Help! - How to get rid of Bryopsis??

[wallysworld]

I have a 125g long setup with VHO's and over clocked T5's (660) Nitrate <5 phosphate <.5 SG .24 hardly feed the tank and mostly use flake food. But the bryopsis still comes back after hand picking it of the rock.
I have added some cheatos to my sump with a light on 24/7 two days ago. Have a Sailfin that picks on it but doesn't do much damage.

What eats this stuff? Its the kind that looks like a fern.

Help!!

 

[Keith P]

I used Kent Tech M. Their Mg seems to do the trick.

 

[wallysworld]

I am everyday. What mag levels should I keep to get rid of it?

Thanks,

 

[Pedro Nuno Ferreira]

I have a 125g long setup with VHO's and over clocked T5's (660) Nitrate <5 phosphate <.5 SG .24 hardly feed the tank and mostly use flake food. But the bryopsis still comes back after hand picking it of the rock.
I have added some cheatos to my sump with a light on 24/7 two days ago. Have a Sailfin that picks on it but doesn't do much damage.

What eats this stuff? Its the kind that looks like a fern.

Help!!

Hi
From your description it looks like you have a low bio load, still if you could describe further more your system, like what more animals do you have, and which flakes you use, frequency of water changes, if you use RO water to top of evaporated water and to prepare SW of if you use natural sea water, which, if any, trace elements you use and quantity/frequency, etc... it might help us to help you to better find the root cause or causes for the Bryopsis to be thriving.

As for what eats the Bryopsis, sea hares are reported to munch it, so Aplysia spp could be a possibility (see Domboski Aplysia dyctomela) or

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=elysorna

http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=3673

http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=12332

Another possibility would be Siganus unimaculatus

I am everyday. What mag levels should I keep to get rid of it?

Thanks,

From what I could learn about the product (and I used it once as a replenisher for MG) Tech M has both magnesium cloride and magnesium sulfate in its formula and there is a belief the it is the magensium sulfate (or Epsom Salts heptahydrate) that does the Bryopsis, still there are debates going about what in fact does what and there are both good and bad results with the use of magnesium to erradicate Bryopsis. The good results are the erradication of Briopsys and the bad results go from losses of corals and snails, etc... to no losses at all and elimination of Bryopsis but no erradication of it as it comes back once the levels o magnesium are returned to the normal parameters.
Should you decide to use Tech M, then do it gradually and monitor water parameters on a daily basis and observe for any disturbance signal. Bryopsis should start to fade and die of, if in fact the product works on it in your system.
The levels I know go from 1450 to 1800ppm and there is even a case that went to 2200ppm, but often these levels have ill effects on corals and snails, etc..., If you find snails to be kind of dizy or even dying

MgCl2 is used as an anesthetic for shipping cephalopods.

Hi hope this information helps you to decide and act in the best way possible.

Cheers
Pedro Nuno;-)

 

[jw10604]

I removed Bryopsis from my tank with an aggressive water change schedule and decreased light period.

 

[wallysworld]

Some more info as per Pedro's request:

The flakes I feed are = Ocean Nutrition -formula two flakes
Other food = Mysis frozen and brine shrimp cubes (both I rinse)
Fish = Sailfin tang, Flame hawk, 2-watchman gobi's, Royal grama and 2 percula clowns.
Corals and others = Ritteri anemone, Acro?, pogoda, 5 - zaos, hammer and pulsing Xenia.
Water source = RO/DI 4 months old. TDS in = +-42 out = 0
Salt use = Reef Crystals
The tank has only had one water change in the first month. The live rock is mostly from my 29g nano which is where the Bryopsis started about 35lbs of rock from a fellow reefer.

I tried water changes every week in the 29 nano but it never made a difference.

Is there anything that eats this stuff?

Thank you all!!
Walter

 

[Pedro Nuno Ferreira]

Some more info as per Pedro's request:

The flakes I feed are = Ocean Nutrition -formula two flakes
Other food = Mysis frozen and brine shrimp cubes (both I rinse)
Fish = Sailfin tang, Flame hawk, 2-watchman gobi's, Royal grama and 2 percula clowns.
Corals and others = Ritteri anemone, Acro?, pogoda, 5 - zaos, hammer and pulsing Xenia.
Water source = RO/DI 4 months old. TDS in = +-42 out = 0
Salt use = Reef Crystals
The tank has only had one water change in the first month. The live rock is mostly from my 29g nano which is where the Bryopsis started about 35lbs of rock from a fellow reefer.

