Cladophora prolifera — Toadstool Cap Algae
When moss and magic mix in the sea.
What You Get
Imagine a fairytale forest where mossy toadstools shelter the smallest wanderers, but underwater....
Cladophora prolifera, known as Toadstool Cap Algae, forms dense, mossy clumps that make your aquarium look like a tiny underwater woodland. Bright green and firm to the touch, each tuft resembles a miniature toadstool cap and provides shelter for amphipods, copepods, and other reef microfauna.
In addition to its charm in display tanks, Toadstool Cap thrives in refugiums. It is an excellent alternative to Chaetomorpha or Caulerpa for nutrient export, and is easy to manage and resistant to overgrowth. Found in calm, nutrient rich shallows throughout the Gulf and Caribbean, it brings the quiet beauty of those coastal habitats right into your macroscape.
Why It Is Algaesome
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Underwater forest fairytale: Mossy tufts add a natural, storybook carpet to your macroscape.
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Refuge for reef life: Pods, shrimp, and tiny crustaceans hide and forage within the tangled filaments.
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Refugium ready: Ideal for nutrient uptake and microfauna production, a fantastic alternative to Chaeto or Caulerpa.
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Hardy and compact: Stays small and tidy, making it suitable for tanks of almost any size.
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Low maintenance: Does not crash or aggressively overgrow, and is simple to trim and re place as needed.
Sizing & Availability
Each portion is a firm, bright green clump of Cladophora prolifera measuring roughly 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Natural variation in density and hue, from light to deep green, is expected, and portions may arrive with a few tiny hitchhikers tucked into the nooks. Availability is generally regular when conditions are favorable.
Traits
Color Bright to deep green
Ease Easy
Classification Green macroalgae
Nutrient Uptake Good
Availability Regular
Use Display and refugium macro; nutrient export
Lighting Medium to high
Flow Moderate
A Note from the Collectors:
Every macroalga we offer is hand collected, acclimated, and observed by our team before shipping. While we carefully try to remove other algae, sponges, and tiny hitchhikers, it is possible that a few goodies from the reef may tag along. It is a natural part of receiving genuine wild collected specimens.
Many species may arrive paler or whitish in color. This is completely normal. Macroalgae shift their pigments inward during transport to protect from light and stress; color returns within a few days under good aquarium lighting and flow.
We ship via 2 Day service on Mondays and Tuesdays only to ensure specimens arrive healthy. You will receive a notification with tracking information as soon as your order ships.
