Any way to control these macros

[TheClown]

So this picture was 3 months ago.. I seem to be having some problems controlling the growth of my macros, they ended up outcompeting even my pulsing xenia (now lives in a small colony under a rock) and I was wondering if there were any easy ways to control its growth- in freashwater snails usually do the trick but I don’t know any saltwater species that would eat the algae I have- preferably not eating my coral-like calcium skeletoned algae because it grows much to slow to recover.
Do I just have to cut it?

 

[Tinnerito]

So this picture was 3 months ago.. I seem to be having some problems controlling the growth of my macros, they ended up outcompeting even my pulsing xenia (now lives in a small colony under a rock) and I was wondering if there were any easy ways to control its growth- in freashwater snails usually do the trick but I don’t know any saltwater species that would eat the algae I have- preferably not eating my coral-like calcium skeletoned algae because it grows much to slow to recover.
Do I just have to cut it?

Cutting the algae is a good method, but I personally like to simple keep up with the nutrients by feeding more, allowing some raw sea food (fish, shrimp, etc) decompose, and dose nutrients. You want to take it slow though, as a spike in nutrients harms your tank more than low nutrients as a whole. Progress slowly and you'll get there for sure. I had the same issue for the longest time

 

[vlangel]

Yes, pruning is the way I keep the macros in my tank reined in. Otherwise they would take over and smother everything else.

 

[Tinnerito]

Yes, pruning is the way I keep the macros in my tank reined in. Otherwise they would take over and smother everything else.

There is indeed a point where you should cut them yes

 

[dansyr]

Prune and give away / trade to local reefers, makes friends and ups your diversity of macros, which I think is key to looking more 'jungle' and 'natural' rather than 'overgrown' (imo).

For biotic control, allegedly turbos and urchins are voracious macro eaters, but I have a turbo and a small pincushion urchin in my macro tank but they don't touch anything. At least not that I can tell. I have had pincushions eat tops of halimeda, they definitely CAN but for some reason mine don't.

 

[Billango]

I've seen a pithos crab just chow down on that type of grape caulerpa. No idea whether or not it would eat any of the rest of your macros.

 

[Subsea]

So this picture was 3 months ago.. I seem to be having some problems controlling the growth of my macros, they ended up outcompeting even my pulsing xenia (now lives in a small colony under a rock) and I was wondering if there were any easy ways to control its growth- in freashwater snails usually do the trick but I don’t know any saltwater species that would eat the algae I have- preferably not eating my coral-like calcium skeletoned algae because it grows much to slow to recover.
Do I just have to cut it?

“Do I just have to cut it.”

Yes. Prune to export nutrients. Also prune fast growing Caulerpa to prevent it from going sexual when nutrient limited. As a generalization, the N/P ratio of seaweed is 30/1.’

@TheClown
Is this the 20G Pacific cold water tank you started in April?

Would you provide a full tank shot with white light?

 

[TheClown]

“Do I just have to cut it.”

Yes. Prune to export nutrients. Also prune fast growing Caulerpa to prevent it from going sexual when nutrient limited. As a generalization, the N/P ratio of seaweed is 30/1.’

@TheClown
Is this the 20G Pacific cold water tank you started in April?

Would you provide a full tank shot with white light?

This isn’t it, it’s a tropical one, and 10gallons