Algae ID Please.....Bryopsis, Derbesia?

[joshbryer]

Hi-

I posted this in the Algae Forum but haven't gotten a response, so I figure I'd try to open it up to a wider audience.

Looking for a more informed ID of this algae than mine. I'm in the middle of cycling/seeding, so I'm ready for the normal diatoms, hair, macros etc...but this stuff is pretty scary.

I've dug through a lot of online reference, and it seems that it's either Bryopsis (plumosa?) or Derbesia. It's fern-like and fairly whispy, but still very structured. It also collects detritus at it's base, which I've read is a trait of Bryopsis sp. Just want to get a better idea so I can figure out a course of action. If it is Bryopsis, the Tech-M is waiting....

Any other help/opinions are valued. Thanks!

 

[Allmost]

here is a good tool :

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/reefslides/index.php

 

[DLANDINO]

edit, sorry, I typed too soon and was only seeing the pic with the blue background. Yes, that appears to be Bryopsis Plumosa to me. Tech M all the way. Dose it slowly and over time building to the recommended 1600-1700 range and then keep it there for about a month. You will see quick results once you hit your target numbers but to eradicate the beast you will need patience and a lot of Tech M.

Be aware that when I treated my tank my zoas and montipora bleached a bit and took about 5 months to recover their color AFTER treatment was over the my mg levels were back in the normal range. Best of luck.

 

[joshbryer]

here is a good tool :

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/reefslides/index.php

Thanks for the link... That was actually one of the pages I used to come to my rather unscientific bryopsis conclusion...

edit, sorry, I typed too soon and was only seeing the pic with the blue background. Yes, that appears to be Bryopsis Plumosa to me. Tech M all the way. Dose it slowly and over time building to the recommended 1600-1700 range and then keep it there for about a month. You will see quick results once you hit your target numbers but to eradicate the beast you will need patience and a lot of Tech M.

Be aware that when I treated my tank my zoas and montipora bleached a bit and took about 5 months to recover their color AFTER treatment was over the my mg levels were back in the normal range. Best of luck.

Your input is much appreciated. A gallon of Tech-M will be arriving tomorrow, In the mean time I'm gonna read through that thread again. Luckily (?) this is happening to an un-stocked tank, there's only been water in it for about 5 weeks, and I've just added some snails/cuc this week so I don't have to worry about more sensitive organisms at the moment. I'm wasn't really planning on adding fish/coral for at least another 4-6 weeks anyways, maybe just some shrimp etc.

 

[zygote2k]

Definitely Bryopsis.
I'll say it again- you definitely don't have to use Kent-M to eradicate Bryopsis.
You can use BRS or Home Depot Magnesium mix at a far cheaper cost.
Perhaps someone from Kent started that rumor...

 

[DLANDINO]

I must say, I tried the cheaper route with BRS and it dis nothing to the bryopsis. I became discouraged and waited another month or ao thinking that I was going to fall victim to this algae and be forced tonstart over. Then, I decided to give tech m a shot and low and behold I'd there wasn't an immediate browning if the bryopsis and eradication of all visible strands within a week. Now, all tanks are different and I am certainly not saying that you are incOrrect in your response above. It may just be that I had a different type if bryopsis that only responded to the mystery ingredient in tech m. I am by no means an expert.

 

[skibum9884]

Definitely Bryopsis.
I'll say it again- you definitely don't have to use Kent-M to eradicate Bryopsis.
You can use BRS or Home Depot Magnesium mix at a far cheaper cost.
Perhaps someone from Kent started that rumor...

My understanding was that there were "trace" amounts of some ingredient in Kent Tech-M that was responsible for riding your tank of Bryopsis that are not in other Magnesium supplements. I could have heard wrong though....

 

[scbrooks87]

Tech M worked for me.... Make sure to shake it before adding each time though... oops lol

 

[jaa1456]

My understanding was that there were "trace" amounts of some ingredient in Kent Tech-M that was responsible for riding your tank of Bryopsis that are not in other Magnesium supplements. I could have heard wrong though....

That is the exact reason only Tech M works, It's not a trace element but some type of impurity.

 

[kelvindodd]

no bueno. this has recently surfaced in my 6 month old tank. Somebody hold me, I'm scared...

 

[joshbryer]

Thanks for all the replies and insight. I'm playing the numbers based on success rates with different magnesium solutions and going the tech-m route though I have brs mag as well. I'll be updating my build thread with results...

no bueno. this has recently surfaced in my 6 month old tank. Somebody hold me, I'm scared...

Well, if you have what I have I'd definitely get on it because it's growing at a pretty insane rate. Any pics?

 

[kelvindodd]

Here a couple I shot this morning. I had been wondering what had been growing on my glass that looked like little stalks, but based on your last picture, it might be more of the same:

 

[kelvindodd]

After doing some homework on byopsis plumosa, there are people that say b.p. is often mistaken for hair algae, and then there are those that say b.p. IS hair algae. Does anyone want to ring in on this?

Does the fact that this looks like b.p. mean that turbos and emeralds won't eat it, or is that its just too prolific to be controlled naturally?

 

[joshbryer]

After doing some homework on byopsis plumosa, there are people that say b.p. is often mistaken for hair algae, and then there are those that say b.p. IS hair algae. Does anyone want to ring in on this?

Does the fact that this looks like b.p. mean that turbos and emeralds won't eat it, or is that its just too prolific to be controlled naturally?

I'm certainly nowhere near educated enough on the subject to say without a doubt that I have Bryopsis Plumosa, but I think it's a fair educated guess at this point.... Yours looks a bit different in it's structure, and just based on photos I've seen it seems to look more like derbesia, but who knows. There's a ton of bryopsis species, but the plumosa seems to be very perfectly fern-like.

That being said, as a data point, I have ceriths/trochus snails and a fighting conch, and NO ONE touches even the small pieces. I believe it is different than what is commonly referred to as hair algae. From what I've read, another problem is that it will grow freely even in very low nutrient, low-no light environments. Not exciting.....

 

[DLANDINO]

99.9% sure. Bryopsis. Which actual scientific classification it is is up for debate however.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Bryopsis has no natural consumers whereas hair algae does. Some fish and species of snails, along with sea hares will eat hair algae but won't touch bryopsis. Bryopsis is also a much faster grower than hair algae. Nasty stuff. i had to break down and redo a tank that had a huge bryopsis outbreak. This was years before the Tech-M solution came on the scene.

 

[jformani]

Bryopsis, dont waster your time with cheap stuff...get Kent Tech M. Dose a ltitle at a time....had the same problem same time you did and it was gone in a week and never came back!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[joshbryer]

A gallon of Tech-M arrived today and I'm currently at 1050, so I'll be dosing up to 1700 over the course of the next week (100ppm per day).

 

[Reef Bass]

Yes, that's feather bryopsis.

My understanding it is the magnesium chloride component in TechM which is the effective agent, compared with the magnesium sulfate that is often found in other magnesium supplements. BRS (and Randy's recipe) actually recommend a blend of mag chloride and mag sulfate.

Using the blend, I successfully kept bryopsis in check with a mag level 1500-1600ish. I also recommend running GFO to remove any algae fueling phosphates.

 

[joshbryer]

Just an update...the bryopsis has pretty well melted off the rocks and some of it on the glass/overflow is beginning to become pale.

On another note, either one of my trochus snails is a freak of nature or this isn't bryopsis because I witnessed him absolutely chowing on it tonight. And not the little baby ones either, he was chomping some of the big bad boys. It was on the glass, so I was actually able to verify that he was eating it. Unexpected to say the least.