"Mike Lawford" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the reply.

Yes I know - the pain with grape caulerpa is that it intertwines in the
rocks - really tough to get out!

Yes I use a skimmer - perhaps it is a bit underpowered but I doubt it.

Don't be so sure! That "good balance of fish" needs to be fed. And that
means fertilizer for algae like caulerpa. Powerful skimming is a means to
eliminate the fertilizer.

Yes
I have rock and DSB and all that. I have a good balance of fish and they
are
all happy. I think it has just started to grow and I have ignored it for
long enough for it to become a problem.

You started the post claiming that the caulerpa was growing at an alarming
rate.

Perhaps I need a phosphate remover - will get one. I just wondered if
there
is any quick fix to get rid of what is there.

Rip it out!

If you limit a critical component - such as light or phosphate - it can't
grow back quickly. If you have a fish only tank, you can try cutting back
on the light. If you can't cut back on the light then you need to get the
phosphates down to near nothing. In a well lit reef tank that includes
hungry fish, I and others use *intense* skimming to keep phosphate (and
thereby algae!) under control.

If you try phosphate remover, be sure to test for phosphate. The phosphate
remover will only remove the tinyest traces. If you have a lot of
phosphate, you will go broke buying phosphate remover. If there were a
better way to get control of this without serious skimming -

I would like to hear it myself.
Thomas Bartkus