Help with weird type of algae

[bsr2430]

I've got a few patches of this algae, can't find anything on it. What too do, or how too fix the problem.
I've been doing water changes about every ten days but think it's time too increase it too ever week.
I've got no sump. All in the display tank.

 

[robert]

I know this isn't what you want to hear - but that actually looks kinda nice! Great pic - where can I get some? -lol.

Seriously though - does anything you have eat the stuff? Looks like something a tang or foxface migh make quick work of...

 

[Birddog]

Pretty sure that would be Bryopsis!!

 

[Cherim7]

Yeah looks like bryopsis

 

[Reefersutherland_]

Sea hares eat that sometimes

 

[Pete polyp]

A foxface is the only thing I have ever seen eat it.

 

[bsr2430]

Robert, with the Led lights on it looks blue/red. Very cool when the current hits it. If you want some I can mail you some,hahahahaha.

 

[bsr2430]

Foxface will eat this?????? Is there any way of getting rid of it?

 

[Ahruk]

Kent tech M (magnesium raised up to 1500) is the most common treatment for bryopsis but you should definitely read up on it as it can occassionally cause some issues with certain corals and inverts. (Never done it myself).

 

[bsr2430]

Just read up on it!!! Don't know if I should that the gamble!!!!

 

[hatfielj]

Bryopsis for sure. That stuff is the worst. Nothing eats it, so don't even bother trying to add natural predators. It is impossible to remove manually because it breaks apart into tiny pieces and can settle down anywhere and regenerate. I had it for awhile when I first started up my tank. It has since gone away. It required treatment with Kents Magnesium. That will get rid of it. There are lots of threads about that. You have to use that brand of magnesium and raise your levels to around 1600 and leave it there for awhile to get rid of it. It seems to work by raising the tanks lithium levels. It does affect coral coloration temporarily, but shouldn't actually kill anything. I seem to remember it hurting my acans a bit though. It can also come back if you're not careful. I have it still popping up in my refugium, but I'm able to prevent its spread by aggressively tearing it out every chance I get.
Good luck with getting rid of it. Its a pain, but it can be done.

 

[bsr2430]

I've got mostly lps, one sps. Many chalices, zoas, frogspawn, acans, anyone know if any of this will get affected when dosing with this stuff?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Its Bryopsis
Get Kent Tech M, get your MAG up to 1600, leave it there until you see it wither and die out. It will.

 

[Pete polyp]

They changed the formula of tech m about 6 Months ago and the magic ingredient is no longer in it. H2o2 dosing cab rid the tank of bryopsis. If you h2o2 dose use caution.

 

[brandon429]

that is one of the clearer examples of bryopsis Ive seen. We have beaten it and documented it in prob 100 aquariums in our peroxide threads, I recommend treat the algae not the water. Even todays Kent will kill it, you just access the algae outside of the water (work w be required) and spot apply the algaecides mentioned, peroxide or kent, right on the patches and there are a few creative and work intensive ways to get to that algae outside the water. In every way it is better for your tank to not treat the water, your corals and clean up crew have done nothing wrong they don't want a major chemistry insult. spot treats are how I get my gold after shots.

The job is harder the longer you wait. grazers may or may not work, one thing is for sure--delaying any longer means more eventual work. The bryopsis is mean, it has holdfasts that go into the rock which is why spot 'cidal treating is the right way to kill it, and more than one session w be needed. It cannot defeat spot treatments especially the higher percentage peroxide. If you want a custom approach for this after trying other options, post your full tank shot in the thread called Reef2reef pest algae challenge thread in the macroalgae forum.

 

[ShawnSaucier]

Definitely bryopsis, I had it in my tank for some time. Not to discourage you, but I had to change all of my rock out. I was trying so many different remedies and it was really effecting my livestock. So I pulled all my coral and fish for about a month and tried peroxide, black outs, higher mag and it just kept coming back with a vengeance. I wish you all the luck in the world, and more patience than I had. I know some have beaten it, I just couldn't.

 

[Reefing Madness]

They changed the formula of tech m about 6 Months ago and the magic ingredient is no longer in it. H2o2 dosing cab rid the tank of bryopsis. If you h2o2 dose use caution.

Do you know of anyone that has used it since it was changed? Curious to see what it does now.

 

[brandon429]

also, no bryopsis even from mars can beat a 35% spot treatment, all the work we see comparing outcomes is with 3% which is still pretty strong, but I don't use it. 35% needs to be handled safely its dangerous, but, its sold OTC in healthfood stores so no use avoiding it just because it is an instant blinding agent if you don't have goggles. You have a very mean type of algae, but beatable. not hard just hard work accessing that rock out of the tank. You may not need the strong juice, a simple spot test before the big job would tell using the regular 3%. we check for growback after an in-air spot treatment kills it off.

Id expect holdfast regeneration from set-in bryopsis, the higher percentage mixes simply kills the mass better. it is not particularly dangerous to the reef in spite of what we'd think, I have videos of me putting it into my pico reef among the life that's in it, in a controlled way, and for your option we wouldn't be adding it to the tank most likely. depends on full tank shot details.