What would you do - Bryopsis edition

CaptainCooke

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Hi Reefers,

I have the tiniest amount of bryopsis starting to grow. 95% sure it is bryopsis anyways. It is much more stiff than hair algae.
I'm hesitant to treat the tank because I just don't like putting any chemicals or additives into it. I'm a pretty firm believer that in most instances additives and treatments are often band-aids for a larger problem. So, I'm debating treating with fluconazole. There is just so little of it that it almost feels like overkill. But, on the other hand I can see how it could blow up and grow out of control. It might be better to nip it in the bud. It is definitely a hitchhiker and came in on the frag plug. As far as I can tell so far it has not spread off of that plug. It is harassing my zoas on the plug. They are not happy.
What would you do?
Images below.

I appreciate any advice.
Thanks!

IMG_8337.jpg IMG_8339.jpg IMG_8340.jpg
 
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CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

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Just giving this a friendly bump. Please let me know if you have any advice for me. Thanks!
 

Scorpius

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Fluconazole and Vibrant. I've used both and had better success with Vibrant killing my turf algae. Fluconazole will work though.
 
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CaptainCooke

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Fluconazole and Vibrant. I've used both and had better success with Vibrant killing my turf algae. Fluconazole will work though.
Thanks for the suggestion! I have been regularly using a low amount of vibrant since I set up my tank about a year ago. With this still popping up... I wasnt sure Vibrant was the right stuff.
 

Bryknicks

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I have used fluconozole twice for bryopsis and it worked excellent. What you have looks more like wire algae, not bryopsis. I don't see the fern like feather structure on yours. It looks more like the harder wire type algae.
 

Marc2952

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Agree with the others on fluconazole, it worked wonders.
 
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CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

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I have used fluconozole twice for bryopsis and it worked excellent. What you have looks more like wire algae, not bryopsis. I don't see the fern like feather structure on yours. It looks more like the harder wire type algae.
I have never heard of wire algae. It is annoying my zoas so I would like to get rid of it. I have not seen the ferns either. I just know it is not hair algae so I figured it was baby bryopsis. Do you know how to treat wire algae? I have been using a low dose of Vibrant for over a year since I set up my tank just as a good housekeeping measure. It isnt touching this stuff.
 

Bryknicks

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Gelidium, Red Wiry Turf Algae
gelidium 300x214


Many species of short creeping red algae exist so the hobby generally lumps all of them under the heading "Gelidium", (the genus that is home to many of those species), and the common name Red Turf Algae, or Red Wiry Algae.

Manual Removal: Difficult. Macros that have fragile runners and creep along the rock are the hardest to manually remove. Do the best you can. Use a dental pick to remove it if possible. Fragments of the algae can spread though, so make sure to net any pieces that break loose. Yeah I know, it is boring as can be, but if you do it once surgically with a dental pick the problem goes away for good. If you can take the rock out, all the better.

Clean Up Crew: Emerald Crabs, urchins, sea hares, and large turbos.


Cladophoropsis, Green Wiry Algae
Cladophoropsis 300x302


Species in this genus, and related ones, cling to the rock, and spread from a runner. The branches do not get tall, and they are often found with hobbyist frags or on live rock.

Manual Removal: Difficult. Macros that have fragile runners and creep along the rock are the hardest to manually remove. Do the best you can. Get a dental pick and get it all the first time and be done with it.

Clean Up Crew: Rock Boring Urchins, Emerald Crabs, Turbos, and Sea Hares occasionally pick on it, but don't seem particularly interested in it.

Starving it out: It seems to be particularly good at adapting to nutrient lulls, and it is unlikely that a small amount of the algae here and there will be starved out of your tank.

Fortunately these algae species tend to grow slowly, and aren't particularly common.

We distinguish this from Green Turf Algae by keeping this heading limited to green algae that creep along the rockwork, rather than grow up from it.
 
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CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

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Gelidium, Red Wiry Turf Algae
gelidium 300x214


Many species of short creeping red algae exist so the hobby generally lumps all of them under the heading "Gelidium", (the genus that is home to many of those species), and the common name Red Turf Algae, or Red Wiry Algae.

Manual Removal: Difficult. Macros that have fragile runners and creep along the rock are the hardest to manually remove. Do the best you can. Use a dental pick to remove it if possible. Fragments of the algae can spread though, so make sure to net any pieces that break loose. Yeah I know, it is boring as can be, but if you do it once surgically with a dental pick the problem goes away for good. If you can take the rock out, all the better.

Clean Up Crew: Emerald Crabs, urchins, sea hares, and large turbos.


Cladophoropsis, Green Wiry Algae
Cladophoropsis 300x302


Species in this genus, and related ones, cling to the rock, and spread from a runner. The branches do not get tall, and they are often found with hobbyist frags or on live rock.

Manual Removal: Difficult. Macros that have fragile runners and creep along the rock are the hardest to manually remove. Do the best you can. Get a dental pick and get it all the first time and be done with it.

