My new tank has been up for just a few months now, and I'm getting a bryopsis outbreak. I started with all dry marco rocks and Microbacter7 and a tiny piece of mature live rock. Around the time the cycle finished, I added one more large piece of mature live rock. About 2 weeks ago I started to noticed bryopsis growing on the glass and the dry rocks I used, none on the mature piece of rock. By now the top rocks are completely covered and growing faster than my lawnmower can eat it. Testing with my hanna checker consistently shows 0.00-0.02, which online searches revealed was due to the algae using it up before getting into the water column to be testable at phosphate. So to battle the phosphates and nitrates in my tank I got myself a biopellet reactor and some DrTim's pellets. But I've also read online that Kent Marine Tech M and only kent marine magnesium can also be used to kill the bryopsis due to an impurity in the specific brand. So the question is, should I dose the TECH M to kill the bryopsis first, or will lowering the phosphates and nitrates with the biopellets starve them to kill them anyway? I do not want to put my livestock at the unnecessary risk of high Mg if the bryopsis are going to die anyway. I do have a fuge if that makes a difference, chaeto went from the size of a softball to the size of a beach ball in a month. Thanks in advance.
Phosphates and bryopsis, next course of action?
- Thread starter surferd31
- Start date
Any mag at 1400 or above works. I keep mine at 1400 consistently using Esv mag just for the algae inhibiting capabilities. I can definitely vouch for this as I've literally seen algae disappear by the next day using ESV. I've used the kent stuff too tho and same thing. I also run biopellets and RowaPhos to keep phosphate at .03 or below. Never seen any ill effects from high mag, BP's, or RowaPhos. RowaPhos will pretty much bring your Po4 down instantly so I highly recommend it. Once the RowaPhos kicks in its easy to maintain your Po4 levels. You can use another media but I've tried them all and Rowa is the best by far IMO. Biopellets won't begin to work for several weeks so trying the mag thing won't hurt for now. Also, make sure you add the biopellets slowly over several weeks until you reach the recommended amount. They pretty much don't work I've found unless you use what they recommend.
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Sure here are some pics, I'm like 80% sure its bryopsis, I've never had it before in any of my tanks so I'm not sure but it looked like the pictures online lol. When it first started growing it would grow out out of a single point and thick filaments coming out from that point, each filament then also short branches coming off of it. After awhile it looked like a tufts of algae all over the place, and now theres so much I cant distinguish one piece from another, looks like its a lawn. Majority of the algae is around 1.5CM long with patches that are up to 1.5-2 inches long on the higher rocks. It doesnt seem like the regular gha i run into every once awhile, if i get a good grip the entire tuft of algae will come off, unlike gha which tends to break
Good news for you. That does not look like bryopsis. Sounds like you have a nutrient issue if your cheato is growing so much. Your phosphate test may only be be showing a small amount because the algae is consuming it as a food source. Manually remove what you can, get some turbos, a lawnmower bleeny and a grazing tang, swap gfo regularly, make sure you have a proper light cycle (no more than 8 hour photoperiod while you battle this) avoid sunlight directly on the tank, make sure if you are running t5 or cf or MH your bulbs are not old and cross your fingers.
Awesome I'm glad its not bryopsis, I have a 6bulb t5 and have been leaving the 2 blues on for a good 14 hours or so and all 6 for maybe 9, but i'll cut back on that lol
The tank is only 57 gallons, I'd love to get a tang in there but I haven't found one thats small enough for me, I saw a tomini that was at most an inch at PYA but was on hold so once i see a yellow or other zebrasoma tang that small at an lfs I'll grab it or maybe try out a sea hare, I've had turbos in the past and they do really well but i'm trying to hold off on those for a bit cause of the way my rocks are laid out right now theres a high chance they may knock some over. thanks for your replies everyone
The tank is only 57 gallons, I'd love to get a tang in there but I haven't found one thats small enough for me, I saw a tomini that was at most an inch at PYA but was on hold so once i see a yellow or other zebrasoma tang that small at an lfs I'll grab it or maybe try out a sea hare, I've had turbos in the past and they do really well but i'm trying to hold off on those for a bit cause of the way my rocks are laid out right now theres a high chance they may knock some over. thanks for your replies everyone
