feeding my Y-tang

Discussion in 'Fish Food' started by damon, Jan 8, 2011.

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  1. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

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    Good point, a better experiment may be allowing the fish to graze caluerpa all day with regular feedings.

    Also I'm sorry if I seemed overtly argumentative it wasn't my intention.
    I am really disappointed i couldn't find one study I have heard mention of, where they used a caluerpa slurry(minced caluerpa) to kill a damselfish.
     
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  3. damon

    damon Sea Dragon

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    hay man, no problem, I'm right there with you on the argumentative personality. Honestly you sound like you know way more about this stuff than me, I just have learned than if everyone is doing it maybe there is something to it. Now I understand if everyone is jumping off a bridge and all that, but this is not that black and white. I know that it's good to mimic the ocean in our tanks, but some things are different in our tanks, but I'm sure you know that too.
     
  4. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

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    my experience tells me its probably worse in our tanks, since it doesn't have the dilution power of the oceans. I know alot about it because there was hour special on it on tv, about the epidemic in the med.

    I have no idea if it helps or not but I run carbon now for my sps because I have a very small clump of it in my refugium.
     
  5. gazog

    gazog Kole Tang

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    You want proof of its toxicity read this article on Caulerpa Taxifolia And its more toxic at different times of the year.

    Or you can read this article that talks about toxicity of caulerpin and caulerpicin isolated from the green algae Caulerpa

    And this one which talks about a Preliminary survey of toxicity of the green algae Caulerpa taxifolia introduced into the Mediterranean

    Or this one that states "It is protected from sea urchins, fish and other herbivores by its toxicity."

    And here is one that is right up your alley, it relates to our hobby, this from WetWebMedia which talks about all the different types and the problems associated with it.

    And as far as it being worse in our tank, well it stands to reason if it toxic in the great big ocean its gotta be a h3ll of allot more toxic in out little closed environments we call our fish tanks.

    And if your Tangs are eating it you got yourself some special tangs because I have never heard or seen any that will eat it. Heck my sea Urchins won't touch the stuff and they will eat almost every other type of algae there is.

    And believe me there are tons more that talk about it out there just search "Caulerpa Toxicity".
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2011
  6. SAY

    SAY Ocellaris Clown

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    Caulerpa, are you serious? i have read many threads on this site that have tangs eatin caulerpa. i have never had a tang that didn't eat caulerpa.
     
  7. damon

    damon Sea Dragon

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    I know it has toxins in it. I knew that before all this, but I was told it was good for tangs and the toxins are hard on sps mostly. I will read more, but in the short part I read of the second and third links (the first link was given already) they talk about testing on mice and I'm talking about a tank. They also say in the second link that the toxicity may be due to the environment it's in, the third link (not far into it) says that the toxicity is lower when kept in aquariums. So far every thing is talking about a situation in the Mediterranean, and I agree we all have a responsibility to know if what we have is invasive and illegal or not. I'm pretty sure mine is, but not 100% I should look in to that more. I will defiantly read more, but it takes me some time to get through this stuff.
     
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  9. damon

    damon Sea Dragon

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    ok so I'm not crazy :loco:, I was wondering for a second there:wreck:
     
  10. gazog

    gazog Kole Tang

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    There are either 13 or 14 types caulerpa and you are right there are types that you can't keep alive due to how much tangs like them. But I am talking about Caulerpa Taxifolia which I have never seen a fish or normal invert eat it. I have a yellow, Hippo and a Kole and not one of them will touch the stuff while they will eat the crap out of the Gracilaria that I had in my tank.

    I also have 2 Black urchins that will strip a rock of hair algae overnight but will not touch this stuff at all

    They way I understand it they will sometimes eat it in the beginning but due to its toxicity they eventually have to stop and will not touch it again.

    There is a type of sea slug called sacoglossan opisthobranchs that will eat the stuff though and they have been using them to control it in the Mediterranean
     
  11. SAY

    SAY Ocellaris Clown

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    anyone else have an opinion?