dgasmd
Member
Well, given this forum is new and this is a common topic, I will talk about it for a few lines.
I have a 360g SPS dominated tank with lots of fish. I feed extremely heavily and will admit to not having as much flow as one should. Remedy for that in the works. I also have a DSB that was brand new when the tank was set up a year ago. At about month 3, I developed a small path of this chia pet looking thing I did not know the name of at the time. A local reefer came to check out the tank and pointed out to me the following: "You know what that is? That is bryopsis. If you don't get rid of it now it will take over your tank". Thanks Geofloors for showing me the road to missery:grind: :barf: :grind:
Over the next few weeks, this devil sent malady took over my tank to the point it was even sophocating some of the corals. Half the tank's rocks could not be seen anymore because they were covered with this crap. I would pluck it out and nothing. It would come back in 30 new spots. I even spent 15 hours one day just plucking it out strand by strand only to have it back in the tank 6 days later as if it had never been touch. It was about 6-8" tall in some spots I could not reach readily. It was as if it was nuclear powered.
As part of my trying to get rid of it, I started frequent water changes and started a 100g refugium that ran 24/7 in hopes to starve it out. To my surprise, the refigium would grow tremendously to the point of filling out 1/2 of a bucket of salt every other week just from the trimming/harvesting. So, what did it do the bryopsis? NOT A DARN THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was lucky enough to attend MACNA this year and was present at one of the talks given by Mike Paletta. Mostly talked about his book, but the last 15-20 min. was the most revealing and rewarding part of the trip to me at least. He explained how he had basicly the same problem in his 500g tank. He even showed some pictures. He then went on to explain how the phosphates we test in our water are the inorganic form and the form that fuels all algae and are a rate limiting step in their growth are the organic phosphates. As simple as it may sound, I had no idea whatsoever, although I guess if I had given it some serious thought before I could have figured that out. He then went on to explain how he got this god sent product called Rowaphos (imported from Germany and very expensive) and after 10 days of putting it in his sump, most of his hair algae was gone. In about 20 days corals that had originally been burned at the based by the algae were growing back over the same spot and how his tank was as clean of any pest algae as it could be dreamed of. I will also leave out the part where he got a different skimmer and Ca reactor, both of which he advocates and also SELLS now. Anyway.
I thought about this and to make it even easier on me, I saw that Julian Sprung had a table with some free samples of his phosphate removing media version called Phosban. I took some of the samples and talked with him a bit. He claimed it worked at least just as good as the Rowaphos and was significantly cheaper. I said fine, if you give me enough to treat my 550-600 gal system, I will try it. So, he stepped up to the challenge and gave me 5 of the 150gr containers to try (could treat 750g since 1 gram treats 1 g of water). Little did I know how much this stuff cost at the time, but I did look it up when I got home ($14 each).
I added it to the sump. It took a good 3 weeks, but my tank is almost completely free of this pest algae. Not only that, but I continue to feed heavily and my refugium is has stopped growing. It has been about 5 weeks since I last trimmed the refugium and even then it was a small bowl. What is left can be plucked easily, but I have not had the time lately to get my hands in the tank and do it yet.
Moral of the long story: there is always a solution, but one has to be patient. I am a true believer in this stuff now. The $70 dollar investment Julian Sprung spent on me that day at MACNA he will collect in profits from me buying this stuff for life many times over. It is just that simple.
Hopes this helps someone else.
I have a 360g SPS dominated tank with lots of fish. I feed extremely heavily and will admit to not having as much flow as one should. Remedy for that in the works. I also have a DSB that was brand new when the tank was set up a year ago. At about month 3, I developed a small path of this chia pet looking thing I did not know the name of at the time. A local reefer came to check out the tank and pointed out to me the following: "You know what that is? That is bryopsis. If you don't get rid of it now it will take over your tank". Thanks Geofloors for showing me the road to missery:grind: :barf: :grind:
Over the next few weeks, this devil sent malady took over my tank to the point it was even sophocating some of the corals. Half the tank's rocks could not be seen anymore because they were covered with this crap. I would pluck it out and nothing. It would come back in 30 new spots. I even spent 15 hours one day just plucking it out strand by strand only to have it back in the tank 6 days later as if it had never been touch. It was about 6-8" tall in some spots I could not reach readily. It was as if it was nuclear powered.
As part of my trying to get rid of it, I started frequent water changes and started a 100g refugium that ran 24/7 in hopes to starve it out. To my surprise, the refigium would grow tremendously to the point of filling out 1/2 of a bucket of salt every other week just from the trimming/harvesting. So, what did it do the bryopsis? NOT A DARN THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was lucky enough to attend MACNA this year and was present at one of the talks given by Mike Paletta. Mostly talked about his book, but the last 15-20 min. was the most revealing and rewarding part of the trip to me at least. He explained how he had basicly the same problem in his 500g tank. He even showed some pictures. He then went on to explain how the phosphates we test in our water are the inorganic form and the form that fuels all algae and are a rate limiting step in their growth are the organic phosphates. As simple as it may sound, I had no idea whatsoever, although I guess if I had given it some serious thought before I could have figured that out. He then went on to explain how he got this god sent product called Rowaphos (imported from Germany and very expensive) and after 10 days of putting it in his sump, most of his hair algae was gone. In about 20 days corals that had originally been burned at the based by the algae were growing back over the same spot and how his tank was as clean of any pest algae as it could be dreamed of. I will also leave out the part where he got a different skimmer and Ca reactor, both of which he advocates and also SELLS now. Anyway.
I thought about this and to make it even easier on me, I saw that Julian Sprung had a table with some free samples of his phosphate removing media version called Phosban. I took some of the samples and talked with him a bit. He claimed it worked at least just as good as the Rowaphos and was significantly cheaper. I said fine, if you give me enough to treat my 550-600 gal system, I will try it. So, he stepped up to the challenge and gave me 5 of the 150gr containers to try (could treat 750g since 1 gram treats 1 g of water). Little did I know how much this stuff cost at the time, but I did look it up when I got home ($14 each).
I added it to the sump. It took a good 3 weeks, but my tank is almost completely free of this pest algae. Not only that, but I continue to feed heavily and my refugium is has stopped growing. It has been about 5 weeks since I last trimmed the refugium and even then it was a small bowl. What is left can be plucked easily, but I have not had the time lately to get my hands in the tank and do it yet.
Moral of the long story: there is always a solution, but one has to be patient. I am a true believer in this stuff now. The $70 dollar investment Julian Sprung spent on me that day at MACNA he will collect in profits from me buying this stuff for life many times over. It is just that simple.
Hopes this helps someone else.
