Caulerpa problem, Please Help

[revance]

I have some grape caulerpa in my sump that I have been trying to keep in check (and hopefully get rid of) by regularly pruning it. This past weekend I screwed up and didn't think to turn off the return pump while doing this. The return pump sucked up a big chunk of the caulerpa and shot green slurry into the display. My tank currently has no livestock and no lights over it (I am still in the process of building the hood), the only thing in there is LR.

My Question:

I am terrified the green slurry of caulerpa is going to infest my display. Since there is no livestock in the tank, can I just cover the tank to keep out light and keep the spores and chunks of caulerpa from growing? If so, how long should it be in darkness to ensure the stuff is dead? How dark does it need to be? I currently have it covered with a doubled up thick painting canvas and a few black trash bags. When I peek in it is not completely dark, but probably the best I can do.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

 

[ronj]

i am not sure about that , but i wanted to welcome you to the forum!!!!

 

[Herefishyfishy]

If you are going to eventually put any tangs in the tank, it is a no problem. I have found that yellow or blue will completely scour all caulerpa in a few days. They seem to look at it as a favorite snack.

 

[shallowreef]

Without the light i can't see how it could grow or survive. I would deffinately wait at least two to three weeks until i turned on any lights at all. JMO.

 

[revance]

I do plan on having a yellow and a powder blue tang, but I have heard that the grape caulerpa really isn't good for them. I would rather just get rid of it while I can.

 

[ronj]

i got some feather caulerpa growing in my display before i put my blue hippo tang in...i thought i would have a bunch growing for him for a treat, but he never touched a leaf on it!!!!.i pulled it all out

 

[revance]

Feather Caulerpa is exactly why I am terrified of this stuff. I had feather caulerpa sneak into another tank and it completely infested it. No matter how well I pulled it out it would come back. That is why I was trying to pull it out of the sump, I don't want it in there at all.

So I have one recommendation for keeping it dark for 2-3 weeks. Any other suggestions? Anyone think I should keep it in the dark longer?

 

[ronj]

yeah...that sound good..if you don't have any tank inhabitants, you could leave it off longer...you could also try to vacuum the bottom vigorously and run some carbon in there to try to starve the plant of nutrients.... just a thought

 

[revance]

I have a light over the sump which still has a huge mass of chaeto (and of course I'm sure it still has some caulerpa). I am hoping that giving the chaeto plenty of light and keeping the display in the dark, anything that might possibly want to grow will be outcompeted for nutrients.

Any opinions on this?

 

[ronj]

i don't really know if chopped up caulerpa will grow, but if we go by this reasoning, then i would have to guess that if it is in your sump with a light on, it will grow along with your chaeto.... i think they will both be getting the nutrients..i am really not sure though if it will grow when chopped up, but i definately wouldn't rule it out!!

 

[NeuroDoc]

Feather Caulerpa is exactly why I am terrified of this stuff. I had feather caulerpa sneak into another tank and it completely infested it. No matter how well I pulled it out it would come back. That is why I was trying to pull it out of the sump, I don't want it in there at all.

So I have one recommendation for keeping it dark for 2-3 weeks. Any other suggestions? Anyone think I should keep it in the dark longer?

I think that 2-3 weeks would do the trick. From what I have read though, you may be able to go shorter if you can acheive a complete black out, meaning you should cover the tank with a thick blanket or something similar to keep out all the ambient room light.