Caulerpa taxifolia ?

[CoMMaNdeR]

I heard bad things about this algae.. Now I have a question, is this algae also bad to keep it in a refugium ?

If bad why?

[seapug]

It has the same problem as all Caulerpa in a refugium. If it is allowed to grow unchecked it will die off and release gametes. It's been said that can be prevented by keeping it on a 24 hour lighting scheme, but just pruning it to keep it from becoming too congested will keep it from happening.

The other "bad" stuff you hear about it is that it has become a rampant, invasive species off the coast of California and in the Mediterranean-- supposedly introduced by aquarium hobbyists who dumped their goodies in the ocean. I think it's mentioned here:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-10/feature/index.php

[CoMMaNdeR]

Does someone here keep it in their refugium? If that this algae grows really fast I think like any other macroalgae it is a great nutrient export alga right ?

[ScottL4619]

I keep it in my sump. I keep it lit 24/7. I trim once a week with water change, and my tangs enjoy the clippings as a treat. I've never had it go sexual. I have read that even with 12-18 hours of light a day, they will be fine, as long as the time doesn't decrease gradually (signaling a change in seasons). And like seapug said, not harvesting it regularly will cause you problems as well. As long as you keep it on a consistent light cycle and harvest so it doesn't get too big, you will most likely be ok. I also read a post by someone who said that they have had it go sexual on them multiple times and it never killed any livestock.

Oh, and mine grows like weeds in the spring.

[Caulerpanator]

If you are in the States, remember that the aquarium strain of Caulerpa taxifolia is a banned Federal Noxious Weed. It can have tremendous biological and economic impact when it gets released into the wild (30,000 acres in the Med, $7.7 million to eradicate 2 aquarium releases in California). Chaetomorpha is a great alternative.