Bryopsis battle

[ForeverNoob]

Well, my 65g tank with 20g sump has been up and running for about 2.5 months or so. I had some dead rock from a tear down from 5+ years ago, I bought a few pieces from the LFS and was given some free mature rock. The rock looked really nice, clean, and without algae. I did not nuke the free rock (I know, tsk tsk) now I have a nice crop of hair algae and Bryopsis. I want to try the Kent Tech M method and am wondering if it is worth removing the 20 or so snails in my tank? I know there is risk of losing them. I have an empty 30 gallon tank that I might be able set up with a HOB filter to put the snails in while I push the magnesium. How long would it take for the magnesium to return to an appropriate level for the snails if I do not have much in the tank consuming the mag (no coral atm)? I would love to hear any experiences or suggestions!

[gallegos]

Ok heres what you do. First yes remove your snails they will die. SLOWLY bring up magnesium to 1600 using Kent marine magnesium, it's something in the Kent marine mag that takes care it. Once I see it turn brown I do a water change and lower it. Just regular water changes so it can lower slowly

[carmexx]

Well, I have had Bryopsis for probably 9+ years. I first got into the hobby, ordered 50 lbs box of cured live rock and just put it in the tank when it came in. I did not know then what I know now unfortunately.
I went through 3 tanks til i got my 57 rimless. I gave all rock a muratic acid bath and ordered more DRY rock and DRY sand. No matter what I did bryopsis did eventually came back. Had some corals from other tank with some patches.
I have accepted it as part of my reef and just manually tend to it every other water change or when it looks long enough to remove. I did, at one point have my Mg at 1800 for a long period of time.
To me, it is just not worth stressing about anymore. I just maintain the reef and watch my corals thrive and grow.

[carmexx]

If you look at the upper left behind the Red Planet you can see the bryopsis.

[MrCaveman]

My foxface mowed down bryopsis, even the long growth. All my other tangs eat the shortened bryopsis after I have pulled it off the rock or plug thus preventing it to grow back. Foxface, orange shoulder and yellow tang trio working together in my system and bryopsis is non existent.

[ForeverNoob]

Originally Posted by carmexx

If you look at the upper left behind the Red Planet you can see the bryopsis.

Your tank looks great! Is the Bryopsis segregated to that one area or do you have to remove it from elsewhere?

[ForeverNoob]

Originally Posted by MrCaveman

My foxface mowed down bryopsis, even the long growth. All my other tangs eat the shortened bryopsis after I have pulled it off the rock or plug thus preventing it to grow back. Foxface, orange shoulder and yellow tang trio working together in my system and bryopsis is non existent.

Unfortunately I have a 65 gallon tank and don't think I could keep any of those fish. Do you know of anything smaller that might much on the stuff? Do Lawnmower Blennies eat it?

[Art13]

I've never lost any snails doing tech m dosing, i'm around 1800-1900 mag right now. What i've found the three times i did it was this. The first time i had gfo, i started carbon dosing before doing it, and got about to 3.5ml per day and then dosed the tech m, 100ppm per day, and bryopsis melted within days. second time was in my 135g tank, i didn't carbon dose or run gfo, dumped 2 gallons or so into the tank, maybe a bit more, well over 1800, and nothing happened. I then put on gfo and started carbon dosing again, i was at the same about as my last tank, 3.5ml per day of vodka, did that for about two weeks, and dumped one last gallon of tech m in. bryopsis melted within days, the stubborn stuff was gone in about a week or so. I haven't taken out any snails or inverts for this, all seem to be fine.

[ForeverNoob]

Originally Posted by Art13

I've never lost any snails doing tech m dosing, i'm around 1800-1900 mag right now. What i've found the three times i did it was this. The first time i had gfo, i started carbon dosing before doing it, and got about to 3.5ml per day and then dosed the tech m, 100ppm per day, and bryopsis melted within days. second time was in my 135g tank, i didn't carbon dose or run gfo, dumped 2 gallons or so into the tank, maybe a bit more, well over 1800, and nothing happened. I then put on gfo and started carbon dosing again, i was at the same about as my last tank, 3.5ml per day of vodka, did that for about two weeks, and dumped one last gallon of tech m in. bryopsis melted within days, the stubborn stuff was gone in about a week or so. I haven't taken out any snails or inverts for this, all seem to be fine.

I have not yet set up reactors, but I am using PhosGuard and carbon sheets in my sump. Do you think that would do the job or should I rush to get a couple reactors up and running?

