Break it to me gently... it's bryposis isn't it

[Candi]

It started as a small patch in my 70g, the tank is new (last June/July) so I didn't bear it much thought. Then I had two patches, that were growing and over-taking zoas. I stupidly tried manually removing some while my pumps were on and wearing my rubber gloves... you guessed it, it slipped from my fingers and the flow took it everywhere, now I have little patches growing all over most of the tank. It's feathery at the ends, that means its bryposis right? I was doing 15-20g water changes every other week, my water is 0 TDS RODI, nitrates 5-10 pending what I've been feeding that week, phosphate test pretty useless since it says nothing but obviously these guys are thriving. Had been a bit lax on cleaning the skimmer.

So now I'm doing 20g a week, keeping the skimmer clean, blowing off the rocks daily, repositioned my flow, cut back on feeding, added a phosban reactor, new chemipure & purigen (which I've always used), my PC bulbs are 5 months old so I'm ordering new ones this week. Manual removal (pumps off, suction in hand)

If this is bryposis should I try the whole raising the magnesium thing I read about on RC?

Is there anything I can add that will help eat this stuff? Lawnmower blenny? (I have a midas, any issue with that?), sea hare? lettuce nudi? My cleaning crew is hermits, astrea, narcissus (small and jumbo), & certh snails, 2 pencil urchins, 1 pin cushion (all nano sized), and some small stars.

Thanks for all advice!

 

[RichT]

It looks very much like the Bryopsis I had. Some are reporting success with raising their Mg levels like you mentioned. Otherwise, it's a real pain and will surely test your dedication to the hobby.

 

[Candi]

bloody $@#@*(!

Where does this stuff come from? It was 99% marco rock seeded with my own LR that I had over a year and never a speck of this stuff. No sign in my other two tanks. Only thing I used to have in the old tank with the rock that seeded this that I don't in this is a emerald crab (but my nano doesn't)wonder if that might help. No new frags, etc. Ugh.

 

[reefsandrotts]

I had it in my 75 kinda out of control,but found an awsome tang that kept it down on the rock till it just burned out.
THe tang is the Thompson's tang.
Heres a link:http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/tangs/thompsonstang
Not hard to get like they say most places can get them readily.
I think mike at ny-aquatic had them not too long ago.

 

[harlequinreef]

your routine sounds pretty good. Keep up with the blasting and heavy skimming. It will, like rich said, certainly test your patience but it will eventually starve off. The only animals I have ever seen that eat bryopsis with regularity are lettuce nudibranchs. Depending on how much bryopsis you have, dont bother with one or two. Account for some being difficult to acclimate, some getting caught in pumps, and some that just seem to not care to eat the stuff. In that size tank, I would add 6-12 lettuce nudis and let them chow down. Wait a couple weeks until all visible bryopsis is gone and then return them to where you bought them or pass them on to another with the same problem. They will starve without bryopsis in the tank.
IMO,
20 gallon water changes a week may be counter productive since salt mixes contain some level of silicates which can fuel algae growth. Blasting detritus and heavy skimming, along with frequent mechanical filter cleaning should be very helpful.