sen5241b March 4, 2016 March 4, 2016 Nothing kills or eats this Bryopsis like algae. Tried Hydrogen Peroxide dips, DINO-X (twice the recommended dosage) CUC (crabs, several kinds of snails, shrimps) and nothing works. I'm told DINO-X is very effective at killing byropsis but it did nothing to kill this stuff. The stuff is infesting the rock and especially Zoas. It seems to grow right in the zoas themselves. (I am thinking about tossing my corals because who would want corals infested with an un-killable algae?) Any suggestions on how to kill it?
YHSublime March 4, 2016 March 4, 2016 Hydrogen peroxide. Worked for me, way worse than that. What is your HP saltwater ratio? Mine took 50/50 to finally make a dent. Scrub with a soft toothbrush for best results, rinse in saltwater before adding back. If you don't see the plug fizzing, it's not working. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Anemone March 4, 2016 March 4, 2016 Maybe try a new bottle of H2O2 while you're at it, that stuff can fizzle out.
AlanM March 5, 2016 March 5, 2016 I had a little bit of bryopsis growing out of some zoas I put in without noticing it. I pulled off what I could and used a dropper to put on full strength peroxide on the zoas in air. They're closed anyway. They fizzed a bit, and so did the bryopsis, but it never grew back. If you fail to get rid of it you could always give your coral to morgunda, who wants bryopsis for his slugs.
Lowefx March 5, 2016 March 5, 2016 I started a whole new tank with new live rock because it was saturated. I even tried zeovit and still didn't 100% kill it. Good luck Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
YHSublime March 5, 2016 March 5, 2016 keep the Mg levels in the tank above 1800 and it'll die off. Not worth that attempt based on his picture. I've heard that is a successful approach. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
sen5241b March 6, 2016 Author March 6, 2016 Not worth that attempt based on his picture. I've heard that is a successful approach. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Kent mag worked because it had lithium in it. DINO X is essentially the same thing without the mag. Also tried vodka for many months and did not make a dent in it. I tried H2O2 dips in 50/50 for about 1 minute but it grew back and sometimes the zoas died. I have not tried the toothbrush thing. Also, this stuff is probably not bryopsis although it is very similar. I am definitely ready to try something radical. I have not tried adding H2O2 directly to the tank. How would I do it? Worth trying?
Anemone March 6, 2016 March 6, 2016 Apparently adding H2O2 directly to the tank just gets you some dissolved oxygen, at least in koi ponds. Source: http://www.koivet.com/a_hydrogen_peroxide_oxygenation_koi_ponds.html
YHSublime March 6, 2016 March 6, 2016 Also, this stuff is probably not bryopsis although it is very similar. I am definitely ready to try something radical. Bryopsis looks like feathers, I agree that that is not what it is. I have some pictures from my tank I can send you when I had a problem. Now I just have bubble algae that is my new battle. Regardless of what type of algae it is, the Hydrogen Peroxide should work, I have used it with success for many years, especially with zoanthids. Alternatively, if you are up to the challenge, you could take your frags off the plugs, mount them fresh. You could do this after manual removal and a hydrogen peroxide dip. When you scrub with the toothbrush, I like to make sure I have a soft bristled tooth brush. I aggressively scrub the plug, but gently scrub the actual zoanthids. I don't know if this process is worth it or not, but I usually agitate them as much as possible before the dip, so I ensure they are closed. Some of my heartier zoanthids just will not close, and I dipped those anyways, halfway open, again, no issues. I would add that I have had success with "higher end" zoanthids, FWIW, and not lost any yet. I have not tried this, but I have talked to some hobbyists who have done a full peroxide dip, also with no ill effects. If you're getting ready to trash your corals, you've got nothing to lose. It doesn't seem that bad though, I would not make a mountain out of a molehill.
