How to get rid of Bryopsis

[Fizz71]

After some research I think I finally figured out that the algae growing in my tank is actually Bryopsis. I've never had it before (in 15+ years in the hobby) so I didn't catch it right away...I thought it was feather caulerpa until nobody ate it and it didn't grow in typical caulerpa strands. Anyway I managed to pull it from the frag it came on, but it's now in multiple patches in my main rock area and removing the rock will be tough.

Nothing is touching it. Is there a nudi or sea hare or something that somebody's had good luck with? I'm leaning towards a Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia crispata) but I'd rather have a sea hare if they eat the stuff.

TIA

--Fizz

 

[spieszak]

Only thing I have ever heard of that works for bryprosis is a Mg spike with Tech M. It didn't work for me, but others report success. I'm in the process of tearing my bryprosis tank down after battling it for better than a year. Nothing that was in the tank before the break down will be returned to the tank.
(I didn't try peroxide, but pretty much everything else) Hope your "strain" is less resistant to efforts to eradicate.

 

[ParanoidObseshn]

I had the same problem in my tank last year. I didnt want to dose to remove it because of the small size of the tank so I went out and bought a small emerald crab. After about a week or so most of the bryopsis was gone.

 

[rogersb]

I have read keeping mag elevated to 1600 will eliminate it.

 

[Critter]

Fizz, I had an outbreak a few years ago (I blame a CC base). I tried all the cirtters that say they eat it but nothing does, infact I believe it releases a toxin to the critters. Anyway, I had to remove my rock (luckly not alot of corals) and place in a tank with no lights for a month or two. So in the process I also removed all the CC and replaced with play sand. Has been good every since (3 years now). Physically removing you'll find is only way.

After some research I think I finally figured out that the algae growing in my tank is actually Bryopsis. I've never had it before (in 15+ years in the hobby) so I didn't catch it right away...I thought it was feather caulerpa until nobody ate it and it didn't grow in typical caulerpa strands. Anyway I managed to pull it from the frag it came on, but it's now in multiple patches in my main rock area and removing the rock will be tough.

Nothing is touching it. Is there a nudi or sea hare or something that somebody's had good luck with? I'm leaning towards a Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia crispata) but I'd rather have a sea hare if they eat the stuff.

TIA

--Fizz

 

[rigleautomotive]

tuxedo urchins,tiny hermits,mythrax,large turbos in the right dense population will clean anything green from the rock if you stop feeding the nutrients that started the bloom.

The reason this does not grow out of control in the wild is because of no magic or elevated mineral or heavy metal ratio but the ratio of herbivores and the low level of nutrients wipe it out.There is always a safe biological control for all algae and if the hobbyist is patient and diligent with nutrient export,it is not a lost cause and quite manageable.Yellow tangs are also the cows of the reef IMO and any reef large enough to keep them alive should have one or more.They all work together on different size and length algae to eradicate.I have used this method many times with 100% success.The patience and diligence of the hobbyists will dictate how long it takes.Stock heavy with assorted cleaners mentioned above and your rock will be clean (eventually) GL

 

[Fizz71]

My tangs (yellow and sailfin) don't touch the stuff...dropped several mithrax (4 or 5) and haven't seen them since (not that it means anything)....I do have some turbos that haven't touched it and a good number of hermits, but not enough. Any suggestion on type of hermit for bryopsis? ..I haven't seen anybody show an interest in eating it.

Tuxedo urchin is also on my list so I'll get one.

I usually feed the tank once a day, sometimes twice if company is over but also sometimes NONE. Food doesn't last long either. I will say that I still don't have a fuge running so I really need to set that up...I have a tank, just no room for it in the basement. I want to keep it out of my sump this time since my sump is now home to the extra live rock I removed from the display to give my display more space.

Let me know which type of hermits you suggest Dan and I'll stock up. I currently have blues and reds and a handful of scarlets, but definitely nowhere near what I had before.

 

[johnny]

Try oceanic salt for a bit, the elevated mg always helped with nuisance algae, otherwise Dan hit the nail on the head.. herbivores... my pencil urchin eats all algae it touches.

Nick

 

[Fizz71]

I have 120+ team CUC on order for next Friday so we'll see how they do. I know my CUC is light for a 240g so this should step it up. Plus I lost all my micro-fauna while the tank was sitting in a sump in the basement so I have a long road to get that population back up.

If the new CUC doesn't work, I'll try to maintain an elevated Mg for a while but I just don't like chemical solutions to natural problems.

 

[TFP Marine Biologist]

The elevated Mg seems to have hit or miss result, I have personally used this method with success, but have reccomended it to others who did not. My only caution would be to do it slowly, I am a firm believer in "nothing good happens quickly in a reef tank" You can safely maintain your Mg level at 1500-1600ppm for a few weeks, then let it fall back down to normal levels.

 

[Fizz71]

I'm going to see if I can tear some out to get it low and see if the new CUC takes care of the rest. I don't have a good Mg test kit (ordered one) so I don't even know where I'm at. The Mg will be the last resort...well...actually...removing the rock will be the last resort...but Mg will be next. Was planning on going up only 100 at a time.

 

[WienerDog]

I know nobody wants to hear this...have you read up on peroxide dosing. Yeah, the whole tank. Ive read about serious success stories. I know this will get slammed because it is a relatively new process. There are members on here who fought with bryo and completely beat it with h2o2 dosing and in less than two weeks with absolutely NO harm. Research it and decide for yourself.

 

[rogersb]

I know nobody wants to hear this...have you read up on peroxide dosing. Yeah, the whole tank. Ive read about serious success stories. I know this will get slammed because it is a relatively new process. There are members on here who fought with bryo and completely beat it with h2o2 dosing and in less than two weeks with absolutely NO harm. Research it and decide for yourself.

I don't know why it would get bashed. It has been done for freshwater for years and is known to be very effective. A guy I work with and carpooled with for awhile is currently doing it to combat dinos. I am going to dip with it soon for a zoa rock.

 

[illcssd]

Another thing I've had success with, besides raising Mg and a better clean up crew, is freshwater mollies. They can be adapted to saltwater and did aid in eating the bryopsis as I got the mg raised.