My Tank is Cursed

[Stolireef]

So, as many of you know, I did a full rebuild at the beginning of this year. The tank was doing great and everything was growing.

Well, probably due to poor inspection of incoming corals, I am now in the middle of an epic bryopsis outbreak. I do mean EPIC. My tank now looks like a lovely field of grass.

I'm going to try the Tech M approach but my expectations are low. I think I'm going get a gold fish bowl. :headwally::headwally::headwally:

 

[Rippinfrags]

Can we see a picture stoli? Sorry to hear about your troubles!

 

[Nibrown9]

So, as many of you know, I did a full rebuild at the beginning of this year. The tank was doing great and everything was growing.

Well, probably due to poor inspection of incoming corals, I am now in the middle of an epic bryopsis outbreak. I do mean EPIC. My tank now looks like a lovely field of grass.

I'm going to try the Tech M approach but my expectations are low. I think I'm going get a gold fish bowl. :headwally::headwally::headwally:

we all have gone through it...just keep pulling it out and get kent tech m and it will go away after time..you do have to stay on top of manual removal though. nothing fun to deal with...ill trade you my aptasia instead???

 

[schristi69]

If you need Tech M I have a 2 big jugs I am getting rid of. I also have some Algae Fix. It worked well when I had it

 

[dream54ing]

I had a forest in the 125gal refug a while back. Its hit or miss, but I picked up two small yellow tangs and they wipeout all of mine in a week or so

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

Tangs tangs tangs! And some tech M. Hang in there!

 

[Mael]

mine had a decent breakout for the last few months in my DT, lettuce nudi's didnt really do much but tiger trochus snails mowed that stuff down, the xl nerites helped but those trochus were machines and they dont have the downsides of mexican turbo snails. Now I have also added a Kole Tang, not because of the algae, and he is finishing off the few small patches I had left. Good luck, it sucks while its in there but there are definitely ways to get rid of it over time.

 

[Stolireef]

Looks like I'm going into a real battle. Schristie69, how much do you want for the Tech M? Anyone know if those trochus snails are available in town?

I have a yellow tang and he doesn't touch the stuff unfortunately.

 

[TangingOut]

Usually everyone carries trochus snails, but they're pretty pricey at $2-3 a piece. If Coral reef imports in Mesa have some, they'll have the best price. I think the last time I bought some from there it was like 6 for $10

 

[zibba]

Usually everyone carries trochus snails, but they're pretty pricey at $2-3 a piece. If Coral reef imports in Mesa have some, they'll have the best price. I think the last time I bought some from there it was like 6 for $10

That's where I got mine.

But they don't touch bryopsis, in my experience. Only thing I've had luck with is manual removal. Tech M kills it while the Mg is high but it comes back eventually (6+ mo. later). Elliott recommended that I cover it with epoxy for awhile, starving it for light, and remove the epoxy later. I can't recall the type of epoxy he recommended; I just know it wasn't the D&D stuff.

I just pick it out by hand while doing a water change and siphon out everything that I pluck out. Works fine to keep it at bay.

Are you sure you're dealing with bryopsis and not standard hair algae?

 

[pinnatus]

Tech M will clear it up quickly, if it is truly byropsis. A week or 2 at the most.

 

[Stolireef]

That's where I got mine.

But they don't touch bryopsis, in my experience. Only thing I've had luck with is manual removal. Tech M kills it while the Mg is high but it comes back eventually (6+ mo. later). Elliott recommended that I cover it with epoxy for awhile, starving it for light, and remove the epoxy later. I can't recall the type of epoxy he recommended; I just know it wasn't the D&D stuff.

I just pick it out by hand while doing a water change and siphon out everything that I pluck out. Works fine to keep it at bay.

Are you sure you're dealing with bryopsis and not standard hair algae?

To be honest, I'm not certain it's bryopsis. I'm going to try to get a good picture of it tonight. I've dealt with hair algae before though and I've never seen it spread this fast or this thick.

 

[pinnatus]

Here is my tank when I started tech M. It took maybe a week and a half to go away.

 

[Stolireef]

Thanks Pinnatus. Gives me some hope.

 

[pinnatus]

Thanks Pinnatus. Gives me some hope.

I tried everything except Tech M because I didn't believe in the so-called mystery ingredient. I mean everything. Including raising mag with Epsom salts. Including anything even reported to eat the stuff. I paid lots of money on cures. I suffered with it for over a year. Began to hate my tank. Finally broke down and decided to try the Tech M in combination with Microbacter 7. Within days it was gone. No mechanical removal, it just went away. I don't know if the Microbacter 7 helped or not, but based on others experience with Tech M I am blaming the success on that.

But it only works on byropsis! So if your looks like my pics above, I would say that Tech M will solve the problem. If you look at the algae closely, they are feather-like. Hair algae is not feathered, just straight strands.

Hope you have good results!

 

[tcamos]

I've had really good results with Halloween hermits eating the stuff. As always that's no promise it will work for you, but for me they cleaned it out. My thinking on them is that even if they don't, you still get a super cool reef safe animal that adds very little to the bio load. But seriously, they eat it, and even caulerpa.

 

[TX-BJ]

Allen, are getting my e-mails or PM? You haven't responded, so I'm assuming you must not be getting them. I really need to contact you ASAP. Please PM me or email me.

 

[AZBigJohn]

Hang in there, hopefully you are fighting the good fight still. I am fighting the worst hair algae outbreak ever, and am going to post my adventure as soon as I stop long enough to do so.