[Art13]

i'm just telling you my experience here. I can't say either way if the reactor helped or not, or if it was just carbon dosing and tech m that did it, but thats my three experiences and what i had running at the time that worked and what was missing when it didn't.

[ForeverNoob]

Originally Posted by Art13

i'm just telling you my experience here. I can't say either way if the reactor helped or not, or if it was just carbon dosing and tech m that did it, but thats my three experiences and what i had running at the time that worked and what was missing when it didn't.

Sounds good. Thanks! I guess what I gather is that Bryopsis needs to be attacked on many fronts. I will look into setting up some reactors.

[AZRippster]

Consider an ATS. Mine worked wonders in removing unwanted algae from the tank.

[ForeverNoob]

Originally Posted by AZRippster

Consider an ATS. Mine worked wonders in removing unwanted algae from the tank.

Do those things stink though?

[Drblakjak55]

Vodka dosing. 3.5 ml total into your 65g?


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[ForeverNoob]

Originally Posted by Drblakjak55

Vodka dosing. 3.5 ml total into your 65g?


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I don't think Art said his first tank's size. I am not familiar with Vodka dosing - is there a definitive guide that I could read through?

[Art13]

search vodka dosing reef tank, it gives you a run through on how to build up to whatever the tank needs. it was about 3.5ml per day on both my tanks, one was a 90g, the other about 150g total volume. The amount depends on the system and nutrients.

[AZRippster]

Originally Posted by ForeverNoob

Do those things stink though?

I have not experienced that at all. My skimmer stinks, but not the ATS.

[Drblakjak55]

Back to Briopsis.....Any worries about it growing around the coral frags? What else eats it? Urchins?


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[scuzy]

I lost my battle with bryopsis. Hope you win yours. Ended up restarted my tank.

[ForeverNoob]

Originally Posted by scuzy

I lost my battle with bryopsis. Hope you win yours. Ended up restarted my tank.

Right now I am in the process of raising my magnesium with Tech M. Last weekend I pulled a bunch out but could not get it all.

My live rocks is not cemented together at the moment and I do not have any coral growing on it. I want to remove each piece and give it a scrub down in a bucket of tank water with a dish and/or tooth brush. Is there a downside to this? Is there a risk of die-off from just taking the rock out of the water? Is this a recommended process for getting rid of the algae?

[Reef Frog]

Originally Posted by ForeverNoob

Right now I am in the process of raising my magnesium with Tech M. Last weekend I pulled a bunch out but could not get it all.

My live rocks is not cemented together at the moment and I do not have any coral growing on it. I want to remove each piece and give it a scrub down in a bucket of tank water with a dish and/or tooth brush. Is there a downside to this? Is there a risk of die-off from just taking the rock out of the water? Is this a recommended process for getting rid of the algae?

If you're willing to do this, you may want to consider using hydrogen peroxide during the scrubbing. It will melt the bryoosis. Be sure to rinse the rocks thoroughly in SW before putting them back in the tank. The downside here is:

-A possible mini cycle so keep an eye on ammonia levels
-Large amounts of residual peroxide could harm cleaner shrimp.
-There are more details to know so read up on it before proceeding

You'll have a clean tank. But it will return unless you bring phosphate down and keep it down & GFO in a reactor is the most common method. A well designed ATS is probably the ideal long term weapon here. GFO must be replaced when exhausted - don't wait a week and give the BigB a chance to make a counter arrack! Snooze & you lose. A series of large water changes and mechanical filtration are needed as well. The Tech-M used simultaneously may also suppress regrowth here, but I've never used it myself.

Back to Briopsis.....Any worries about it growing around the coral frags? What else eats it? Urchins?

It can grow into enormous plumes around corals quickly if left unchecked and it will light starve your corals. The algae also seems to irritate the polyp tissue and cause polyp retraction. But it's easy enough to pull off big chunks by hand to give the corals some breathing room. Corals with exposed calcium skeletons like frogspawn or candy canes will often grow it there. A few drops of peroxide & a small brush can eliminate it. Bryopsis's affinity for growing near large coral polyps is probably because it can take advantage of slime & waste produced by corals.

I don't think your average urchin will eat it. Nothing seems to prefer it except for some type of nudi or sea slug whose name I can't remember right now. But they're short lived & hit or miss and the algae will return unless nutrients are slammed down low. I'm surprised the poster above had good results with herbivorous fish; I've never heard of that except in rare cases after peroxide was used. That seems to make it palatable to some fish, sometimes.