Bryopsis Help

[WDLV]

Today is day 9.
I think the bryopsis has been dead for a couple days now. I thought there were a few patches left, but on closer inspection, it appears to be hair algae. I'm gonna mix up a new batch of salt water and refill the sump to it's previous level. My only debate is whether to pre-treat it to match the Tech-M dosing level or to allow the level to drop.

My next problem is a major infestation of aptasia. Barring someone local loaning or selling me a couple berghi verricicornis nudibranchs, I may have to shut the system down and restart from scratch using a piece of Pacific liverock that has never been exposed to aptasia. I will try kalk first but this will take a lot of kalk.

 

[mfinn]

I would add pretreat the new water with mag, and keep the mag level up for a couple weeks.

 

[WDLV]

That's what my gut is telling me. My only hangup is that my kenya tree is powder white and shrinking but I suppose one kenya tree is easier to replace than bryopsis is to fight.

 

[TWallace]

I, too, would pretreat the water change water to roughly match the Mg level in your tank. I'd then leave your Mg at whatever level it is currently for a couple of months to be certain. Bryopsis is a malevolent weed. It will hide out, plotting revenge during Tech M treatment. Then once the Mg level lowers down below around 1500, it rises like a phoenix. I still have patches of it on top of my birdsnest coral, remnants from my last battle. Luckily, it only grows there in my tank, so it's not much of a concern for me. I have Tech M on hand already, in case it does spread.

 

[mfinn]

I seem to get it inbetween zoanthid polyps. It will latch onto a frag and smother it.
I wish there was a dip process that would do the same on a small scale.
Like dip in saltwater at 1800 to 2000 for a hour every day for a week?? lol

 

[WDLV]

Here’s the latest pics in the Bryopsis saga.

 

[Ron Popeil]

walt, find a kleins butterfly. or a few of them. they will take care of the aiptasia with haste.

what a difference though, without all that bryopsis!

 

[Oil_Fan]

I'm also in favor of keeping your Mg levels for at least 2 weeks. You don't want a single strand to survive this. Keep you levels up and you'll be fine as far as killing your bryopsis. I'm also another who had success with Kent Tech-M.

 

[WDLV]

Jordan,
I would love to but I'm afraid the leucs (hiding behind the rock in every shot) would kill it in short order. The only way I can conceive of doing it would be to remove the leucs and in that case I might as well just shut it down, bleach it and start from scratch.... which I have considered anyway on account of the massive aptasia and bubble algae in that system. I have recently acquired some live rock from two sources. One was another reefer the other is straight out of the Pacific. I was strongly considering reseeding all the baserock I have (few hundred Lbs dry) and starting fresh in a couple months. My hesitation being that most of that crap will probably be re-introduced via frags anyhow unless I stick strictly to the systems being anemone/clown only tanks.
Here's the stuff from the other reefer. Nem Thread

Terry,
I have had this same advise from multiple sources on this and my local reef club... So, I will be heeding it.

 

[Ron Popeil]

well, if bleaching the tank is the only solution, we should have had you do this from the very start!

i still think removing the leucs and adding an army of emerald crabs and at least three kleins will take care of everything, or even in spite of the constant badgering of your clowns. i know a pair of aggressive clowns are certainly capable of clearing out a tank of every other fish in short order.

 

[WDLV]

This was a good learning experience for me. Even if I do wind up bleaching it out. I've had aptasia and bubble algae for years but have been able to use natural predators to keep it in check. It's onlt recently that I have moved to these smaller sized tanks that it has been (in my mind) cruel to keep tangs and butterflies in the system.