Bryopsis plumosa... Even worse than hair algae!?!

[mtfish]

Well because I am a lucky reefer I find myself dealing with a mid-grade Bryopsis plumosa outbreak. I have been informed that this is even worse than the dreaded hair algae oubreak.

The tank was started @ the end of March, it is a 10g, with a 80w orbit light, only 1 fish, a false perc and other life includes a peppermint shrimp, 2 turbo snails, 2 astrea, 3 cerith, 1 hawaiian feather duster. For corals I have some mushrooms, ricordia, xenia, and a kenya tree. I was doing weekly water changes (I lapsed because my son was born and I was quite busy) and now I am doing bi-weekly. I also am using some phosban. I wanted to get some cheato in my AC70 but I need a light on it first. Oh and for flow I have a penguin 550 and a MJ 600 (I mis-stated that in my intro thread, please don't make me walk the plank. )

Here are some articles I have read that anyone else in need may find useful:
Algal genus Spotlight: Bryopsis
Bryopsis Algae (Bryposis plumosa), Bugger of a plant
Bryopsis plumosa - I am sick of it and need help!
Fighting the Good Fight with Nuisance Algae

Here is a FTS show the current extent (not too bad, yet)...


And here some is between some Ricordia polyps...


If anyone has any suggestions let me know , otherwise I'll update and hopefully help future generations survive 'the beast'.

cheers

[mps9506]

Get some real phosphate removing media Something like phosban, rowaphos or any other iron based phosphate remover (Kent has a new one, think it is called powerphos or something like that). Nutrient control and some manual removal will be your best bet since that tank is proabbly too small to support any herbivores that might (or might not) chow it down.

EDIT: Saw you are using phosban, early morning for, interpeted that as phossorb...

[sHARkZ]

I use to hv lots of bryopsis and hair algae. and they spread very fast. but now every thing gone.
What i do :
Let them grow. Harvest as many as possible those bryopsis. Its also export nutrient by havesting. Starve them. By using rowaphos and carribsea PO4 buster. And now all most of them are gone.
u must be patient, coz it will take months to see result. I also change fish food. use to feed them with frozen food every day.now feed them with flakes every day and frozen food once a wk. tune to very wet skim. cheers.

I use 500 ml of rowa. change every 2 months
and dosing of po4 buster 10ml every day.

[lcstorc]

What do your phosphates test at?
Another way to reduce your addition of phosphates is to rinse all food well with ro/di water. Most fish food is full of phosphates so whenever you feed the fish you are adding phosphates as well. Also be sure to test your water change water. Depending on the source it may be part of your problem. At minimum I would test for nitrates and phosphates as well as salinity.
Just my 2 cents.

[Frankie]

What kind of substrate are you useing? is it live sand?

[Woodstock]

I agree you need to starve the algae away... reduce your organics/po4 and it will die. Physically removing the algae by hand, Blowing off rocks (keeping their pores clean), removing organics via siphoning, wet skimming, water changes, etc... and using a phosphate absorbing media (that is iron oxide based) will clear up any algae issues. Be patient and consistent, they will disappear!

[mtfish]

My Phosphates has been testing below the detection limit of 0.05ppm. I assume they had gone over that while a was a little lax on my cleaning and then it was used by the algae.

I have been doing twice weekly water changes, along with siphoning off rocks, physcially removing the algae, and using phosguard. I al ready see a difference in the growth rate. The algae isn't gone, but the rate of growth has slowed.

Oh and yes it is live sand, although the bed isn't very thick, maybe 1" at its thickest.

[lcstorc]

Sounds like you are headed in the right direction.

[burning2nd]

WELL, i dont know if my algae is the same, but mine is deffentyl Bryopsis, but i thought it was taxfolda (spelled wrong).

VERY VERY BAD AGLAE!!!!!, exstreemly had to get rid of,

i still have little bits but ive found the way 2 geting rid of it.
from what ive bin told (or hurd) this algae, can feed on CA as well as no3 and phosphate. so removeing phosphate (or going out and geting a reactor) wont help

The fail safe way to remove this algae, is 2 do a couple of things

try to coltavate it in your sump (if you have one)
cut back on lights and food.
do water changes like crazy. (carefully)

when doing water changes turn our power heads off, let the water be still (perfict still) no movement at all, I know this sounds weird, but when you desterb the algae, the little leafs contain spores for it 2 reseat it self,

if you have more then one patchs then it can reproduce sexully, (bad)

other wise, start your sipon to take water out of the tank (waterchage) but both hands in the still tank one sucking the stuff you pull out (export)

the not moveing water will help to stop if from spreding,

ive bin working on this algae, for months. at one point it was on all of my rocks.

couple of sugestions from my own findings,
dont try to remove it by hand with the power heads on.
Dont try to starve the tank from light(will come back)







look, the cyno slime, (that i got to move from the tank 2 the sump along with the algae) is kicking the algea's azz in the sump.

[burning2nd]

Good luck, let me know how yours go's im pritty sure ill be geting rid of this soon
it is much smaller then the pic's i just posted, (im at the gf's house)

[lcstorc]

I am rather confused burning2nd. If it is so bad and you know it sends off spores when you remove it, why would you want it in your sump? Maybe I am missing something, but I would go for removal from the system entirely. The same for cyano which does feed off of phosphates and excess food.
Also your suggestions for water changes and decreased feeding are known ways to reduce trates and phosphates so I really think you are doing the same there just in a different way. What phosphate reducing media were you using and did you use a reactor?
Sorry but I am really confused on this one and would like to understand what you are going for.

[Witfull]

i have to disagree on several comments made here.

first, bryopsis does not require calcium to grow, Halimedia is a Ca demanding macro.

more importantly i highly disagree with cultivating a highly invasive algae anywhere in the system. due to sporing and fragmenting causing reseeding, why would you want it to be anywhere in your system?

as for the cynobacteria, that should be actively removed from the tank/sump as well. it is a great exporter of nutrients expecially PO4.

what i would suggest to combat bryopsis is to pull the rock, and in a bucket of salt water vigorously scrub the areas with a small wire toothbrush. scrub all growth areas clean. then in a separate bucket of clean salt water, rinse and flush the rock and move on to the next rock.

controling nuitrient input is paramount to battling any algae outbreak, along with blowing off the rocks to remove sediment that can fuel the algae. when fighting a serious outbreak, proactive tactics need to be taken. as stated above, physical removal outside of the tank is needed. to help control nuitrients via natural ways i would suggest chaeto as a macro to grow in a fuge. it is far less invasive and easy to control.

[mtfish]

Well it has been FOREVER since I've looked here, but I just wanted to revive a dead thread and give hope to those battling hair algea of all types.

Most importantly I was able to defeat the dreaded algae. The only tactic(s) I used was/were nutirent removal and algae removal. As many have stated the problem you really have when you have a algae outbreak is not the algae, but a excess of nutirents. Now I know many may be thinking "But I tested for X and there isn't any!!" (let X = Phosphate, Nitrate etc...) Well thats because the algae is using that excess nutrient! Belive me thats what I had thought too. So get rid of the nutrients and get rid of the algae.

To summarize my victory I did the following:

Added Purigen to my HOB refugium.
Twice a week water changes & vaccumed for a month.
Hand pulled any clumps of algae.
Weekly water changes & vaccum all the time.
Reduced phytoplex feedings to 1tsp biweekly.
Feed fish (1) Every other day.

I have now been clear of my outbreak from about 2 months and everthing appears healthy. Like I said earlier, I just want to follow up and give hope to anyone one who may need it

[Woodstock]

Excellent! Karma to you

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Woodstock

Excellent! Karma to you

Same here, good work!