sen5241b March 7, 2016 Author March 7, 2016 Bryopsis looks like feathers, I agree that that is not what it is. I have some pictures from my tank I can send you when I had a problem. Now I just have bubble algae that is my new battle. Regardless of what type of algae it is, the Hydrogen Peroxide should work, I have used it with success for many years, especially with zoanthids. Alternatively, if you are up to the challenge, you could take your frags off the plugs, mount them fresh. You could do this after manual removal and a hydrogen peroxide dip. When you scrub with the toothbrush, I like to make sure I have a soft bristled tooth brush. I aggressively scrub the plug, but gently scrub the actual zoanthids. I don't know if this process is worth it or not, but I usually agitate them as much as possible before the dip, so I ensure they are closed. Some of my heartier zoanthids just will not close, and I dipped those anyways, halfway open, again, no issues. I would add that I have had success with "higher end" zoanthids, FWIW, and not lost any yet. I have not tried this, but I have talked to some hobbyists who have done a full peroxide dip, also with no ill effects. If you're getting ready to trash your corals, you've got nothing to lose. It doesn't seem that bad though, I would not make a mountain out of a molehill. good advice. I will see what happens. Maybe my zoas died in the past because I didn't let them close up first. I will try the dips in full strength. Like you said I have nothing to lose. Anything eat this? Is there really an algae in the ocean that nothing eats? I've thought about getting a massive, assorted CUC and see if anything eats it
donnievaz March 7, 2016 March 7, 2016 (edited) good advice. I will see what happens. Maybe my zoas died in the past because I didn't let them close up first. I will try the dips in full strength. Like you said I have nothing to lose. Anything eat this? Is there really an algae in the ocean that nothing eats? I've thought about getting a massive, assorted CUC and see if anything eats it Have you tried spot treating out of the tank ant full strength? I'd do that before trying a full strength dip. Just take the frag out and douse the algae with full strength H2O2 using a dropper or pipette. Let it sit for a minute or two then put back in the tank. Edited March 7, 2016 by donnievaz
Rob A March 9, 2016 March 9, 2016 Foxface's are supposed to like it. But as with any critter that is supposed to eat something in particular, you will find stories online about how some will and some won't. I was having a horrible problem with bryopsis and then hair algae in my frag tank. I added a foxface but also upgraded my RODI to dual carbon cartridges (both 1 micron) and now, a few months later I have none (well, the odd bit occasionally pops up here and there). Whether it was from the fish alone I can't say, but I still have chaeto in the sump that is growing so I don't think the decline of the other algaes was just from the cleaner RODI water. The foxface is not for small tanks though. I think the recommended size is like 125. My frag tank is about 80.
sethsolomon March 9, 2016 March 9, 2016 keep the Mg levels in the tank above 1800 and it'll die off. this is not true any more as this was when using Kent Tech-M when it still had lithium in it. Lithium was the active ingredient that stops the algae growth. They have since removed the lithium from Kent Tech-M.
matt March 9, 2016 March 9, 2016 this is not true any more as this was when using Kent Tech-M when it still had lithium in it. Lithium was the active ingredient that stops the algae growth. They have since removed the lithium from Kent Tech-M. So why is that? Why did lithium inhibit growth? Why did they take it out? I've always taken it for granted that high Mg helped...but never bothered to put that to the test scientifically.
sethsolomon March 9, 2016 March 9, 2016 (edited) So why is that? Why did lithium inhibit growth? Why did they take it out? I've always taken it for granted that high Mg helped...but never bothered to put that to the test scientifically. I don't have a lot of answers on the topic. All I know is Triton had tested what was in Kent Tech-M and found it was Magnesium and Lithium. And after a while, the Kent Tech-M stopped slowing down the algae growth and so Triton tested it again and there was no longer the lithium. Thus deducing that Kent either changed their recipe or their supplier of the magnesium had a tainted product and they swapped suppliers. Ever since that point Kent Tech-M no longer works for bryopsis control. So we are guessing that the lithium was the element that was stopping the algae growth. But we don't know for sure. Edited March 9, 2016 by sethsolomon
Origami March 10, 2016 March 10, 2016 Kent Tech-M worked, according to hobbyist reports, years ago. However, other magnesium sources also worked. For example, I had some bryopsis show up in a frag tank about six years ago. I raised my magnesium levels up over 1850 ppm using Dead Sea Works magnesium chloride ice melt and it killed it off. Never saw it again with that tank. Maybe it was lithium. Maybe it wasn't. I haven't a clue. But I do know that success wasn't limited to Kent Tech-M. And I know that Rob knows this, too, because I'm pretty sure that he had some of the DSW MgCl2 ice melt in the same time period (because I provided a bunch of it to people using a source that I had in the landscaping business).
YHSublime March 11, 2016 March 11, 2016 What I can say, is that after perioxide dips, and aggressive scrubbing of my rock and frags, there are no visible signs of what was clearly bryopsis in my tank. All in all it took about 2 days a week, about 30 minutes each day. This is for a 6 gallon, so I can't imagine for a bigger tank.
sen5241b March 12, 2016 Author March 12, 2016 I have done everything except scrub rocks and try Kent Tech M. I assumed DINO X had the same bryopsis-killing ingredient as Kent Tech M but maybe I am wrong. I am now dosing with an old bottle of Kent Tech M that's been laying around for years. If that doesn't work then Dead Sea Works magnesium chloride ice melt it is. 2 minute dips in pure H2O2 have failed to kill this stuff.
SandJ March 13, 2016 March 13, 2016 Did you ever identify what it is? Looks kinda like Cladophoropsis.
zygote2k March 14, 2016 March 14, 2016 this is not true any more as this was when using Kent Tech-M when it still had lithium in it. Lithium was the active ingredient that stops the algae growth. They have since removed the lithium from Kent Tech-M. Funny thing is that I specifically didn't use Kent-M. I used regular Home Depot brand Mag Chloride mixed with Epsom salt. As far as I know, there isn't lithium in this blend....
sen5241b March 17, 2016 Author March 17, 2016 Did you ever identify what it is? Looks kinda like Cladophoropsis. I have had others tell me that clado is in my tank. What eats it?
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