C. lentillifera, and C. paspaloides), and has actually shrunk since I added it (at least it did not die like my C. chemnitzia). Hopefully it will grow better, now that I have placed it closer to my lighting on my tank’s rockwork.

Any for sale?

I got mine off of eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/194004468929

 

[Kmst80]

Sadly yes lol , I wish I could get rid of it - this pic is before I went and trimmed it a lot! It took an hour of trimming and it’s still there / will grow back. It does add a lot of hiding spots for micro fauna/ food but nothing prefers to eat it.

I caught my Mithrax Crab the other day munching on it....

 

[Heisenberg]

Lol. Don't do it, trust me. (unless you isolate it in your sump)

Not sure why people are laughing at my question. I have many species of caulerpa in a macro tank. Just looking to diversify.

 

[dvgyfresh]

I caught my Mithrax Crab the other day munching on it....

I bought 5 emerald crabs last week and they are eating it , but I mean it’s just too much of it lol I started dosing flucanzole and hopefully I’ll have it all gone

 

[KonradTO]

Not sure why people are laughing at my question. I have many species of caulerpa in a macro tank. Just looking to diversify.

Sorry no intention to minimise your question! The point is that in my personal experience with it, it is not possible to get rid of it once it takes off. It will grow within your rock crevices and suffocate other slow growing macro/corals.
Mine seems to love growing inside my red macro and I need to disentangle it every week. Also one tiny fragment dispersed in the tank and attached to the rockwork next to the corals. I tried everything to kill it but as long as a few mm remains inside the rock it will grow again very fast. I have buckets of it I don't want to throw away because I am pretty sure it would become invasive in the wild if it reaches the sea (like taxifolia does). If I could go back I would never get it in the first place. I live in EU otherwise if you really wanted I could give it away buckets for free.

 

[Kmst80]

I bought 5 emerald crabs last week and they are eating it , but I mean it’s just too much of it lol I started dosing flucanzole and hopefully I’ll have it all gone

For some reason I can't get emerald crabs here in Australia, no one stocks them. I hand pick and the crab helps but it's a loosing battle

 

[KonradTO]

For some reason I can't get emerald crabs here in Australia, no one stocks them. I hand pick and the crab helps but it's a loosing battle

What I noticed is that it has some "phases" where it grows slow and leaves gets very small. I guess when iron or other micronutrients are lacking. Maybe a combination of starving it for few weeks and herbivors might work. I use macro as a main nutrient export (no sump no skim) so not really feasible for me..

 

[Thjhiggins]

It doesn’t damage anything , the only way for it to do that would be letting it grow over corals and blocking the light

Caulerpa brachypus is destroying My coral only tank. It roots so deeply and has covered my most expensive and favorite Zoas, now they get no light and are dying. Just like our friend said, if you pick at it, it disperses into the aquarium just to be deposited elsewhere! Is there a supplement that will control Caulerpa brachypus?

 

[KonradTO]

Caulerpa brachypus is destroying My coral only tank. It roots so deeply and has covered my most expensive and favorite Zoas, now they get no light and are dying. Just like our friend said, if you pick at it, it disperses into the aquarium just to be deposited elsewhere! Is there a supplement that will control Caulerpa brachypus?

Remove every day some, and keep other species of macro in the sump. It will take ages but eventually you will succeed

 

[Kmst80]

Caulerpa brachypus is destroying My coral only tank. It roots so deeply and has covered my most expensive and favorite Zoas, now they get no light and are dying. Just like our friend said, if you pick at it, it disperses into the aquarium just to be deposited elsewhere! Is there a supplement that will control Caulerpa brachypus?

If your tank is big enough get a tang or a foxface, they will take care of it. If you want to get rid of it all together you can eliminate it with Reef flux or Fluconazole.