Clean Up Crew: Rock Boring Urchins, Emerald Crabs, Turbos, and Sea Hares occasionally pick on it, but don't seem particularly interested in it.

Starving it out: It seems to be particularly good at adapting to nutrient lulls, and it is unlikely that a small amount of the algae here and there will be starved out of your tank.

Fortunately these algae species tend to grow slowly, and aren't particularly common.

We distinguish this from Green Turf Algae by keeping this heading limited to green algae that creep along the rockwork, rather than grow up from it.
That's the stuff all right. Dang. It sounds like a pain in the butt. I guess I will be picking at it for a long time. Or I will be getting some emeralds. I have had emeralds in the past and they picked at my acros.
 

GardenReef

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As others have mentioned fluconazole worked for me as well. i had a few spots of derbesia or bryopsis (not certain which). I let it grow out a bit then harvested by hand to knock it back, did a water change then dosed fluconazole (Reef Flux). I am almost a week in and it is showing good signs of dying. All coral and fish are looking normal. Wish i had dosed sooner but i was trying to make sure it wasnt something else i was or wasnt doing. Best of luck !!
 

Bryknicks

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That's the stuff all right. Dang. It sounds like a pain in the butt. I guess I will be picking at it for a long time. Or I will be getting some emeralds. I have had emeralds in the past and they picked at my acros.
Yes I had a small area in the past and it went away after adding emeralds. I have four right now in two different tanks and they don't touch any of my coral, acros included. If you go that route, try to get some smaller specimens and also supplement with nori so they have available food and leave corals alone.

Yes wire algae is a pain to eliminate, worse than bryopsis. Since it looks localized to that one frag I would pull it out of the tank, manually remove as much as possible, and dip the plug itself in hydrogen peroxide.
 
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CaptainCooke

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Yes I had a small area in the past and it went away after adding emeralds. I have four right now in two different tanks and they don't touch any of my coral, acros included. If you go that route, try to get some smaller specimens and also supplement with nori so they have available food and leave corals alone.

Yes wire algae is a pain to eliminate, worse than bryopsis. Since it looks localized to that one frag I would pull it out of the tank, manually remove as much as possible, and dip the plug itself in hydrogen peroxide.
Thanks. Just did this. I will also get an emerald again. Hopefully this time he wont go for the acros.
 

Tamberav

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I used flucanozole once and the bryopsis melted in 4 days but 6? Or 8? Months later it suddenly returned in the same spots.

I don't like dosing the tank with stuff and decided this time to pull the two rocks that had it and put it in tank water + peroxide for 10 min.

The acro was just hanging out above the peroxide bath and is doing just fine.

The cuc went to town on the dead algae left over and so far so good.

Since it is just one small spot...you don't need a dip and can just spot treat that area with peroxide which kills algae real fast. Wam bam done in minutes.

MVIMG_20200713_220109.jpg
 
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CaptainCooke

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I used flucanozole once and the bryopsis melted in 4 days but 6? Or 8? Months later it suddenly returned in the same spots.

I don't like dosing the tank with stuff and decided this time to pull the two rocks that had it and put it in tank water + peroxide for 10 min.

The acro was just hanging out above the peroxide bath and is doing just fine.

The cuc went to town on the dead algae left over and so far so good.

Since it is just one small spot...you don't need a dip and can just spot treat that area with peroxide which kills algae real fast. Wam bam done in minutes.

MVIMG_20200713_220109.jpg
If I treated the frag plug that has the issue.... wouldn't the peroxide also kill the zoas on it? I'm sure I couldn't just spot treat it. I also try and baby my zoas/palys and not put them under too much stress.... I dont want that palytoxin poison!
 

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Just use fluconazole. As for chemicals and additives, everything in life and in reefs are chemicals.
 

Tamberav

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If I treated the frag plug that has the issue.... wouldn't the peroxide also kill the zoas on it? I'm sure I couldn't just spot treat it. I also try and baby my zoas/palys and not put them under too much stress.... I dont want that palytoxin poison!

You dilute the peroxide with tank water so it's just bubbling and it will not kill zoa's. Just irritate them to they close up. Dipping zoas in a peroxide solution is pretty common. I have dipped many of my zoa's in the past. NOT pure h2o2... but a mix of tank water and peroxide.

You can find info with the search function about it...

 

Tamberav

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Will fluconazole still work if this is wire algae and not bryopsis?

Not effectively no... flucanozole had little effect on GHA and no effect on my macroalgaes.

Dosing a tank with anything for a 2 inch spot of unidentified algae seems ridiculous to me.
 
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CaptainCooke

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Not effectively no... flucanozole had little effect on GHA and no effect on my macroalgaes.

Dosing a tank with anything for a 2 inch spot of unidentified algae seems ridiculous to me.
Agreed. I think Im going to just pick off what I can and see how it does. I dont want to treat anything if this isnt bryopsis. I was just fearing a bryopsis bloom. I have heard horror stories about those.
 

Double monti 61

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You say you do not want to add chemical treatments for your algae to your tank but that seems to be just what you are doing.
 

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