Any Tricks to Pruning Caulerpa?

shealygg · 01/17/2006, 04:30 PM

This may or may not be a dumb question, but I sure feel dumb asking it....are there any do's or dont's when pruning/harvesting caulerpa? I have a small fuge w/ both caulerpa and chaeto. I know that you just grab a handful of chaeto and pull it out. Can you do the same with caulerpa? Just grab a handful and rip a bunch out? Thanks.

TippyToeX · 01/17/2006, 04:32 PM

It's always been my understand that because caupera is a unicellular algae you should not break or cut it. Because that will sap out all of the nutrients it took up back into the tank. So you should always pull out whole lengths.

trippyl · 01/17/2006, 05:26 PM

This is true, but trust me, you certainly wont kill it by cutting or breaking it.

LeslieH · 01/18/2006, 03:40 PM

More importantly, you'll never get rid of it if pieces break off when you remove start to remove it. Caulerpa reproduces vegetatively. It can regrown from very small fragments.

01/17/2006, 04:30 PM	#1
shealygg Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: So Carolina Posts: 455	Any Tricks to Pruning Caulerpa? This may or may not be a dumb question, but I sure feel dumb asking it....are there any do's or dont's when pruning/harvesting caulerpa? I have a small fuge w/ both caulerpa and chaeto. I know that you just grab a handful of chaeto and pull it out. Can you do the same with caulerpa? Just grab a handful and rip a bunch out? Thanks. __________________ Greg S A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.....great advice for reefkeeping and turkey hunting...my two obsessions. Current Tank Info: 125g Young Reef

01/17/2006, 04:32 PM	#2
TippyToeX Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 10,711	It's always been my understand that because caupera is a unicellular algae you should not break or cut it. Because that will sap out all of the nutrients it took up back into the tank. So you should always pull out whole lengths. __________________ -Amy-

01/18/2006, 03:40 PM	#4
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	More importantly, you'll never get rid of it if pieces break off when you remove start to remove it. Caulerpa reproduces vegetatively. It can regrown from very small fragments. __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

01/17/2006, 05:26 PM	#3
trippyl Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Here Posts: 1,106	This is true, but trust me, you certainly wont kill it by cutting or breaking it.