Byropsis? What do i do?

my tank just finished cycling and i just got a bloom of this "fernlike" Byropsis and diatoms. I read the Ultimate Nuisance Algae thread and it says to be prepared for a "fight". Should i be worried or is this just a part of the cycling process? Should i scrap the glass with a magfloat and blow off the rocks? Im kinda freaked out! Does it go away? I have Chemipure Elite in my filtration, as well as Purigen. HELP?????

 

Well, before you totally freak out try to post a picture so you can get a more definitive identification. If it is bryopsis, there is almost nothing you can really do. You can try to raise you Mg up really high, like 1600-2000ppm. But that only works for certain types of bryopsis. I had it really bad before. It was a fern like algae that took root in my rocks. I tried everything. I raised my Mg, cut feedings, cut lights, used ferric oxide, tried to prune it back etc. Nothing worked. Don't try not to prune it by the way, the small pieces will only spread. I found one thing that worked very well. This may sound drastic and not "natural" but for those who haven't dealt with this before, you don't get how pervasive and hardy bryopsis is. I got the epoxy you use to cement rock together and rolled it into a sheet. Then I covered the spots on the rock where it was. You need to make sure you get all of it and all of the spots b/c if not, it will grow out from under it. I did this, then waited about 2 months, then took off the epoxy. I did this about a year ago and have been bryopsis free since. Your tank will look ugly for a few months, but you will be much happier in the end.

Now, the other option you have is to take out the affected rocks and bleach them. Now, i also did this. What I did was make a mixture of half RO water and half bleach. I took the rock out and applied the bleach mixture to the affected areas with a q-tip. This wasn't as effective as the other option, but you can use this method if it gets on a rock where you have a coral growing on it. I actually used this method to treat my favia that had it growing on its skeleton. No long term ill effects.

Anyways, good luck and keep us posted as to how its doing.

 

I agree we need a positive ID. But if it is bryopsis, I would take the tank down, nuke everything, and start over since you are so early in the process.

 

yikes!!!

 

Well, we are gong to need much better pics than that! We need to see the actual structure of the algae. Just because its fern like and branches out doesn't mean its bryopsis. There are quite a few algaes that can do that, including some forms of caluerpa, which are common and much easier to deal with. Usually bryopsis doesn't grow on the glass like that, either.
But like I said we are going to need better pics.

 

unfortunately thats the best i can do. My camera is only a 6 megapixel. I guess quite a few people experience this type of algae, along with diatoms during there first bloom after cycling! Thanks ill try to get better pics?

 

pull some out and take a pic of it

 

i tryed and it is not going to be a better picture. it is stringy and stuff

 

i just used the mag float on the glass to get rid of some of it. ill keep you guys posted

 

Does it look like this???



I had bryposis and we ended up nuking the whole tank.. I have posts about it hear on 3reef.. My post is titled Ooohh noo... I really hope you dont have to go threw this.... it really sucks.. :-(