Why aren't my mollies eating my hair algae/bryposis?

[staylor1490]

I recently purchased some freshwater mollies that looked like the sailfin type and after successfully acclimating them to saltwater, introduced them into my reef tank, which was having bryposis/hair algae issues. Last week I tore up the tank and removed as much of the algae and other detritus as I could and did a full water change. Now, only small clumps of hair algae/bryposis remain but the mollies don't seem interested in eating them at all. I bought mollies after being told they were a sure thing for eating hair algae and bryposis so I'm a little confused why they aren't eating them. Should I wait a bit longer for them to settle in and not feed any other food? I'll also decrease feedings and my photoperiod for my other tank inhabitants to get the bryposis under control.

 

[blaxsun]

It depends how hungry your fish are. Not suggesting you need to starve them, but if there are always better choices on the menu...

 

[staylor1490]

I'm feeding them generic marine flakes. I guess bryposis must be the lowest thing on the menu....

 

[I never finish anythi]

Just get a foxface

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Nothing eats bryopsis... At least no specific species, although some individual fish might.
Flucanozole is your best bet for bryopsis

 

[damsels are not mean]

Mollies won't eat bryopsis. The only predator I am aware of that have been kept in tanks are onchidella floridana but I haven't seen them for sale from anybody in a while.

 

[staylor1490]

I thought foxfaces, lettuce sea slugs, sea urchins, and sea hares at bryposis reliably? Also, doesn't the medication you mentioned also kill off corals?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I thought foxfaces, lettuce sea slugs, sea urchins, and sea hares at bryposis reliably? Also, doesn't the medication you mentioned also kill off corals?

The answer to both questions is no.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

My blue tuxedo urchin eats bryopsis. Interesting I have 6 Tuxedo urchins and I don't think they ever touched it. In fact, I'm not sure what they eat. Since putting them in they have doubled in size, however, there was been no change in the amount of algae in the tank.

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