Should i just restart?

[brandon429]

Another detail that matters, not often stated imo:

Again in pattern your pics show thick coralline=algae rejecting natural surfaces.

Most the detail work should be the edges and open spaces holding the algae anchors while majority coralline areas stay self free of problems

They're just slightly less effective as a giant war coral covering the whole rock. When that's 100% mouth or total coralline/mouth surface area, algae can't attach anywhere even if your water fosters it. That's getting me by now for the last decade plus, no more algae work when your rocks are all mouth or coralline.

Brutish force is all I know to bide time so at least the reef looks great during this adventure. Many people want to know what combo finally arrests the growback. I think fluc is indicated here dinos risk is far far far less because you're not burning clumps of algae and leaving them in the tank

Use of fluc or reef flux itself isn't risky as long as sheets of degraded algae aren't left to rot in the tank/ not applicable for sure

The detailed reef dentistry pics above are very helpful, you've worked around gumlines and hit only the plaque. Detail gold.

You're treating those exactly like reef tooth detailing, we want those pigments and aging characters to remain, it's color palette is healthy

A dip would be horrible: applying strong med to areas already having no trouble and aged to look above like rock we all want

 

[brandon429]

Question

Upon transfer did u power rinse the sand

 

[danreef55]

Have you tried raising magnesium levels to 1600-1800ppm?

 

[brandon429]

And your duncan stalks

Healthy Duncan's have that extending flesh, gumline, where algae isn't attached and plaque doesn't attach so we can't scrub or dip those safely

But to work in them detailed, out of water with a precision scalpel or other detailer, hitting that bony attachment part where algae anchors in then a paste of fluc then let sit 2 mins

Rinse, put back, no extra fluc hit your tank. Maybe that 3 min spot burn takes it off the newly detailed Duncans?

 

[brandon429]

Great call on mag

Thousands of jobs there people did with high significance outcome for sure it's harmless to try and ideal

 

[slingfox]

It it took me 8 hours every weekend to clean the rocks I would have thrown out the dry rock and gotten a large shipment of live rock from KP Aquatics and Tampa Bay Saltwater. I started my 110g display tank with 100% Marco Rock a year ago. Started a 3 month war with the uglies towards the end of month 3. One of the best things I did was take out some of the Marco rock and replace it with live rock from KP Aquatics. Those pieces of rock were so much more resistant to the uglies!

 

[Garf]

Have you tried raising magnesium levels to 1600-1800ppm?

Pretty sure this hasn't worked for donkeys years, since the Tech-M days. Apparently it can paralyse snails though, so may be counter productive.

 

[danreef55]

Please refer to this article from 2018 https://www.reefhacks.com/bryopsis-fluconazole-dosage/#:~:text=Out of all the methods,Fluconazole treatments work the best.

 

[brandon429]

I give it a 40-70% efficacy rate just my guess from reading about 500 bryopsis plus tech m ventures, 08 onward. it was the top bryopsis method I felt, before vibrant came along. it scored high in % feedback statements about target kills for bryopsis and the mg thing wasn't as prevalent in my opinion after vibrant hit the market a good few years

its among safe ideas, nice point about snails I guess pre test in a bucket to see if ok with levels. that is one reason I like to ensure reduced light levels are in place, messing with alk and mg are safer in reduced light vs bright light, a bleach prevention trick we really use to preserve tanks in remote jobs.

 

[Garf]

then apply hydrogen peroxide to the areas.

This provides a great surface for algae to embed. Try leaving a rock in tank and Plucking the algae off, see if it's any better or worse. It's more concerning that your herbivores die off, perhaps you have more fundamental issues, temp, salinity? I also expect blue light tanks produce algae of low quality but if I suggest you light it with whites it may be full by Tuesday, not Saturday (at least until the natural process of herbivore reproduction catches up). Doesn't look like bryopsis to me but there are so many different types.

 

[danreef55]

It is advisable to not remove it by hand in the tank. Some albeit small quantities get into the water column which causes it to spread. Please do read the article above.

 

[Garf]

It is advisable to not remove it by hand in the tank. Some albeit small quantities get into the water column which causes it to spread. Please do read the article above.

I have, and disregard such internet wisdom. Do you think herbivores eat every cell?

 

[danreef55]

It is advisable to not remove it by hand in the tank. Some albeit small quantities get into the water column which causes it to spread. Please do read the article above.

I have to point out that Garf is correct. my recommendations are based upon donkey years info I am getting back into the hobby after many years. Still trying to get current. If there is history on magnesium levels not working my apologies

 

[danreef55]

I was wondering if you disregard internet wisdom where do you get your information? Have there been truly scientific studies on this issue that have repeatable results? Appreciate the education

 

[Twocorns]

Yep, all of the above. Waste away. Razor. Everything I could find on the shelves I've tried.

When's the last time you changed your RO filters? I had a similar issue. Turned out I hadn't changed my RO membrane in ages. I changed out all the filters and my algae started dying off after a couple big water changes (20 gallon tank) and hasn't returned after a month since the filter changes.

 

[Garf]

I was wondering if you disregard internet wisdom where do you get your information? Have there been truly scientific studies on this issue that have repeatable results? Appreciate the education

I don't disregard all internet wisdom. I disregard internet wisdom that has been parroted just to provide body to an article. I see no utility in messing with mag levels.

 

[Garf]

Have there been truly scientific studies on this issue that have repeatable results

I'm not sure the OP has bryopsis, but I have in the past. Once I started adding Tropic Marin Trace, the rock urchin, yellow tang and bristle tooth started eating it to oblivion, not a sign of it since. Perhaps I should write an article on the miracle of trace elements?

 

[Daenion]

I had some algae in my tank that was not even properly identified. You can see it in my threads

My nitrates and phosphates were constantly 0 due to the uptake. Which triggered the sand dinos. It was a nightmare.

In my case I wanted to stop the dinos so dinox and 4 day blackout.

It worked on everything.

To follow up I did a 30% water change and a week later another 30%.

70% of corals were unharmed but 30% needed a few months to recover.

To balance the nitrates and phosphates I got a kessil for the sump and a tennis ball sized chaeto.

Photo period post blackout started at ramped up to 11 over almost 2 months.

Now I got phosphates around 0.08 and nitrates around 7. I do have hair algae in the sump with the chaeto. The crabs and snails there are eating them. Seems fine for the past year almost.

 

[Solo McReefer]

"Tried"?

Past tense

I'm dosing 'clean' bacteria every night. Just like Zeovit method. A half an ml, 8 or 9 different bacteria bottles

As Brandon mentions lighting. Turn up the blues, and turn down the whites, perhaps.

GHA LOVES white light

Brandon, when were your 35% experiments? 2013ish. I turned my entire 40B gilled with GHA white with that 35%, back then. Dues paid in full

Ghost Reef 2013

10 bacteria bottles. [Half of them are probably the same bacteria, dunno]

 

[Solo McReefer]

@brandon429
Just finished my first rock. Took about an hour and 45 minutes. Dental tools, stiff brush, syringe with hydrogen peroxide. This is my easy rock cuz I didn't have no coral on it. I don't know what to do about the big rocks of coral

Are you using a wire brush?

I don't have the patience for squirting H²O² on rocks anymore

Just brush it all off in a bucket, rinse, and replace