best3175 Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Is there a fish or maybe a shrimp that likes to eat hair algae? I've added several hermit crabs but they are not keeping up. My Kile Tang does not show an interest in it. He prefers his flakes. Link to comment
best3175 Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 I am calling this hair algae. http://i.imgur.com/dq4KLLA.jpg Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Turbo snails love hair algae. Link to comment
Neebles Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I have 2 urchins that demolish every type of algae in my tank. I had hair algae pretty bad at one point and they took care of it. Link to comment
best3175 Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 I'm trying to stay away from urchins. Those things are bulldozers with no regard to what is in the path. I'm looking at some turbo snails and a black com tooth Benny. Link to comment
joy13 Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Turbo snails are just as bad as urchins for knocking stuff around. I found my lawnmower blenny liked flakes and frozen food better than algae. I have urchins in 2 of my tanks and turbos in all 3. IMO tuxedo urchins are a great choice. Link to comment
Robert1969 Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 My Turbo snails really chow down on hair algae. Have 2 in my 29gal. Link to comment
Neebles Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 My urchins don't bulldoze a thing. It's a valid concern for sure, but my experience has been great. I have a large turbo that has definitely moved rocks.... You just never know. I would say maybe a lawnmower blenny although I had one and it never liked the long stuff. Link to comment
best3175 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 What size tank? SR80. Probably 60 gallons on fish space. Probably going to try a Blenny and three snails. We will see. Maybe a second protein skimmer would help. Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Dude, that looks like bryopsis. Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 No fishes like bryopsis. Urchins maybe. Peroxide dips, Mag overdosing ect. Link to comment
clownfitch Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I agree that it is bryopsis. I have a One Spot Foxface in my 65 mixed reef and it completely cleared the tank of bryopsis. Its only visible in the refugium section of my sump now. Great community fish also. Link to comment
best3175 Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 I thought it looked different than hair Algae. My fix face doesn't touch it. Reading about bryopsis. This sucks. Looks like I will pull everything out and scrub it down. Probably will never get rid of it. Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Check into peroxide dipping on it. Link to comment
Partagas Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Dude, that looks like bryopsis. I agree that it is bryopsis. I have a One Spot Foxface in my 65 mixed reef and it completely cleared the tank of bryopsis. Its only visible in the refugium section of my sump now. Great community fish also. After looking at the pic in a bigger screen I have to agree with these gentlemen and deleted my post. Sorry, my old eyes! Link to comment
Lawnman Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I am calling this hair algae. http://i.imgur.com/dq4KLLA.jpg'>http://i.imgur.com/dq4KLLA.jpg Sure looks like bryopsis to me. Link to comment
mountaineer Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 A month of dosing Kent Tech M whacked my bryopsis. It started to turn white at 1600 ppm mag, but I cranked it up to 1850 to be sure. A lettuce nudibranch and my dwarf blue leg hermits would eat it, but only if I kept it short. Link to comment
ETucc Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Is the bryopsis only in that spot? Take that chunk of rock off with a chisel and throw it in the trash. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Bryopsis is a very confusing algae to me. It will spring up in a few spots around my tank only to die off a week or two later. Does anyone have a definitive answer as to what causes it other than "nitrates and phosphates"? I've noticed it tends to only appear where detritus collects to form a "soil" for it to grow out of. Link to comment
best3175 Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 I'm very disappointed to be battling this issue. I'm using RO/DI water, only feed my fish twice a day and do not over feed. I use filter socks and changed every two weeks. I'm going to update this to twice a week. I do water changes with a gravel vacuum every one to two weeks. I runa skimmer. I feed my corals two to three times a week. I also have more flow then required. I guess I'll up my filter sock changes and watch the tank. Link to comment
clownfitch Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 The problem with bryopsis is that it needs very little nutrients in the water column to survive. It likely got introduced into your tank on a frag plug or rock and now that you have it all you can do short of a stick of dynamite or tearing your tank down and sterilizing the sand, rock, and tank (including plumbing, pumps, sumpo, etc) is find something that keeps it in check like my foxface does for me or give the TechM dosing regiment a shot. Link to comment
jestep Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I agree that it is bryopsis. I have a One Spot Foxface in my 65 mixed reef and it completely cleared the tank of bryopsis. Its only visible in the refugium section of my sump now. Great community fish also. My foxfaces have always destroyed it as well. They always outgrow my tank though. My 1 spot got too big for my 90 even. But haven't had a spot of bryopsis in about 2 years now with a combination of foxface, nutrient reduction, and peroxide. I'm very disappointed to be battling this issue. I'm using RO/DI water, only feed my fish twice a day and do not over feed. I use filter socks and changed every two weeks. I'm going to update this to twice a week. I do water changes with a gravel vacuum every one to two weeks. I runa skimmer. I feed my corals two to three times a week. I also have more flow then required. I guess I'll up my filter sock changes and watch the tank. 2x feedings per day is heavy feeding IMO. I think even daily is heavy feeding. I'd back off to once every other day and see how it goes. This stuff is beatable with nutrient control and removal though. Also lettuce nudibranches will usually eat bryopsis if you can find one. Link to comment
mountaineer Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 For what it's worth, my bryopsis went crazy and I had just set up the tank a week before -- so it thrived in an extremely low nutrient environment. During the cycle, my ammonia never went about 0.5 and nitrate never went above 10, but still, lots of bryopsis. I didn't even have any fish or CUC in the tank when it took off. My lettuce nudibranch gobbled the stuff, but be careful with your pumps and powerheads. They are death traps for nudibranchs. Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 My tuxedo sea urchin never messed with my glued down corals and ate all my hair algea. Link to comment
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