For about 14 months I have battled a losing battle with an accelerating microalgae (sent samples out weeks ago, awaiting positive id). The acceleration has accelerated.
All water parameters have been spotless. Tried all methods. Latest was Algaefix which seemed to be working but turned into epic fail as the algae seems to be thriving on high doses of the stuff.
I am headed to the drastic remove-all-rock/coral and scrub tank method.
Question: when I do it I will have not too much time/space. I need some way to rapidly kill the algae off the rock so I can return (some) of the rock to the tank. I would like to do all the killing, rinse and return in same day.
Muriatic acid? Hydrogen Peroxide? I have some very large rocks (50+lbs) so need guidance here.
I likely would shut off valves, remove rock from sump and scrub sump walls, siphoning.
Then do same to fuge, removing top layer of sand. Scrubbing overflow box.
Then display, doing same. Probably move fish from display down to fuge after fuge is done while doing display.
I would scrub walls and overflow box. No way really to scrub pipes going to basement.
I mention the steps because I DO NOT want the algae just to return at the end!
So: what to use to kill the algae?
Am I leaving out key steps?
Thanks!
Dr. Goodluck Humself. :sad2::sad2::sad2:
The picture posted above appears to be Bryopsis. There are many different types, some more stubborn than others, I happen to have one that is very similar in appearance as yours. I too tried many different treatments. IMO you can't eliminate but it can be kept in check.
In the end this is what worked for me:
1. Remove rock and soak in muriatic acid bath (brute trash can)
2. Allow rock to dry out in sun for a week (very little can survive drying)
3. Place rock in trash can again and run a Lanthanum Chloride drip into a filter sock to remove phosphate from rock (remember all the dead critters inside the rock produce lots of phosphate.) Don't skip this step or you will be right back where you started with Bryopsis, fed by phosphate leaching from the rock.
4. Remove any Bryopsis that you can see in the display system
5. Replace rock by 20% every few days (I'm conservative)
6. Run an algae turf scrubber: when I get lazy and don't clean mine regularly I notice Bryopsis growing again in the DT, so it works.
7. Drip Magnesion P (can buy in 5 gallon bucket powder) from a reservoir, slow drip continuously with a BRS doser, I found this works better then targeting a specific Mg value, many believe there is something in Magnesion P (same as Tech M, but cheaper in powder form) that kills Bryopsis.
8. Attend to any new growth of Bryopsis immediately by removal (careful to dip in fresh water with each tear of algae to avoid seeding the water column) and then cover the area from light with aquamend cement.