I tried water changes every week in the 29 nano but it never made a difference.

Hi
What about water circulation...can you post a video or photographs?
Do you notice accumulation of detritus over the rocks or in the substrate (like when your siphoning a lot of debris are set loose fro the rocks and/or siphoned)?

Is there anything that eats this stuff?Thank you all!!
Walter

other than the suggestions I gave?

As for what eats the Bryopsis, sea hares are reported to munch it, so Aplysia spp could be a possibility (see Domboski Aplysia dyctomela) or

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=elysorna

http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=3673

http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=12332

Another possibility would be Siganus unimaculatus

Cheers
Pedro Nuno;-)

 

[rbtwo4]

Seahares don't eat it that's a lie raise ur magnesium to 2000ppm worked like a charm for me & I had it BAD! Stop using flakes use something u can rinse or use cyclopeeze that's what I use and rinse my mysis. Chaeto seahares hermits LMB's none of that works. I read a thread on reefcentral how the magnesium worked I tried it and posted my results pics & all on another site which I won't mention cus its run by a jerk but anyhow I lost the pics wish I had them so u can see. I used a drip method and I swear it worked right away. Only thing is some snails didn't like the rise in MG and died but I'd trade them in for a bryopsis free tank any day

 

[wallysworld]

I am going to try bringing up the mag to 2000. Sure it doesn't bother anything but snails? I just got two turbos...hopefully they make it

Thanks guys!

 

[ming]

I have a 125g long setup with VHO's and over clocked T5's (660) Nitrate <5 phosphate <.5 SG .24 hardly feed the tank and mostly use flake food. But the bryopsis still comes back after hand picking it of the rock.
I have added some cheatos to my sump with a light on 24/7 two days ago. Have a Sailfin that picks on it but doesn't do much damage.

What eats this stuff? Its the kind that looks like a fern.

Help!!

Considering you only said your phosphates are <.5, you're not using a hanna which means if its even detectable on any other test kit, your phosphates are already too high. Bryopsis thrives on phosphates

 

[wallysworld]

Ok that makes sense. I was actually running a AquaVia phos reactor That I had on my 29nano but Im thingking thats too small for the 125? I am looking at a new reactor from BRS for my GFO just waiting to hear back from them on how big of a tank can it handle? This is the only way I know to bring down phosphates.

-Walter

 

[rbtwo4]

Yeah didn't notice ur phosphate reading u need to bring it down I have BRS GFO too cut my lighting down somewhat and stopped using flakes cus they're high in phosphates. Like I said only some snails suffered not all I have quite a few still alive & my hermits it didn't even phase them. Corals are all good too.

 

[BHDMC]

I had this problem until I read a post in WWW.REEFCENTRAL.COM. I use Kent Marine Tech M magnesium and kept the level above 1600 ppm for a few weeks. The Bryopsis starting dying and I just remove what was left. It has not come back. It is important to monitor your magnesium level during treatment. I kept my mag. level during treatment around 1650-1700 ppm. Natural sea level I think is 1500 ppm. No effect on my SPS corals nor clams. My yellow scroll and some soft corals turned alittle pale. After I stopped the treatment, the colors came back. You still need to keep the bad nutrient low so it doesnot come back, otherwise you are spinning your wheels. High mag. level will lower the alkalinity levels. Some will add Kent Marine Superbuffer to bring it up during treatment. I did not add this and the tank was fine. If you can locate that post on Reefcentral.com it will give you more addtional information.

 

[wallysworld]

Thanks guys, a lot of info. I am going to try the high mag. let you know what happens. And thanks for the heads up on the Alk levels.

Here's something interesting too, after adding the overclocked T5's with a 660 IC all the bryopsis near the top of the tank is turning brown and dieing. I guess its getting burned. I guess Icecap was right these T5's kick a...!

-Walter