Advice on Bryopsis

[Mario]

Hey all,
Here is a current picture of my tank taken 8-20-2007
The second picture is with compact flourscents in June 2007
26 gallons bowfront
Started Oct 2003
Over the past year a huge infestation of bryopsis, difficult to control.

I use RO/DI Water water changes twice a month of 10 gallons total with either Catalina or Oceanic Sea Salt
Nitrate: 2mg/ml
Phosphate=0
Alkalinity 3.0
Calcium 230mg/ml
(using Aquarium systems test kits)
MH @ 150 watts
Two weeks ago started a refugium with only live sand and chaeto.
The latter is growing like crazy!!!

1. Should I increase type of macro in fuge?
2. Physicial removal of bryopsis is the only way I control. Tang or snails now Sea Hare will touch it.

Any suggestions?

I have 4 fish, percula, gramma, blue chromis and a tang (all small)
4 clams, zoo's. three mushrooms, etc

Regards

Mario

 

[tripstank]

Couple questions.

How long is your photo period?

What additives are you using?

What food are you using? Are you rinsing it before throwing it in? How much and how often are you feeding?

What type of circulation and filtration do you have? Are you using bio balls?

 

[ellebelle]

Well, the fact that you're having a bryopsis problem at all would indicate that your phosphates are likely not zero. I have two suggestions on that front -

1) get some kind of phosban reactor if you aren't running one already
2) I noticed that your calcium and bicarbonate levels are a little low. You could dose your tank with kalk to try and precipitate out some of the phosphates.

If you lower any phosphates in your tank, that should curb your bryopsis problem. Then I would just go in and manually pull out what is there. Once you're done, you could do a water change to check and make sure you've got any little bits of bryopsis so they don't settle in your tank and flourish. Good luck.

PS: Beware that a tang will outgrow a 26g tank very quickly. But hopefully you already know that.

 

[LeslieS]

I had a really bad briopsis problem before there was anything even living in my tank for me to feed. My nutrient levels all said 0. I had to take every rock out and scrub it to get it enough under control that the clean up crew could do their job.

Also, do a search on RC. Some people wrote that extremely high mg levels would get rid of it.

 

[ellebelle]

I think manual scrubbing and very careful skimming of the leftovers is the only sure-fire way to get rid of it. Bryopsis is nasty stuff.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

could always get a juvenile Garibaldi and let him eat it all but they need cold water and a much bigger tank so you can't really keep him for too long :shhh:.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

could always get a juvenile Garibaldi and let him eat it all but they need cold water and a much bigger tank so you can't really keep him for too long :shhh:.

Why would you even suggest this? He's got a tank in there he's going to have to get out cause it's going to get too big for that tank (or die) anyway?

It doesn't make sense.

 

[kenske]

A few months back, i have the same problem. Even if i pluck it all out, a few days later it would cover my LR. I introduced a emerald crab, an voila!! in matter of about a week, all hair algae and bubble algae are gone. I don't even see my emerald crab , i think he's probably gone, but the hair algae never returned.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

that was a joke hense the "sshhhhhhh".

 

[BHDMC]

There is a thread/posting in "reefcentral.com" in treating Bryopsis. I have tried it. I had nothing to lose since I tried everything under the sun to rid this pest. It always came back. This treatment worked for me. If you maintain your Magnesium above 1500 PPM for several weeks, the Bryopsis slowly die. I could not believe it work. It is all gone. So far, it has not come back. I used Kent Marine Tech M. Others has tried other brands of Mag. additive and even some home made recipes. No side effects on my SPS coral and Clams. My Zoo's and Yellow Scroll did turn pale. I am waiting to see if Bryopsis comes back. If it does, I will just raise the Mag. level above 1500 PPM.

 

[DevIouS]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1113109

 

[Mario]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1113109

Yep thats the stuff allright....I wonder if the tequila bottle will do me any good that you have on your post? (Patron)

 

[cybermeez]

Given the size of your tank an Emerald Crab should do the job very nicely. They are also neat little critters too! If your little crab turns out to be the super industrious type, he may mow down all your Bryopsis and then you'll need to suppliment his diet with dried seaweed or algae wafers.

BTW....I used to use the Oceanic Salt, but noticed it made my algae problem worse. I suspect it may be sourced not far from shore where there are higher levels of nitrogenous pollutants. I switched to Reef Crystals primarily for my SPS and discovered my algae problem lessened.

 

[DevIouS]

Yep thats the stuff allright....I wonder if the tequila bottle will do me any good that you have on your post? (Patron)

LOL!
Not sure about taking care of the Bryopsis, but it'll make your fish very happy!
:bablefish

 

[Mario]

Hey, thanks for the feedback.

1. No I do not have any phosban. I plan on buying some. Can I use it in the refugium or a hang on canister? I do not have the place at the back for the latter.
2. I am sure my phosphates are not 0mg/ml even though the readings say so. The bryopsis grows really fast. I measured 1/2 inch a day!!!
3. I use Kent Buffer and Ca2+ powder or two part solution.

The tang doesnt seem to have to have grown much at all in two years, oh well, hope it doesnt. I feed very sparingly every other day a pinch of dry food, thats it.

Well, the fact that you're having a bryopsis problem at all would indicate that your phosphates are likely not zero. I have two suggestions on that front -

1) get some kind of phosban reactor if you aren't running one already
2) I noticed that your calcium and bicarbonate levels are a little low. You could dose your tank with kalk to try and precipitate out some of the phosphates.

If you lower any phosphates in your tank, that should curb your bryopsis problem. Then I would just go in and manually pull out what is there. Once you're done, you could do a water change to check and make sure you've got any little bits of bryopsis so they don't settle in your tank and flourish. Good luck.

PS: Beware that a tang will outgrow a 26g tank very quickly. But hopefully you already know that.

 

[ellebelle]

You can get a phosban reactor, which is a hang on canister. OR you could put phosban or other phosphate sponge in a filter sock and stick it in the fuge. .

 

[LeslieS]

hair algae

This is not the same as bryopsis.

 

[kdrayo]

Mario, if you are manually removing the bryopsis, make sure you remove the rock from the tank when you do this. little pieces will break off and infest more rock if you do it while it's still in the main tank.

 

[crox99]

Did you try a lettuce nudi? It did wonders for me and when he finished his job I gave them to another needy reeferer.

 

[DevIouS]

Did you try a lettuce nudi? It did wonders for me and when he finished his job I gave them to another needy reeferer.

For Bryopsis??
Ummm.........Nope.

You're confusing it with Hair Algae.