Clean up crew macro eaters?

[selch]

My LR came with some grape caulerpa on it, which was promptly removed when I started my tank. Two weeks into my almost complete cycle and I think its growing back. I'm also noticing some other plant life that has a fern like form. (I'll post pics later).

 

I'm going to start plucking the the caulerpa as I don't want that to get out of control. The other plant life I'm going to leave for the moment until I can identify it. The question is, when I add my cleanup crew, are there certain types of critters that will eat this kind of stuff?

 

I have found a hitchhiker crab, which I believe is an emerald (although he won't let me get a good look at him) and I think he'll help somewhat. Any other ideas?

[Pinchy]

darn, you shouldve yanked that stuff out at first sight! just keep yanking it out- your best bet is to remove the rocks and scrub em till you eliminate that sinister caulerpa...

[selch]

I yanked it on day 1 or 2 of starting my tank. Obviously its not gone. I'll keep pulling it but I have a feeling its going to be a part of my weekly maintenance routine. I'm not real keen on pulling my rocks unless it gets way out of control. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

[xeon]

The caulerpa (feather and grape) might be tough to get rid of. Aside from removing the rocks and scrubbing them, the only natural thing I know of that would eat those two would be a tang. With your tank size... maybe you could find a real small yellow tang to borrow/rent from a LFS? I would not dream of keeping one in your tank though.

 

Even if you scrub the rocks... there is some possibility a scrap could be hiding in a hole in the rock. I bought some mounted coral on a rock with some macros growing on them one time. I ended up remounting the corals on another rock and letting the rock sit outside for a few weeks. Macro's dead! By pulling/harvesting it, you will keep it from overgrowing the tank... but eradicating it will be tough IMO.