pico reef pest algae problem challenge

[brandon429]

Oh I see its green just couldn't tell by the pics, there is nothing stopping microalgae suspended in the water column from capturing nutrients from these proteins degrading and forming colored mats in these areas of lower circulation.

Slicks, any color are inherently caused by nutrients (possibly nondegraded proteins that will eventually degrade into N and P by bacterial action in the water) even though some capitalizing algae may have colored the slick in their favor

The chemipure is not an aggressive phosphate stripper perhaps that may help to switch it out with some of the more aggressive ones

 

[cnseekatz]

My nitrates and phosphates are testing at zero. It's a home API test, so I'm sure it's not perfectly accurate, but the tests are showing pure zero for each.

 

[bwgan]

Ok, day 6

Check out the hermit covered in Bryopsis

Close up, there appears to be some other type of algae remaining, not to clear though sorry

 

[bwgan]

Ok, day 6

Check out the hermit covered in Bryopsis

Close up, there appears to be some other type of algae remaining, not to clear though sorry

 

[SKurj]

Has there been any success stories of fighting Lobophora with H2O2 and dosing the entire tank?

 

[brandon429]

Hey thanks for stopping in. I can't recall that genus being dosed in a full tank can you post a pic real quick so I can see if its what I think it is

 

[TheKman]

 

[SKurj]

I have lots of these brown spots throughout the tank, and at least one is choking some zoas. It is even growing all over the ramp on my HoB fuge (ramp for returning the water to the tank).

Last water change (yesterday) I did pour some H2O2 on the ramp while the water level was low enough that I could so without letting any into the DT.

FTS

 

[brandon429]

Thank you those pics are great, that's a new algae genus for this thread and thank you for the id.

the only concern about in tank treatments might be pep shrimp but the tank is large enough i think dilution will prevent loss, if not at least they aren't 30$ cleaners.


Yes i think an in tank run can work on your tank specifically.

Rather than a whole tank run lets build on your initial tests, has that treated spot changed color any? Does any physical aspect of the post treatment spot follow the 5 day timeline so common in other rhodophyta/red algae we've tested here?

If it works on your target as a drained direct treatment then it will work slower as a submerged treatment

But i would use a concentrating method not a full tank dose method
The Saran wrap squares trick from a few pages back if done submerged on each spot

 

[brandon429]

Nothing else in the dt other than possible shrimp will be affected by an in tank run those corals have all been featured in systemic runs on linked threads here from nr.com and other forums

 

[SKurj]

Ok I originally scraped the ramp a couple of weeks ago, which I think just made it spread through out the tank.

Anyways, here are photos taken approximately 24 hours after I poured h202 over the ramp. The bottle of peroxide I have isn't new, I think i purchased it about 6 months ago.

Everything else on the ramp appears to be dying off rapidly with the coralline turning white. I am not noticing any difference with the brown algae, but I will make an effort to check and perhaps photo every few days this area so we can see what happens.

 

[SKurj]

Actually some of that white could be where the brown stuff was its thinnest... so it maybe affecting it.

 

[brandon429]

As an additional test before a whole tank run, id pull out a bad rock, and ideally spot treat it with new bottle, rinse and put back in, to see what an ideal kill looks like on matching substrates.

You can wait a couple weeks to see if it regrows, and if it does you will know not to waste time in further treatments that will be of a much less concentrated application method.

 

[SKurj]

I think I will have to pull rocks... I really didn't want to, but I can see no other option. Then again in looking at the ramp tonight I am seeing little difference. It could be thats its such a high flow area, not much is going to work. I am thinking of the next water change rigging something up to stop h202 running into the display and then leave a paper towel soaked in h202 sitting on the ramp for 30 minutes... or as long as it takes to do the change.

I'll start with the rock with the big patch on it this weekend and see what happens. (the top pic in my first post above)

 

[bvoss]

I have been studying this thread. I apologize if I have missed this, but has anybody had any experience treating clams that have been contaminated by Bryopsis?

 

[brandon429]

Dpost

 

[brandon429]

Yes but I don't remember what page

I would just externally brush some on the shell and avoid the mantle area, let sit outside the water just for 30 seconds and put back in. Even half a minute external treatment will kill off the bryopsis

The clams have not been sensitive to peroxide even when it was dosed to a full tank, but this external treatment keeps it off the clam and precisely on the intended target. You could also lift up the clam towards the top of the water and only lift it out far enough to get to the treatment area, leaving fleshy areas/opening submerged, many creative ways exist to deliver that peroxide to the target

 

[macktab]

Hi, Six weeks ago I tried the 3% peroxide / 3 min fully submerged dip on my red "cotton candy" algea which I had for at least a year - with good water parameters. I used fresh peroxide. Prior to the treatment, even lights out for three days did not kill it, it faded but came back. It liked areas of low and high flow, strong 3watt led light or low light areas. I have an 8g biocube nano with mp10 and chem bag filtration only. Bioload is tiny just pistol shrip and 2 hermits, no corals. So it was a no brainer to pull out the rocks and dip.

A few a weeks after the treatment, the last of the red cotton candy algea disintigrated. A few tufts appeared high on the same rocks. During a 50% water change a few days ago - I applied 3% peroxide to the exposed porblem areas with a q-tip and left on for at least 3 minutes. Those spots completely disappeared in about 24 hrs. I will say it is a very good fix that is shown to be temporary in my case. Sorry no pics but I think you get the gist of it.

 

[brandon429]

We will take a good verbal description just fine, thanks for posting

at least we can keep it knocked back until better long term controls can be found...that's the luck of the nano reefer compared to the large tank keeper...you can drain and treat or remove rocks as needed without having to submerge yourself up to the torso lol

Every two weeks i now use ultra strong 35% to preventatively wipe the insides of my glass down to prevent green haze and coralline algae growth...became part of the routine like someone regenerating gfo, or cleaning out an ats screen...anytime a keeper can find the repetitive balance that works its a lucky day. Now i don't scrape/scratch, wish i would have been shown this five years ago before scratching up my tank so bad scouring off these growths


Just to touch base again as a casual mention for this page...35% is in a totally different class of expediency and outcome compared to the very best and lucky 3% outcomes

For anyone having fast rebound troubles, but a great initial kill using weaker peroxide, the boost can't be discounted in trying 35%, i no longer waste time with 3% in my tank

Its very dangerous, so make the obvious safety adjustments...but if you want to see a power burning that does in three hours what 3% takes three days to do consider a step up to power bubbly. Officially last month it took one year, but i used a whole quart of 35% as drain and treats in my gallon pico

That's a whole lot of jet fuel being put through such a small tank lol

Time to re up, I'm out of power juice and am only left with the distilled water that is 3% sadly heh

 

[Hockey99999]

First off, great thread! I read almost all of it, and searched, but couldn't find an answer to my question..

I recently set up a 60 cube and am starting to see some hair algae and bryopsis that I suspect came in on live rock. My base rock is Marco (which was previously used and bleached prior to setting up my tank) so I doubt it's leaching phosphates. Also have 40lbs of arag-alive. All levels look good, though I don't have a phosphate test kit.

My question though, does anyone know if peroxide treatment will harm a starfish?? I'm not sure what kind it is, picture attached.

Other livestock shouldn't be of concern, but includes 2 clowns, 10 hermits and 3 snails. Corals so far are Zoa's and Star Polyps. Attached FTS was prior to algae, but can post a few more recent ones later

Thanks!