Waging war with Bryopsis

[Roo&Lis]

I'm at my wit's end with this stuff!:at_wits_end:At first it appeared to be a nice and friendly fuzzy macro algae that didn't do very much and remained in the same area for months. Then I got a wild hair and decided I didn't want the little patch of lawn on my rock any longer. So I picked it off in the tank. BIG MISTAKE!!!! Now my tank looks like an unmanicured golf course. :mad: Yay for me, right? I think not. I've experimented with about every remedy in the book. High Mag., lite feeding, various types of clean up crew, lowering my nitrates, heavy skimming, shorter light cycles, etc. With the exception of a Sea Hare and phosphate reactor. I'm not about to by a $65 algae remover with mixed results, either. So I've come to the conclusion that it's a lost cause and to start bleaching that rock. I've decided that I'm going to try soaking a little in straight up fresh water and a little in 50/50 bleach water. Plus, put in complete darkness. I'm sure the bleach will do it's job but just maybe the fresh can do it too. One of my main concerns is that some of my corals have a little here and there on the attached rocks. I really don't know if there's a way to stop in on those. Any ideas? Someone please tell me I can beat this stuff. If I can rid it, I will vow to never let this happen again. Please reef god anwser my prayer. :cry_smile:

[cbianco]

...High Mag...

I believe that it is necessary to use the Kent(?) mag when raising mag levels in order to beat bryopsis. It is not the mag that kills the bryopsis but most likely some other chemical in the mix. Is this what you used?

Good luck! Your dealing with the mother of all algae.

Christopher

[ACE]

I think bstreep had a serious bryopsis issue, you might ask him what he did.

[kenny01]

Kent's worked well for me.

[tcinaustin]

I have used API Algae fix Marine with good results. Just make sure you get the Marine type since they also make a fresh water one that contains copper. Also follow the instructions, more is not better. There is also a long thread on reef central in the chemistry section if you want more info.

[sm1983]

I used the Kent Mag on a 125g that was covered. When I got around the 1500-1600 ppm level it was gone within a week or so.

[cbianco]

Questions...

Did you completely eradicate the bryopsis?
Has the bryopsis come back since stopping with the Kent/API?


Kent's worked well for me.


I have used API Algae fix Marine with good results...



I used the Kent Mag on a 125g that was covered. When I got around the 1500-1600 ppm level it was gone within a week or so.

[kenny01]

I have had one outbreak since treating. I probably stopped treatment too soon. Within about two weeks it was gone. The original treatment was about 7 months ago. The resent outbreak was not in the same locations that I had the original outbreak, so I don't think that they are related since I have bought lots of new stuff for my tank. For the money I think Kents did what I thought it would do. Dr. Mark treated his outbreak with Elysia crispata. You might check with him and see how that worked out.

[kenny01]

I have had one outbreak since treating. I probably stopped treatment too soon. Within about two weeks it was gone. The original treatment was about 7 months ago. The resent outbreak was not in the same locations that I had the original outbreak, so I don't think that they are related since I have bought lots of new stuff for my tank. For the money I think Kents did what I thought it would do. Dr. Mark treated his outbreak with Elysia crispata. You might check with him and see how that worked out. 1650 PPM. Hope this helps

[brewercm]

I had a bad outbreak a couple of years ago and finally gave in and tore my tank down. I bleached my rock and reused it later as base rock to get started.
If you can frag your corals to the point that there is no briopsys left on it then you might be able to save some of them.
I wish you the best of luck in this battle and keep us updated.

[CoryDude]

Mine came back after lowering Mg from 2000 meq/L. I also think I stopped dosing too soon. I'm going to raise it again and let most of it die off. Then I'm adding a Hiatt system. If that doesn't work, I'm also bleaching the rock and starting over.

[Roo&Lis]

I think I may give the AlgaeFix Marine a try along with keeping my Mag. elevated. I did some research and found very good results with the two together. If it works, I just may cry. HAHAHA! Where can you find the Marine version at? I haven't seen it around but I have seen the freshwater version at Petsmart. Who sells API products?

[tcinaustin]

As far as the API Algae fix Marine, it is not completely gone from the tank but it went from covering almost every rock and me being able to pull 2 quarts of algae out every 2 weeks to 2 small spots of about 3 inches that are getting smaller in my 185g.

Also my mag runs about 1500, not sure if that is helping or not.

[Richard]

Here's a product review of Marine AlgaeFix. Sounds promising.

http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/product-review-algaefix%C2%AE-marine/

[Richard]

Here's the patent info on the chemical they use in Marine Algaefix.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0214850.html

Sounds like it doesn't kill algae but stops it's growth. So maybe not an instant fix but more of another tool to help beat the evil algae.

[tcinaustin]

I was an early adopter so I had to order mine online at Marine Depot. I now have seen the Marine version in Petsmart. It is just with the marine items not in the freshwater section. Also a couple of the Austin LFS's carry it now. Good Luck!

[Bill S]

Feel free to contact me. By most accounts, I'm an expert on just about every technique to kill this stuff off - and how NONE of them worked for me.

