Bryopsis

Karen · Jul 17, 2014

I have bryopsis algae on the frag plug of yellow zoas that I purchased a few months ago. I have been pulling the algae off but that does not seem to be helping very quickly. I was reading a thread about doing a peroxide dip on a coral for some hair algae. Would this work for the bryopsis and would my yellow zoas be injured?

If so, I would just as soon keep pulling it out until I feel confident in removing them from the frag plug and reattaching them elsewhere. The attached picture is from about a month ago. Now there is less algae growing.

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Karen · Jul 17, 2014

I' e attached a current picture of it here.

Daniel@R2R · Jul 17, 2014

Maybe try turning the lights off for a few days. It won't hurt the coral and might kill the bryopsis. It was effective for me when I was running into a nuisance algae issue. I don't know about the peroxide dip...I've heard what it seems you have already, but no experience.

fishroomlady · Jul 17, 2014

I can hardly see any in the second pictures so I think your manual removal seems to be helping a lot. I've used peroxide on hair algae on my rocks before but I didn't dip the whole rock, I just used a Q-tip and scrubbed the area first, then put peroxide on the spots where the hair algae is - let it sit outside of the tank for about 10 minutes, rinsed the rock well in saltwater (great to do this during a water change) and put back in tank. It does help to have algae eating critters in the tank so they can finish the algae off. I would guess the method would work for bryopsis.

Karen · Jul 17, 2014

You are of course right, fishroomlady. I am making headway just by pulling it out.

I do have an all snail CUC. I don't think they enjoy the bryopsis,though.

Maybe I should just be patient and continue pulling. No need to use any chemicals and take the chance my zoas may get irritated.

Mdbannister, I just hate the thoughts of keeping the lights off altogether for any length of time. I have tried not having them on for as long. My gap didn't seem to like that. Although I know I need to get a timer so that I don't have to turn them on so early in the morning before going to work.

Thanks for the replies!

Harold Green · Jul 17, 2014

I know you said you have a snail cuc but you didn't mention what types of snails. I've found the large nerite snails leave the live rock pretty clean of fuzzy brown algae and if they survive in your tank long enough lettuce nudibrachs will consume all the hair algae. But you water needs to be pretty low in nitrates and phosphates are the algae will return right away. A sump growing macro can be a help to some degree but not a cure all.

Karen · Jul 17, 2014

I have asterina and Cerith snails. The rocks are all staying pretty clear of algae except for the bryopsis that I have brought in on the coral frag that was my first purchase for my tank. After the CUC, of course.

It hasn't spread, and I am getting rid of it slowly by just keeping it pulled. I was just interested to hear more about the peroxide dip and what the ramifications could be to the zoas.

Thanks so much for the reply, Hatold!

Karen · Jul 17, 2014

I may get some nerite snails.

mocika · Jul 21, 2014

I just won battle with bryopsis. I get it because i didnt change my RO membrane in time and i have it fore more than a half year. Main food for Bryopsis are silicate and amonium. So just do manual removing and watch your TDS. If its not near 0 try to change your DI and it will dissapire for some time.