Bryopsis control

[jenglish]

will anything eat this or is magnesium levels the only way to control. It came in on a zoa rock w/ my pest snails and aptasia... what a great deal!

edit: actually I think the snails came in macro... but still.

[charlesr1958]

If you have at least a 75 gal. tank, a brown scopas tang and some turbo snails will deal with the algae, but why fight algae that is going to forever try and make a come back and simply put it to work with the addition of a simple algae turf scrubber. Also, environmental manipulation is a very bad idea, when done most don't take into consideration that everything else in the tank is most likely going to be affected. Elevated magnesium levels is a good way to knock out your inverts.

The Reef Aquarium Clean Up Crew

Chuck

[Doherty]

? Could this have been prevented with a type of dip prior to introduction to your current system.

[jenglish]

Well, I am thinking of the lettuce slug, I could try letting the turbos out of their cage (I keep them in a seperate section b/c they are such a PITA). Building a ATS is not at all an option in this setup based on where it is. as I understand bryopsis is particularly hard to starve but of course you hear differeing opinions on this.

to the 2nd post I don't know if a dip could kill algae and not kill zoanthids.

[aquawolf]

I don't think dipping the coral would have any impact on the algae at all. It usually only works on invertebrate pests that cannot deal with elevated iodine levels.

I have heard the lettuce slug will eat it but do not have any personal experience. Best of luck fighting it.

[jenglish]

I will just hafta watch the powerheads. The koralia has bryopsis growing on it. Thats kind of like a bannana on a woodchipper to a monkey . If I get a wrasse to deal w/ snails I wonder if he will pick on my lettuce slug?

[VWD]

Very hard to get rid of, I never been able to get rid of it all once it took hold, the way I got rid of it was pulling out the rock and bleaching and drying the rock out, then it became base rock, I found nothing that ate it.

[jenglish]

Originally Posted by VWD

Very hard to get rid of, I never been able to get rid of it all once it took hold, the way I got rid of it was pulling out the rock and bleaching and drying the rock out, then it became base rock, I found nothing that ate it.

I have heard that it was tough to get rid of. I hope it doesn't come to taking out the rock.

[crvz]

Originally Posted by jenglish

If I get a wrasse to deal w/ snails I wonder if he will pick on my lettuce slug?

What kind of wrasse? A bigger one, probably, but if you're looking at something like a canary wrasse or sixline for pyramid snails, I doubt it would pester a nudibranch of that size.

[crvz]

Originally Posted by jenglish

to the 2nd post I don't know if a dip could kill algae and not kill zoanthids.

zoas can take a pretty good variety of dips (from lugols to freshwater and most any other medication), but I doubt it would help with the algae.

[Custom Aquatic]

Just my person experience:

I tried just about every invert to get rid of bryopsis. Snails, Hermits, sea hare, and red lettuce nudis. The raised magnesium levels is the only thing that's showing any signs of improvement. Even raising my magnesium, seems like only kent tech-m worked. I tried ESV, Tropic Marin and epsom salt.

I think with all inverts it's hit or miss if they do all that they are claimed to do. I wish you the best of luck in getting rid of your bryopsis problem.

[aquawolf]

Did using the Kent Tech-M have any negative side effects that were obvious to you?

[tlgreve]

I've got some briopsis in my tank and will tag along.

[jenglish]

I have heard from some that it is not actually the mag but an impurity in Kent that does it and by maintaining those levels w/ kent you kill it. I got behind on the project and just recently ordered the Kent mag, and a salifert mag test and have not yet recieved them. when I start dosing I will tell you all the results.

[aquawolf]

Thanks for the information about it having to be Kent as well Jeremy. That would not be the first time that a incidental ingredient caused a desired outcome.