What I THINK will worK? Someone in the last week had a Hiatt "torpedo" for sale - I can't remember who, and I searched and didn't find it. I'd add this to it:

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=52672

This is the reason why:

When I tore my tank down, I know I still had some remnants of bryopsis. I've been running a Hiatt system ever since. I have NO bryopsis. And there's NO WAY I got it all.

[CoryDude]

Roo&Lis, I feel your pain. That green grassy look might look good in a freshwater tank, but now in sw. It's kept me from enjoying the tank and from adding new corals.

I'm trying Bill's recomendation. Let us know how the algeafix works. Haven't read much about it till Richard's link.

[sm1983]

The Kent Mag worked great for me. I have not had a single outbreak since. There is no sign of the Bryosis in the tank at all. I did keep the levels high for quite a while though. I was still in the 1400-1500 range for a few weeks after it was all gone.

[addboy]

MAGNESIUM....and a STEEL brush...like from a gun cleaning kit or something...you can't let up on this stuff. Also, the Seachem pellets in the sump will help sustain the Mag. levels.

[Roo&Lis]

Update - boosted the Mag. a little more it seems to be working. It's peeling off the rock with ease. Bought a Tuxedo urchin (aka Lawnmower man) and he is really going to town on the stuff....wondering how he doesn't get full.

[kenny01]

That's good to hear. You need to stay on to of it. i don't know if this was said earlier but when you scrub the area that has bryopsis, it helps to put the rock in a separate bowl if possible. If not the little fragments of the bryopsis could spread to other areas of the tank.

[Roo&Lis]

good idea. i guess it wouldnt to give it a little rinse after all the scrubbing too.

[RICKY81]

could you post a picture up to see what it looks like....

[mabel_photo6]

Yes please, a picture would be helpful. I'm having some problems with some green hair algae. Or at least I think that's what it is. I'm praying it's not bryopsis. :(

[CoryDude]

John (ReefCleaners) has this thread in his section that covers bryopsis w/pics:

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=49716

[mabel_photo6]

Oh my gosh that helps a lot! Thanks CoryDude.
I have green hair algae and cyano red algae.
Still nasty stuff though.

[RICKY81]

Oh my gosh that helps a lot! Thanks CoryDude.
I have green hair algae and cyano red algae.
Still nasty stuff though.

so then you were able to figure it out, and it is just green hair algae and not byropsis? or what is the verdict.

[mabel_photo6]

so then you were able to figure it out, and it is just green hair algae and not byropsis? or what is the verdict.

Yessssssss it's green hair algae!! :whew:
I'm glad... after reading horror stories of byropsis.

[Roo&Lis]

nope its definitely bryopsis......

[mabel_photo6]

nope its definitely bryopsis......

lol Oh... well see, this thread helped me realize what I have is not byropsis.

[RICKY81]

lol Oh... well see, this thread helped me realize what I have is not byropsis.

you guys will never stop fighting....lol.

[mabel_photo6]

you guys will never stop fighting....lol.

What fighting? lol He probably thought I was saying what he had was just green hair algae but I sort of just said it without mentioning I was talking about my tank.

[ReefCube]

does anyone know how this stuff starts? i have a couple small patches of this stuff im trying to figure out how to destroy it for good if thats possible...im glad i have a nano!

[recoiljpr]

does anyone know how this stuff starts? i have a couple small patches of this stuff im trying to figure out how to destroy it for good if thats possible...im glad i have a nano!

On the rock I had it on it looked like grass it was very thick and hand fern like leaves (instead of the normal stringly looking HA). After 2+ weeks of dark treatment it went dormant for about a month but it started coming back again. I ended up nuking the rock, only sure way to kill it. The kind of bryopsis I had instead of growing really long, it spread (where all the HA i've ever had grew long and then spread).

[CoryDude]

does anyone know how this stuff starts? i have a couple small patches of this stuff im trying to figure out how to destroy it for good if thats possible...im glad i have a nano!

It's like cancer. It can start from a single algea cell. If possible, pull any affected rocks.

[uriah]

I did a significant amount of H2O change, three days of darkness and scrubbed affected rock (had to nuke one rock that was too far gone) and so far so good. No sign of new outbreak.

[ReefCube]

i wondering how many of you guys out there have tried kent tech M It seems to be all the rave for killing this stuff. I cant even tell what I have any more..Hair algae or bryopsis? its hard to tell with some of the pictures I have seen. Im not even sure if most of these people out there know eather

[CoryDude]

i wondering how many of you guys out there have tried kent tech M It seems to be all the rave for killing this stuff. I cant even tell what I have any more..Hair algae or bryopsis? its hard to tell with some of the pictures I have seen. Im not even sure if most of these people out there know eather


Mine started as a combo of hair algea and bryopsis. Then the bryopsis out-competed the hair algea and took over.

I've had some success w/Kent magnesium. Its slowed the growth of the bryopsis in my tank. Others have said it didn't do a thing for theirs. It may depend on the exact type of byopsis you have.

Either way, this stuff sucks big time.