Mystery Macro 2: Can you Id this one?

[esmithiii]

This macro is also taking over my tank. (See previous thread, macro #1 for the other macro algae) and is quite different than the other. It is mossy, and is growing in the areas of high light. It is spreading pretty good and I hope there is some way I can control it. My tang wont touch it, nor will my sally lightfoot.

Thanks. Here are some pics:

 

[SPC]

Ernie, looks like bryopsis (sp?) to me.
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I had that stuff before too. Not sure what it was but I pulled it all up and it never came back. Came up in big clumps which was easy.

Glenn

 

[Carpentersreef]

Yes,
It's Bryopsis. You'll learn to hate it and then just accept it as a means of nutrient export. I pull out about a softball size amount from my 180 every 2 weeks. I stopped adding ANYTHING except frozen food for my fish and anemones, about 4 weeks ago, and shut off my CA reactor, trying to find the source of it's food, and it is still growing lush and green. I have three green lettuce nudibranchs that do eat it, but they can't keep up. I was targetting detritus in my LR as a possible source, but since your system is relatively new, and you are getting it, that might not be the problem, either.

Good luck,
Mitch

 

[Bomber]

Derbesia sp. not Bryopsis plumosa

 

[Carpentersreef]

Derbesia? I could be wrong. What's the difference?

Mitch

 

[Bomber]

Mitch,

Bp will be darker green,the individual filaments will be longer, and actually doesn't exhibit sheeting growth.

Derbesia will have dichotomously branched shorter filaments, exhibit the O2 bubble holding, and almost always tends to grow in sheets not exhibiting the balling growth of Bp.

These two are confused all the time.

Jerel

 

[Carpentersreef]

...learn something new every day.

Thanks,
Mitch

 

[esmithiii]

Anything that eats the stuff? How do I keep it from spreading?

E

 

[SnoopDog]

Whatever it is it took over my tank a while back and I dropped in 12 emerald crabs. A month later it is all gone.

 

[slojmn1]

I have it in my 40g reef that has marginal skimming on it and is over 11 years old. I had a purple tang, it was a gift, for a while and this stuff never grew. As soon as I he got to big for the cramped confines of the 40 and I returned him to my lfs this stuff grew back here and there. It does not seem to bother much in this tank as there are mainly mushrooms and softies in the tank. I have occasionally taken a rock with this stuff on it out of the 40g and placed it in my 120g and my Atlantic Blue Tang eats it to a nub in about 8 hours. It's a nice treat for him. Not much help for you but how I deal with it.

 

[esmithiii]

Anyone else have success w/ emerald (mithrax) crabs?

E

 

[esmithiii]

^

 

[esmithiii]

Anyone??!?

 

[pathos]

well I wouldn't drop in 12 emeralds just to take care of a temporary problem. I have 2 in my 65 gallon with no problems. They are quite enjoyable to watch too, especially when they're chomping on Valonia

. I don't think there's really anything that eats that stuff. I have similar in my tank as well, only mine grows on the lower LR. You'll have to prune it all by hand. Just work on it every day for a week by scrubbing it with a toothbrush and doing a 3 or 4 gal RO/DI water change. If you can, take the LR out of the tank and scrub it off using hot water. It sucks because you have to take a hands on approach to ridding yourself of it, and it takes mucho time and energy... wouldn't it be nice if we had the saltwater equivalent of a Pleclostamus? dang

 

[EmilyB]

Hey, the LFS just got that in $60 per piece I believe !!