Grape caulerpa bad?

[LokiDawg]

I had a large ball of chaeto and dragons breath hayi. Added some grape not really knowing anything.
After the chaeto has started shrinking ( dragons breath and grape are growing) I've been doing research and seems a lot of people don't like it. Is it really that bad? Only in the sump.
Also, my nitrates are almost 0 and I can't get my phosphates down at all.

 

[Hemmdog]

I had a large ball of chaeto and dragons breath hayi. Added some grape not really knowing anything.
After the chaeto has started shrinking ( dragons breath and grape are growing) I've been doing research and seems a lot of people don't like it. Is it really that bad? Only in the sump.
Also, my nitrates are almost 0 and I can't get my phosphates down at all.

I have it. I think it’s amazing.

 

[ca1ore]

The trouble with caulerpa is that it can be quite invasive. If it gets into your display, removing it will be a real headache. Also has a habit of suddenly all dying out.

 

[LokiDawg]

I guess I need to get more cheato and away from the grapes of wrath then.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

Leave it in the fuge. It drove me crazy in the tank until I finally got a tang that found the roots.
I think it looks kind of cool.

 

[Greybeard]

Grape Caulurpa (C. Lentillifera usually... come folks call C. Racemosa by the same common name)

AWESOME as a fuge macro. Hearty, grows rapidly, excellent at removing nutrients from the tank... EXCEPT: It can reproduce sexually in your tank, spreading to EVERY AVAILABLE SURFACE.

I had C. Racemosa many years ago. Wonderful stuff. Heathiest tank I'd ever had... until it went sexual and spread throughout the tank. I ended up using 180lbs of VERY expensive live rock to fill a hole in my back yard. Totally had to start over.

There are species of Caulurpa that are much less likely to have this problem. I have some of what I belive to be C. Mexicana in my sump now, along with Ulva Lactuca and Chaetomorpha Linum. No problems.

 

[Billdogg]

Grape Caulurpa (C. Lentillifera usually... come folks call C. Racemosa by the same common name)

AWESOME as a fuge macro. Hearty, grows rapidly, excellent at removing nutrients from the tank... EXCEPT: It can reproduce sexually in your tank, spreading to EVERY AVAILABLE SURFACE.

There are species of Caulurpa that are much less likely to have this problem. I have some of what I belive to be C. Mexicana in my sump now, along with Ulva Lactuca and Chaetomorpha Linum. No problems.

I never had any in my systems, but I know those who have, and ended up doing the same - once it has established itself in the DT it is pretty much impossible to get rid of.