Turtle grass help needed

[ColleeninFL]

I probably will regret the question but....how do I get rid of the turtle grass or at least control it. This stuff is growing like a weed and is smothering my little zoo guys. Yes it is pretty but so are my zoos. Any suggestions?

[Plantbrain]

Scissors, pruning, weeding.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Seahorsewisprer]

You could sell it on Ebay! I had a friend who sold a clump of Halimeda for $30!

[ColleeninFL]

I would have never given that a thought. Perhaps the LFS would like a donation. I really do hate the weeding and tossing idea. Maybe just a tank dedicated to the green grasses is in line.

[Samala]

Wait.. is it turtle grass - Thalassia testudinum - grows in long ribbons, has roots and rhizomes, big green leaves grows to 12" or so? Or is it turtle weed- Chlorodesmis fastigata - grows in clumpy batches on LR and such, chokes corals, has a fuzzy, fine 'leaved' appearance, usually stay relatively short strand growing habit?

>Sarah

[ColleeninFL]

I stand corrected. All this time I believed it to be turtle grass. Indeed, it is turtle WEED. Thank you. So how do I get rid of it now that I know what it really is?

Prune and cut and pull right?

[Samala]

Colleen, happy to help with a good ID.. seems these two get mixed up a bit, silly common names being so similar. ;) I was about to come worship you in Fort Peirce if you were growing turtle grass so well it was becoming a nuisance! I thought perhaps we could all learn a few things from ya.

I was under the impression that turtle weed is on the tastier side of macroalgae for herbivorous fishes. Is this stuff in your 29 or the bigger tanks? Perhaps the loan of a small yellar tang or a foxface for a week or so would help to really pull it out. Maybe I have my wires crossed again though.. ;) Perhaps Peircho or Triterium will chime in, they're good with the larger fishes.

Otherwise, I think the best alternate is to pull it out by the handfuls as you can from the rockwork. I dont think you'll need to cook the rock or anything that desperate though. You might try giving it away here on RC too.. you never know who'll want things like this.

Good luck!
>Sarah

[Seahorsewisprer]

Tangs do eat Turtle grass! The cute guy in our club has some tiny stubs of turtle grass to prove it!

[modemfox]

I'd take some for my planted tank.

[ColleeninFL]

Have rock, have turtle weed, have razor blade.