Bryopsis

[IanJ]

I thought i had the outbreak from tank start up under control, i.e. confined to one or 2 areas. I have now noticed several new fires to fight. Does anyone have a solution for this problem that is effective on a long term basis?

[pospeh]

This is a toughie. I have a small patch too, but luckily it is not spreading uncontrollabley. It actually gives a nice tint of green to my tank.

My advice is get down and dirty and pull it out strand by strand, and for the really tough spots, use a toothbrush to get the bugger out.

[wedgee]

Use Biological control if u already are skimming strong/using a fuge/using chemical warfare - get the Mithrax crabs(similar to Emerald crabs) from ML Henry - I used only 3 of them and they cleared my 3ft tank of its horrid algae (hairy and so much of it that i cry everytime i lookit my tank!!! NO JOKE)

[Morgan]

Would suggest that you cut down on your feeding of the fishes.

It takes a long time but it will go away someday. I used to have a byopsis tank, those who have seen it can vouched for it.

[shiraz]

im also having this damn problem and i can bet, no1's tank is as bad as mine! there was this time the angle grew in turfts on my DSB... could almost make it a lawn!

there this pic was taken yesterday... all around my hammer branch...

[FuEl]

Hmmm..that tank reminds me of the algae outbreak in my tank during the first few months..they can actually produce bubbles and float to the surface! Removed them by manually harvesting.

Some how they all just went away after awhile...

[ervine]

I used contraphos... curbed the algae's growth but somehow some red furry algae is taking it's place... crap

[ReDDeviLs]

sounds terrible,emeral crab can do the job?

what about snails?

[Achilles Tang]

I have a few patches of bryopsis in my tank. I take them as a form of nutrient export when I harvest them from time to time..

[pospeh]

Shiraz, that is not bryopsis in your photo. Looks like garden variety hair algae.

Bryposis is feathery. And it is very tough to get rid of through regular means.

[FuEl]

Yea..i've always found the garden variety of hair algae to be quite nice smelling. Reminds me of seafood.

[Achilles Tang]

Shiraz, get a closeup shot.

[IanJ]

Thanks for suggestions so far.

Shiraz, agree with pospeh, that is not Bryopsis.

A little research suggests that a certain sea slug may eat Bryopsis - lettice slug. Does any know of a LFS that has any for sale?

I already have 2 types of sea urchin, various snails, live rock resident crabs and tangs, none of which as yet can deal with it. No mithrax as far as i know, but i have heard that they are not always effective and have been know to feed on small fish.

AT, i was controlling the 2 areas and using it, like yourself as a nutrient export, it just seems to have exploded into many areas between gaps in the live rock structure.

[Hon]

IanJ,

I face bryopsis attack some mths ago. I threw in rowaphos and then pray. Seem like that product really giving the bryopsis a hard time to survive. Day by day, I can see small clump go missing, followed by bigger clump going to.

You might wanna try a purple tang, mine seem to tear the aglea apart without me wetting my hands. Together with the rowaphos, the floating bryopsis just couldn't archor themself and dies off.... I battle the aglea with dry hand

One more unclassified observation i made. High alk level seem to kill them too ... Start dosing them, its good for your coraline anyway .. kee..kee...

[KingFish]

Think I remember seeing Lettuce Nudis at PR & MLH. You can try asking them again.

Some Bryopsis tagged along a clump of Caulerpa I bought, but even that did not survive

Anyway, Hon seems to have a Tangs which are functional, yet pretty to look at (except him )..... his AT eats Coralline and his PT eats Bryopsis. He can consider a leasing them out to aid others plagued with nuisance algae.

[IanJ]

Think i might try some additional Rowaphos or contraphos. I have read some reports of people using it, but without success, still it should help.

I have powder blue tang, blue tang, yellow tang, purple tang, naso tang, they all graze on the side walls/rocks, but never touch the bryopsis.

From what is see on other forum searches it seems that the lettice slug does work, i will check with PR/ML later to see if they have any.

[shiraz]

not bryopsis... hmmm someone told me it was bryopsis when he visited me...

errm if that's the case then i think a close up short would not be required ya..

[IanJ]

Shiraz

Its possibly Derbesia, snails and tangs should eat it. If they dont then may well be Cladophora.

[IanJ]

Thought i would update on this.

Things are no better, infact worse. In the past 2 months i have used some 3 or 4 kg of Rowaphos and Biophos, neither seem to have any effect.

The growth now seems to attach to all and every thing.My routine has not changed much, 2 large water changes/month, heavy skimming, increased dKh, slight cut back in feeding(not heavily feed, only brine),dropped temp to 25deg

A real problem for an sps tank since they donot provide enough light blockage to stop growths. Pulling it out by the handful, and using a small brush to remove it from the bases of the sps. More snails

Still open to any other ideas you have.

[Morgan]

Sorry to hear that you are not susessful in the battle of the byopsis.

I have seen a tank that is a byopsis culturing farm. Every square inch is covered with them.....but then the tank heavily stocked with fishes and heavily fed.

If you reduce your bioload until the byopsis goes away and then restock again maybe that will break the cycle.

[pospeh]

Well, getting rid of it wasn't going to be easy and it is proving as tough as its reputation.

If it is not choking out your sps, I guess it is not at a critical stage.

Like morgan said, but back even more on feeding, and pull them out root by root.

[IanJ]

I think its only due to my hands on approach that it is not critical for the sps.

Will be on 7 day business trip next week, very worried that i will come back to a sea of green without a coloured sps in sight!

[jc85]

Saw this thread and did a net search. Extract from reefs.org,

"It is possible that nutrients are taken up by the holdfast of this algae so blowing detritus from the rock it is on may help to keep it under control. Tridachia crispa, the Sea Lettuce Slug, is a hardy specialist predator of Bryopsis"

Worth a try?

[IanJ]

jc85

I regulary give the rocks a blast with a small powerhead. As for the Sea lettuce slug, i would buy a truck load if i could find some here.

[Maxima]

Hello Ian,

have not see you around(mths) since the day I met you @ LCK110 in the early morning at 9am waiting for SPS shipment ..........

Thought I would share my advise, since I faced the same problem after shifting my tank. There was a significant died-off from my LR that was placed on temporary tubs for 2 weeks before moving to the new tank. My new tank started with a Bryopsis BOOM due to died-of and ianability to cycle the tank probably as I do not have good holding tank bigtime within 2 weeks.

Well I can say that you can dump 10kg of Rowaphos there and NO SHIT that the bryopsis will not go away.

ADVICE:

1. GET YOURSELF A ROWAPHOS Reactor - increase by 100% in your Rowa Performances -Don't believe me? Get a $150 Merck PO4 test kit and you know why Forget about what the the common test kits tell you..............bryopsis can stay alive at PO4 level much below 0.0125ppm....................

Fill yr RowaPhos Reactor to 2/3 height

Add 4 table spoon of RowaPhos every week.

2. Once your Bryopsis stop growing, pull it out with a pincer at least once or twice a week, which is more effective. Get a Planted Tank Pincer

3. Blow at your LR with a power head EVERY GOD DAMN DAY! Nutrient collected among the LRs

4. Change your filter pads/sponge that collect debris & dirt from your overflow. -> these end up as nutrient

You should have your bryopsis to the minimum in 2 mths. So what's NEXT

Max

Continue the Rowaphos routine for another 2~4 mths and you should see all your bryopsis gone forever.................until then

Max