PROPER DISPOSAL
How to Properly Dispose of Caulerpa and Aquarium Contents
To properly dispose of Caulerpa removed from a tank, place the Caulerpa and any rocks, gravel, sand or other plants attached to it, into a bag and put it in the freezer for 24 hours. Then place the bag in a trash receptacle destined for the landfill.
Aquarium water and other contents should never be emptied into or near any gutter, storm drain, creek, lagoon, bay, harbor or the ocean. A single millimeter of Caulerpa that goes out with the tank water may be sufficient to start a Caulerpa invasion!
Remember that all water that goes into the gutter and storm drain does NOT get treated by a sewer treatment plant; it leads directly to the nearest lagoon, creek, or to the ocean. Caulerpa taxifolia has been shown to survive for more than a week out of the water, if kept damp.
Aquarium water should be disposed of only in the sewer system, such as a sink, toilet, shower or tub. Rock and other solid material from an aquarium should be disposed of in the trash. Fish, algae, rock, invertebrates, or any other pet, should NEVER be released into the wild.
NEVER DUMP AQUARIUM WATER INTO A STORM DRAIN - IT GOES STRAIGHT TO THE WILD.
Caulerpas have fine hairs on the rhizoids, or “roots”, which creep into aquarium rocks, sand and tank pumps to secure it as it grows. If left behind, these hairs will re-grow to form new plants. It is nearly impossible to remove Caulerpa from an overtaken rock; only freezing the entire rock can ensure Caulerpa will not re-grow.
VISIT THE AQUARIST PAGE TO LEARN MORE