Mosslike algae

[fishcrazy]

Just when my nano was starting to get some purple and green coraline algae I noticed a hair or moss like algae growing on some of the rocks. Didn't think much of it at the time but now it seems to be taking over. I had put some Macro algae in there for awhile and I think it must have spread this stuff around the tank. Does anything eat this, because it doesn't seem like my blue legs are to interested??

[GaryP]

Does it look like a fern? If so, its bryopsis.

Check this thread.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/general-reef-aquarium-discussion/8238-serious-algae-troubles.html#post109139

[fishypets]

Could be hair algae.

[fishcrazy]

It looks a little like fine grass. It didn't grow fast like cyno does so I thought it was a good thing at first but now it's on all the LR and my corals are starting to close up. The zoos seems farely unaffected. I was thinking of getting a lawnmower blenny? Will he eat this?

[blueboy]

if its bryopsis, you may have a war on your hands. i made the same mistake, it looked really pretty and wavy at first, and my GF said to let it go, but then it became very difficult to keep under control. you should check the link recommended by gary, and make a possitive ID on this stuff, then folks here can direct you better, if it's just chaetomorpha then no problem, just pull some out when it gets overgrown.

[GaryP]

I had some sort of turf algae in my tank that looked like what you are describing. I finally bought 100 micro blue leg hermits and they cleaned it up. Nothing else touched it. I tried tuxedo urchins but I probably didn't acclimate them long enough and they didn't survive.

[fishcrazy]

I checked the link and your right blueboy it's bryopsis! I'll try manual removal, any ither suggestions.

[Richard]

For a heavy bryopsis problem you should forget about adding things to eat it since it is not very palatable to anything.

Things to do
1.)Nutrient control - make sure your are keeping nutrients (especially phosphate) low. This won't get rid of bryopsis by itself IME but will hopefully slow it's growth. Also if you have high phosphates, once you manually get rid of the bryopsis you'll just end up with another nuisance algae like cyano or hair algae.

2.) Start plucking - If you keep plucking at it and removing all you can it will eventually crash and you'll be free of it. Don't spend a bunch of time removing it and then just wait until it grows all the way back. You'll be fighting it forever if you do it that way. When I had a probem with it on a tank I pulled all I could and then every day plucked any little bit I could see off with some tweezers. It took about two weeks for it to stop growing back.

HTH

[fishcrazy]

Sounds like good advice! I'll start plucking ASAP.

[GaryP]

I know that Instar found that the micro hermits would eat the roots attached to the rock after the fronds were plucked. If it wasn't plucked then they wouldn't touch it.

Bryopsis is toxic. There is a seaslug that will eat it, but it takes its time. It harvests the chloroplasts from the bryopsis and then just sits around and photosynthesizes.