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excess caulerpa ?


klaymann

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I know most reefers don't like Caulerpa but with my garden reef tanks always have to throw the lawnmower in there to trim the bloody stuff ..with the negative attitude of MAF/DOC don't know if I can swap cuttings for mushrooms or other caulerpa sp , or just give the stuff away ... let me know the situation and if good and you want any...

have C Mexicana ..( heaps to give away).

C ashmeadii .. ( growing after usual spawning ... nearly ready for cuttings)

C "unkown crinkly leaf style" .. (small growth coming along well).. not ready yet

plus unkown calcious type that looks like pear cactus (without the spikes)

At the moment I just add the trimmings to my veg & plant gardens . but if anyone wants any , give me a bell. 8)

have reds avail as well

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"Caulerpa taxiflora now occupies 8000 acres in the Mediterranean - and for the last three years, it has tripled annually." They then quote Antoni Grau, head of the Marine Resources in Mallorca, "Where this seaweed grows, everything else disappears. There are no more sea anemones, starfish, crabs, shrimp - and very few fish".

I found this interesting. Maybe caulerpa toxins are more of a problem than people realise? Why are there very few fish and no crabs etc?

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I found this interesting. Maybe caulerpa toxins are more of a problem than people realise? Why are there very few fish and no crabs etc?

Don't think its the toxins .. caulerpa grows and smothers everything of light/current .. hence lawnmowing the bugga's in a tank.

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Have these species of caulerpa growing in my tanks with various soft corals ( various leathers , mushies , polyps ), LPS's/anemones . have had no prob with the 'weeds growing around and over them.. but SPS could be different? .. don't know , never kept them .. prefer easy maint tank systems( not home most of the time). 8) 8) :D

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The effects of Caulerpa taxifolia on invertebrate abundance in Agua Hedionda Lagoon, California.

http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~es196/projects/2002final/Tippets.pdf

That C. Taxifolia also makes substances that deter hebivory. So it can grow out of control (like in the Mediterranean). There's one slug thingie from America (i think) that likes to eat the stuff though, so they imported some of them into the Mediterranean and will attempt to use them as a natural control.

C. taxifolia would be very bad for new zealand if it were released.

It's entry is prohibited into Nz

http://www.fish.govt.nz/sustainability/ ... ifolia.pdf

http://www.fish.govt.nz/sustainability/ ... _aug02.pdf

Mm, sorry i went off on a conservational tangent.

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There's one slug thingie from America (i think) that likes to eat the stuff though, so they imported some of them into the Mediterranean and will attempt to use them as a natural control.

The cane toad nudibranch?:)

Has there ever been a successful introduction of an exotic species to an area as biological control? I think the idea's great, it's just doesn't seem to work in practice...

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Hey guys .. Just PM your addresses ... I will be trimming the tanks sunday night , so will courier monday morning .. don't worry about freight( thats what works for :wink: ) .. cookie that means you too , + don't think my tanks are up to the par of your guys ones :-? .. so one day I will post pics when I'm happy with them and learn to post the pic's :o

cheers Klay.

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I have one that looks like ferns or even feathers with a green blue look which could be the light but looks cool if nothing else.Its probly a weed knowing my luck. :D

Skuzza .. sounds like you have C.ashmeadii ... keep growing it , they are one of the finest looking of the caulerpas( don't know about the blue look thou?).. one suggestion is to seperate clumps of it so that when it spawns you don't loose the entire colony ... just remember to pinch the ends where you seperate them otherwise they will "bleed" to death ...

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I've got a few differant types.

One that looks like very fine feathers

two that look like pig fern, one has short leaves with jagged edges.

What seems to be two variations of one that looks like scollops stacked on top of each other, Halimeda Discoidea. The second variation seems to be a minature and I don't believe it has anything to do with age because it is very old.

I also have one with a diamond shaped leaf with seems to be a minature.

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Not a problem

Have you got anything that is differant from mine. not that I gave a very good description

My favourite is the Halimeda Discoidea it's not aggressive and is a really bright green unlike the others. Its interesting watching the new leafs grow they seem to form in stages.

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is the Halimeda a calcerous type .. if so I have it as well .. bummer... think the only one I have that maybe you haven't is the C Mexicana

edit ... I have some deep reds too ... they get greenish tips under full halide but stay deep red in low/med light .. very bushy..

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