Caulerpa Prolifera Problem

[JakeKM]

This stuff has become rampant and has spread all over my tank (nanocube 24g), nothing is eating it and simply removing the rock and pulling it off just encourages new growth.
Test reults
pH-8.2,8.3
dKH-12
Nitrates- reading around 0
Phosphates-0

I cannot see a cause, is it possible that nitrates and phosphates are not showing on tests because the caulerpa just removes it straight away ? could i relate this to a nutrient problem ?

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks

 

[Trod]

I did a bit of hunting around and its very difficult to find a definative answer to this, but I found this article

Every growing life will use up little amounts of phosphates. With each fireworm, macroalgae, coral fragment etc. you take out of your tank, you’ll remove some phosphate that was taken up during the growth of the life form. Vice verse, everything that dies or is eaten will increase the phosphate level of your tank.

Macroalgae, the most common life forms used to intentionally remove phosphates (and nitrates) have been subject to studies examining their phosphate (and nitrate) content. Caulerpa recemosa was found to contain 0.08% phosphorus (dry weight). That’s about 0.24% (ortho)phosphate. 1 gram of dried algae contains 2.4 mg phosphate. However, since wet algae contain mostly water (up to 98%) you’d have to harvest at least 10 grams to remove 2.4 mg phosphates from your tank. In a 100 gallon tank this is a phosphate level drop of about 0.006 ppm (this amount of algae removal corresponds to a decrease of the nitrate concentration by 0.06 ppm).

Removing phosphates by harvesting macroalgae or fast growing corals is perfect for tanks with a relatively small input of phosphates, but this method alone is usually not efficient enough to remove phosphates from extensive feeding or polluted dead reef rock.
Now if I'm reading that right it would suggest, if your phosphates were high even with a large amount of algae you would still get a reading.

Have you tried turning your lights out??

 

[Crazy fishes]

Hey Jake,

I have exactly the same problem and it is partly nutrient related. I say partly because my nitrate is 0.2ppm and my phosphate is unrecordable (most people say zero but just because you can't measure it doesn't mean it's not there) and the caulerpa is growing back. I have a solution that solves the issue of caulerpa but brings its own problems. Firstly what set up are you running? Reef or Fish only? What you need is a predator for the caulerpa; either an urchin, sea hare or a sea lettuce. I had, until recently, a long spined black urchin and these things eat like nothing you have ever seen. I garantee that within one month you will not have any caulerpa in your tank!! If you are running a fish only set up I would run to the LFS and get one. Remember though once the caulerpa is gone you have to feed them dried sea weed. If you have a reef setup think carefully before purchasing. This is why mine had to move on. I have been running a reef setup for little over a year now and my urchin, as many others will also report, was garanteed to knock over corals if not securely fastened to the rock work. When it knocks them over the tumble frequently damages the coral's tissue. It also had a habit of eating some species of coral particularly mushrooms. I lost an entire mother colony in the space of a few weeks due to the urchin eating them. I also lost a sea anemone because the urchin ate that too strangely enough?!! Urchins are also one of the few predators of coraline algae (those purple and sometimes green patches on the walls and rockwork) they literally eat rock. Once again my urchin wanted to eat some coraline algae on my very lovely hammer coral. It did this and ate right through, fragging the coral in to three pieces that were scattered across the tank. The last straw so to speak was went it decided to sit on my newly acquired deresa clam and send that tumbing over the rock work.
I tell you this because you may want to avoid the same problems. If you do decide on an urchin try and get one with short spines like a blue tuxedo. They are a lovely little urchin growing to a maximum of 4 inches, but I believe the same incredible ability to eat non-stop.
Hope this helps

Regards

 

[seffieuk]

[/quote] I cannot see a cause, is it possible that nitrates and phosphates are not showing on tests because the caulerpa just removes it straight away ? [/quote]

Yes indeed

Have you tested your water before it goes in the tank?

Seffie x

 

[JakeKM]

First of all thanks for all the posts...

Trod
Thanks for the article , perhaps phosphates are not the issue here, input of food is small. I am reluctant to turn of the lights as i am keeping corals in there and i think that for the period of time required for the lights to be off to stop the algea from gowing, would have a much greater effect on the corals, if you you get my drift...

Crazy fishes
I am running a reef set-up. The Urchin may be a problem because i do quite like my shrooms, i don't know much about the sea hare or sea lettuce so i will read up and speak to my LFS. If i was to get an urchin i think i would have to return it to my LFS after the problem is solved for the reasons you mentioned.

Seffieuk
Thanks for confirming that. i run a test on the RO water with salt every month or so and it reads fine, so i don't think the problem lies there.

 

[mutantbigman2000]

Seffie please inform your sister about my rubbish eyes.

 

[seffieuk]

Seffie please inform your sister about my rubbish eyes.

Have text her to let her know

Seffie x

 

[Trod]

Seffie please inform your sister about my rubbish eyes.

Sorry Bigman I have now changed it