Algae growing quickly around my Zoas!?

[ItsAName]

Over the last week, this algae I've never seen before has started growing around the base of half of my Zoas. I find it weird that that's the pattern of it's growth. Here are two pictures in different lightning. Almost looks like feathers. It's also growing super fast.

 

[KJ]

Look like Bryopsis.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bryopsis-cure-my-battle-with-bryopsis-using-fluconazole.285096/

 

[ItsAName]

Look like Bryopsis.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bryopsis-cure-my-battle-with-bryopsis-using-fluconazole.285096/

Oh whoa, is it that simple? Is it pretty much agreed upon that Fluconazole will do the trick?

 

[cloak]

I would just clip one or two and smother the remainder with some epoxy. Then again it should be pretty easy to prune with your fingers. It will grow back if you don't cancel it out, (100%) but it's up to you to keep in in check. GL.

 

[AZG]

Oh whoa, is it that simple? Is it pretty much agreed upon that Fluconazole will do the trick?

It did the trick for me with no harm to anything else. Just follow the steps and you’ll be fine.

 

[pluikens]

Here's my bryopsis:


Here's after 10 days of Reef Flux:


And finally about a month after:

I had other spots that were eradicated too. My chaeto suffered a little bit but I probably haven't done enough water changes since dosing.

 

[mcarroll]

Oh whoa, is it that simple? Is it pretty much agreed upon that Fluconazole will do the trick?

If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Right?

"Yes it works, but..." would be the answer.

Stick with traditional methods. Stay away from miracle cures.

What to do:

• Figure out what you're doing to encourage it and stop. (We can help.)
• Pluck out what you can carefully via the pinch-from-the-base method. (Don't go tearing at it....bits will land elsewhere and sprout.)
• Use Spot Treating Algae With Peroxide if you feel like it will help. The beginning step is VERY conservative....lots of room to escalate the treatment and make it stronger.
• Make sure you have a CUC sized for your tank AND algae load. (What's in it now?)
• All of these are important.

From what I can gather you have a 90gal that's about 1.5 years old.

It had a crush of 20 corals added back in Jan.

I gave you a heads up at that time about managing nutrients – how have NO3 and PO4 been since then and how are they now?

I also see you have a high-powered refgium light with chaeto.

My guess is that the display tank never had a chance to grow healthy algae due to low or no N and P nutrients.

Bryopsis can use P that is adsorbed to the substrate and detritus under it's "roots"....and can actually fix gaseous nitrogen for N....so it's not limited like healthy algae.

If that's right, then you need to maintain positive nutrients for a while and get other things – like coraline algae and corals – growing on the spaces where the algae is trying to take off.