Dictyota. Need a real solution.

[Logzor]

I am posting here because I have found no good answer elsewhere.

I have found no invert that will eat this algae. Plucking only causes spreading even with daily removal. Everything I have tried has not worked.

Getting rid of the rock is not an option. The tank does excellent, the algae is somewhat attractive but I can not keep zoos because they get covered up so quickly.

I successfully keep sps and water quality does not seem to be an issue.

sg .026
temp 80
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
alk 8.5
ph 7.8-8.2
cal 440
mag ?
phos ?

My tank is 55 gallons so a naso tank is not an option.

I have heard that high PH can kill it off. I am trying to stuff some chaeto into the tank to try and starve it off.

I do not have a sump btw.

 

[Cinderblock]

I have a smaller tank similiar to your size. I tried everything possible and every suggestion on this board. I had to remove the LR and purchase new LR. I removed all my SPS and had to re-glue them all. Good luck - its a mess.

 

[Logzor]

Agreed. I may end up getting a temporary naso for it. I know I will get flamed but this has worked for others with 55 gallon tanks.

Removing the rock and stuff is not an option for me currently. I was hoping for some kind of PH solution or something else that can take this stuff out of commission.

 

[Mark]

Virgate Rabbit fish eat it as well. So do mithrax crabs. I've used both. Now, it only grows in my overflows, since no-one is there to consume it.

 

[HBtank]

Virgate rabbit worked for me as well.

 

[Logzor]

How hard are these to come by?

Would it be safe to place in the tank with my Tomini Tang, Clown Fish, and Diamond Goby?

 

[J. Montgomery]

I have seen my large emerald crab eat it.

 

[Logzor]

I would need an army of them. I have one large one and he usually gets leftover food.

 

[lancer99]

Logzor,

I sympathize. I had Dictyota in my 40G breeder, and tried to get rid of it by removing all the rock, scrubbing it thoroughly, and keeping it in the dark for a month before putting it into my 75G.

Now I have Dictyota in both the 40G and the 75G.

If I remember correctly, you got flamed in another thread for just mentioning the idea of introducing a "temporary" Naso or virgatus Rabbitfish. Those flamers have obviously never dealt with the curse of Dictyota.

Please keep us posted and let us know what you do, and how well it works out.

Thx,
-R

 

[Logzor]

Lancer,

Thank you for your understanding and support.

I am going to buy one of those rabbit fish or a small naso tang the next chance I get and see how it does.

I am first trying to raise my ALK and see if that has any effect.

 

[Agu]

Naso was the only thing that solved dictyota for me, and yeah most other solutions were tried first. During the explosion of growth there was a fox face rabbitfish in the tank and it wouldn't touch the stuff. It's fortunate that I had a 180 at the time.

"Renting" a naso would be a short term fix though. Once you remove the tang it'll come right back.

Good Luck ...............

 

[lancer99]

Just a thought...I "caught" Dictyota from some Marshall Islands live rock that I bought from a fellow reefer, and he never had any problems with it.

He's more of an SPS guy, heavy skimming and lots of equipment, whereas I'm more low-tech, and don't skim heavily.

My nitrates in both tanks are somewhere between 0 and 0.2 (Salifert), but I've never tested for P04 (since that's essentially useless), but don't run any sort of phosphate remover either.

My lighting is roughly equivalent to his in spectrum and PAR.

That makes me think there is some limiting nutrient that's above Dictyota's growth threshold in my tank, but was below in his. Possibly P04?

This avenue has probably already been explored, but just thought I'd throw it out there.....

And I hate to sound callous, and will probably get flamed for asking, but what would happen to a Naso tang or Scribbled rabbitfish kept in a tank that's too small?

-R

 

[Logzor]

Latest Update.

I have manually removed over a gallon a packed Dictyota algae. My goal was to let to grow out and hope that it maxed out. The tips were turning white so I decided to hand pick and sucked out a ton with the siphon.

I think the dying algae released a lot of phosphates. Only one coral seemed to be affected, my duncan, which shed all of its skin. The heads are still fine and I think it is coloring back up. Not too worried about it.

Anyways after the massive removed and two 7 gallon water changes some of my corals look twice as big (frogspawn etc). My mili and blue tort are expanding polyps much better also.

Is it possible that the algae was constantly releasing phos under its dead layers while it was still growing on the top?

I need a phos test kit!

 

[Logzor]

Conditions are slowly improving. Chaeto is growing fast and I have been doing frequent water changes using my siphon to such the algae off of the rocks. I do this twice a week, 7 gallons.

I randomly do manual removal during feeding or when I have some spare time.

I am raising the ALK in hopes that coraline algae will cover the rocks and help prevent the Dictyota from re-establishing in a prolific manner.

I have the ALk raised to 10DKH and my Calcium is at 440. How high should I raise the ALK and Calcium to get maximum coraline growth?

 

[chris wright]

G'day logzor,

This is what my spiny urchin did to the Dictyota, not the best picture, but you get the idea. The bare rock on the left is where it's concentrated, and it doesn't seem to grow back.

HTH

Cheers

Chris

 

[Logzor]

Good Morning Chris,

Yep, that is the same algae and I am sure you understand what I am going through.

Can you send me some links to the exact urchin you have, or the genus (latin name). Livequaria.com has a lot of urchins I think, I just need to get the exact one you have!

I tried an urchin but I think the LFS sold me the wrong species and it got stressed and died (maybe it was a meat eater).

Thanks,
Logan

 

[chris wright]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11869196#post11869196 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Logzor
Good Morning Chris,

Yep, that is the same algae and I am sure you understand what I am going through.

Can you send me some links to the exact urchin you have, or the genus (latin name). Livequaria.com has a lot of urchins I think, I just need to get the exact one you have!

I tried an urchin but I think the LFS sold me the wrong species and it got stressed and died (maybe it was a meat eater).

Thanks,
Logan

Yeah mine came on the live rock, and considering I started out using tap water I manually removed it for quite a while, but was surprised to see the rock bare after the urchin went through.

Keep in mind that the urchin will eat coraline algae as well, and I believe they can scratch acrylic.

The species I have is a Diadema savignyi. Don't touch the spines, as they will spear you and it hurts :lol: Another of the same family is Diadema setosum, which may do the job as well.

Just perseviere with it, get your nutrients down through good skimming and water changes, because even though the urchin will eat this algae, it still deposits waste in the aquarium

 

[ARIANNA]

A pencil urchin worked to some extent for me but then I upgraded and all my live rock was stored in the dark for several months. I haven't had a problem since. (knock on wood)
Good luck:strooper:

 

[Poorcollegereef]

Hey, I had great success with blue tux urchins (Mespilia globulus) It took about 2 weeks for 4 urchins to clean a large area (5 by 7 inches) and several smaller areas in my 65g. I gave two urchins away after that and I dont have a problem with coralline growth. it has been a year since I added the urchins and I have yet to have another outbreak of dictyota. Hope you tank improves!

 

[Logzor]

Thanks. I think the massive removal, lots of water changes, increasing alk, and increasing in-tank turnover to 60x has improved my situation.

Also, my chaeto that is in take is doing great, so it must be absorbing something.

With the increased flow the polyps on my blue tort and rose mili are massive.

I will try some of the urchins, though.