I got what I think is bryopsis
- Thread starter bige
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the_fish_man
Active Member
I'm currently battling it to. Kent marine magnesium works. You use and there is some purity in it that kills it and do a ton of water changes. Some have had lick with lettuce Judi ranges eating it but they die very easily. I will be following this thread.
Modernreefkeeper
New Member
I battled it in a 125gal Surge system. I ended up nixing it in one week with a sea hare... not the blue spotted giant ones, but a normal uguly medium sized brown/greenish one.
heres a video of that tank.. from :48 to 2:00 u can see the extent of the bryopsis
MRK-SURGE Tank, 125gal Part5 Tank Progress Feature - YouTube
No video of after the algae was wiped out though..
heres a video of that tank.. from :48 to 2:00 u can see the extent of the bryopsis
MRK-SURGE Tank, 125gal Part5 Tank Progress Feature - YouTube
No video of after the algae was wiped out though..
Tab28
Valuable Member
+1 on the kents. I have battled it several times. Even after you get rid of it. It more than likely will come back. Bryopsis looks like small ferns when you look close at them. Unlike the macro algae that looks like ferms also. Bryopsis stays clumpy and does not spread on a runner.
I have also noticed in my several times that is I did not raise my Alk in ration with the Mag it did not seem to work. When it works the bryopsis will start to turn white and die off, this will take weeks. Be sure you have a good skimmer or do water changes. I know with other algae when it dies it releases the Phos back into the water, not sure if bryopsis is a true algae though or if it does this. But the water changes will not hurt. But It more than likely will come back. Like hair algae there is something in your tank feeding it. Your Phos may have a low reading but it maybe the bryopsis is feeding off it so there is no available Phos will you test.
I have also used lettice nedi's, but as was said they do not last long and alway get sucked into a powerhead or into you overflow. As for Sea hairs I did have one that would not touch the stuff. But after awhile it did eat all the bryopsis from the tank. It figured this was all there was to eat. After the bryopsis was gone the sea hair died. If you do the the sea hair route, some LFS will let you borrow one and return it. Or let someone else borrow it since they need algae all the time.
I have also noticed in my several times that is I did not raise my Alk in ration with the Mag it did not seem to work. When it works the bryopsis will start to turn white and die off, this will take weeks. Be sure you have a good skimmer or do water changes. I know with other algae when it dies it releases the Phos back into the water, not sure if bryopsis is a true algae though or if it does this. But the water changes will not hurt. But It more than likely will come back. Like hair algae there is something in your tank feeding it. Your Phos may have a low reading but it maybe the bryopsis is feeding off it so there is no available Phos will you test.
I have also used lettice nedi's, but as was said they do not last long and alway get sucked into a powerhead or into you overflow. As for Sea hairs I did have one that would not touch the stuff. But after awhile it did eat all the bryopsis from the tank. It figured this was all there was to eat. After the bryopsis was gone the sea hair died. If you do the the sea hair route, some LFS will let you borrow one and return it. Or let someone else borrow it since they need algae all the time.
nixer
Valuable Member
your not going to find anything that really eats it. they are all hit or miss. tech m works sometimes. (didnt work on mine)
i would watch your alk and mag levels. you didnt post them, but im sure either 1 or both might be out of wack.
dips wont kill it period even@ 100%. testing nitrates and phosphates are not going to matter if you have any algae in the tank. mine starved itself out but it was months and months later.
i have some tips for you.
water changes will not make it better!
low mag and/or alk will promote growth thats with all algae
reduce feedings and if you can stick with pellets more than frozen.
if removing manually do it under a siphon.... every little leaf can make it spread
if you dont have a refugium might want to think about adding one with macro. if you do then reduce light in the tank some and let the macro help.
trimming it might entice livestock to eat it.
gunk will build up in the algae clumps feeding the problem.
keep that skimmer clean and working good.
dont get discouraged many ppl leave the hobby due to pest issues be it parasite or algal
i would watch your alk and mag levels. you didnt post them, but im sure either 1 or both might be out of wack.
dips wont kill it period even@ 100%. testing nitrates and phosphates are not going to matter if you have any algae in the tank. mine starved itself out but it was months and months later.
i have some tips for you.
water changes will not make it better!
low mag and/or alk will promote growth thats with all algae
reduce feedings and if you can stick with pellets more than frozen.
if removing manually do it under a siphon.... every little leaf can make it spread
if you dont have a refugium might want to think about adding one with macro. if you do then reduce light in the tank some and let the macro help.
trimming it might entice livestock to eat it.
gunk will build up in the algae clumps feeding the problem.
keep that skimmer clean and working good.
dont get discouraged many ppl leave the hobby due to pest issues be it parasite or algal
I like to smother it in kalk paste. Iam also going to try plumbers putty (reef safe?) it is gone from my dt (knock on wood) but there is a shoot in my overflow and some still left in my fuge. I have done 4 going on 5 days of darkness and there is still a little left over.
barbianj
Active Member
Bryopsis is like the Superman of algae.
I'm just getting rid of it in my reef for the second time, using Tech M. I don't start to see results unless the mag is above 1,600. Up to 1,700 I don't see any negative effects. The Duncans tips will burn when it gets too high. It takes weeks for it to die off. This last weekend, I took out the rocks that I could and scrubbed them off in tank water. The less that floats off into the water the better. Picking it off by hand is a giant PIA, and nearly impossible if it's growing strong.
It's also in my FOWLR system. I turned the lights off in that tank for three weeks, and it didn't die.
It doesn't always have a fern like appearance. When it grows in short clumps, it looks like hair algae, and gets more fern like when it grows longer. Many times it's misdiagnosed until it has a good foothold, then takes off like mad. The quicker you get on it the better. Good luck.
I'm just getting rid of it in my reef for the second time, using Tech M. I don't start to see results unless the mag is above 1,600. Up to 1,700 I don't see any negative effects. The Duncans tips will burn when it gets too high. It takes weeks for it to die off. This last weekend, I took out the rocks that I could and scrubbed them off in tank water. The less that floats off into the water the better. Picking it off by hand is a giant PIA, and nearly impossible if it's growing strong.
It's also in my FOWLR system. I turned the lights off in that tank for three weeks, and it didn't die.
It doesn't always have a fern like appearance. When it grows in short clumps, it looks like hair algae, and gets more fern like when it grows longer. Many times it's misdiagnosed until it has a good foothold, then takes off like mad. The quicker you get on it the better. Good luck.
bige
Valuable Member
So I dont have a camera capible of capturing the bryopsis. And my mg is 1050. And I am adding more everyday. I would describe it as chaeto looking. Not like hair algae but kind of thick.
Tab28
Valuable Member
When you look close enough there is a difference between chaeto which is a macro algae. The macro grows on runners that are visible and the roots grow from the runners there is a gap between the leaves which is a runner. Bryopsis is a darker color more fine leaved and not as tall. It looks like a clump of grass. Each leaf is no more than an inch or two long. If it is macro a tang will eat it. I have not found any fish that eats bryopsis so keep the magnesium treatment. I think only kents tech m works but I have heard some using brightell and it working.
toyencounters
Active Member
Raising mag and water changes will work!
try some big turbo snails too as well as Kent Mg
