Bryopsis outbreak - help (search engine busy)

[Chuck H.]

The search engine is busy so I need to ask this question that I'm sure has been asked before: How do you combat Bryopsis algae? My parameters are good as far as nutrients - no Nitrate (Salifert) and no Phosphate (SeaTest). I have a Sailfin Tang that nips at the stuff every now and then, but my Lawnmower Blenny ignores it completely. I have about 15-20 Nassarius snails, 12 blue leg hermits, 1 large Mexican Turbo and a handful of Astrae snails. I have manually removed some of it in the past and will continue to do so if necessary. I do run a Phosban reactor and I just changed the media about 8 days ago. I want to get it under control or begin to anyway before I start using my new Tek light next week -I'd hate for the new lighting to cause an even bigger outbreak! Any thoughts, advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

 

[JaMan]

most Zebrasoma will eat it.

 

[Dubbin1]

You can use this search http://reefcentral.com/search.php?menu=11

 

[Kreeger1]

going through it right now also, raise your ph to 8.5 for 2 weeks and that should dent it pretty good.
I've never heard that Zebrasoma tangs eat it, I actually thought it was mildly posions to most animals, hence the hardness of its removal.
I added for sea slugs that are eating it, I also added a blue tuxedo urchin that was recomended by sprung in his new book to eat it also.
Its a battle forsure to beat this stuff
Erik

 

[Jeffie]

Yep, PH of 8.6 day and night will starve it out in a few weeks.

 

[Chuck H.]

I'm sure this is a silly question, but... will an elavated pH like that negatively affect anything else in the tank or mess up the water's chemistry? Thanks for the replies.

 

[kevin2000]

My 02

I suggest you start by diversifying your clean up crew .. you have a lot of nassarius snails but they are meat eaters and are not very helpful on algae issues - some algae eating snails like astrae/turbo's may help some.

Chances are you have a phosphate issue even though your test kit reads zero .. phosphate test kits have significant limitations and are often best used to test water before it gets into your tank. Remember your test kit can only measure inorganic phosphates within the water column and those phosphates are rapidly consumed/sequestered by algaes/phyto etc -- as such often the best method of determining whether you have a phosphate issue is the fact that you have algaes and no nitrates. I suggest you look/search for cyano threads -- std control mechanism for cyano is eliminating phosphates and there s/b plenty of info.

Heres a link that may help
http://www.melevsreef.com/gha.html

 

[DJ88©]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6420499#post6420499 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JaMan
most Zebrasoma will eat it.

I have yet to see any fish that will eat Bryopsis. I have sold and tried many different types. I have a Black Tang and it doens't go near it. Never heard of any Zebrasoma that will eat it.

Bad stuff. I have fought it twice. First time it just went away on it's own. , second I beat it through using washing soda and boosting the pH for several weeks. I did that VERY carefully though.

Lettuce Sea slugs will eat it, well suck the chlorophyll out, but you needs lots of them and they are very easily sucked into overflows, pumps etc. Sooo. diminishing returns basically.

I highly recommend trying the elevated pH method in conjunction with water changes and pruning wherever possible. Make sure you have a pH monitor and don't go too high too fast. Slowly raise it up and keep it at about 8.6 or so. That was what I held it at.

I need to do that all over again as I am fighting it again.

 

[DJ88©]

Double.. :S

 

[Kreeger1]

DJ88, how did you keep your ph up, did you do a slow drip?
Im having swings in ph at night back down to normal levels of 8.2-8.3
Erik

 

[DJ88©]

I didn't sleep.....

I tired as much as possible to keep it up at that level. Luckily I was in school at the time and was home a lot studying for finals.

 

[Kreeger1]

Good call, Its not easy keeping it up that high. Im doing it with kalk, what baking soda did you use?
Erik

 

[DJ88©]

I actually got my mits on some washing soda. No need to bake it. Potent stuff. I really had to be careful. I spiked it once waaay past 9.0 by accident. Luckily it dropped pretty fast after it was diluted.

 

[Lunchbucket]

well i think the algae that i have been fighting for a while is bryopsis now i have been winning the battle i think. it is ONLY on one rock and it hasn't spread. i am pruning at least 3times or more per week to keep it really short. i am going to change my PO4 media soon also. i have no detectable po4 but that doesn't mean squat. i am feeding every other day, skimming wet, blowing off the algae every 1-2days to limit the settling of poo, and i do 15gal water cahnge every other week.

any more suggestions? it seems to be going away and i have beat a few patches (now gone). i don't have much but this stuff is annoying

Lunchbucket

 

[DJ88©]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6427591#post6427591 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lunchbucket


any more suggestions? it seems to be going away and i have beat a few patches (now gone). i don't have much but this stuff is annoying

Lunchbucket

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6425379#post6425379 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DJ88


I highly recommend trying the elevated pH method in conjunction with water changes and pruning wherever possible. Make sure you have a pH monitor and don't go too high too fast. Slowly raise it up and keep it at about 8.6 or so. That was what I held it at.

 

[Kreeger1]

If its just on one rock, I'd take that rock out and boil it.
You can't believe the battle it is once it starts spreading
Erik

 

[Lunchbucket]

DJ88 - DOH...i forgot i read that. thanks for slapping it in my face...dumb me

ericksmacks - i NOT tearing my whole tank apart to get a bottom rock out. i am beating it pretty well. no spreading that i can see.

just to confirm...this is the algae that i have..bryopsis or no??

it actually has been pretty managable. but i dont' feed much or have much for a bioload.

what snails eat it?? any?

i HAVE SEEN my yellow eey kole tang pick at the long pieces (before i pruned it regularly). so he ate some of it...not sure how much he got

Lunchbucket

 

[DJ88©]

That be the monster.. Both my sister and I have it in our tanks.

I haven't seen much eat it other than Lettuce Sea Slugs. Yuu can do a mix of astrea and the mini ceriths as the astreas will eat it and then the ceriths clean up the waste from the astreas before it can be consumed by new bryopsis. But it is hard to get a hold of those mini ceriths( a measuring cup holds several hundred to give you an indication of size).

Soooo with that said I prune, do water changes and raise the pH.

It's worked for me.

and no slap.. just a nudge.

 

[Kreeger1]

That be the mother of all evil. Good luck with it.

 

[DJ88©]

giggity