Help Needed!

[Patriot76]

What was a couple small patches of bryopsis is starting to spread like wildfire. I raised the magnesium up to 1550 but no signs of recession. any advice? would a kole tang eat this stuff?? i really dont want to this to over-run my whole tank!

 

[Phyl]

Nothing eats briopsys. Bring it up to 1650 and let us know how that works out.

 

[Zhenya]

I agree with Phyllis that no herbivore available to the hobby will eat Bryopsis sp algae, it's chemical defense is quite strong to deter herbivorous fish. Having said that, I believe I've read somewhere that certain opisthobranch mollusks do eat this algae in nature. I think the mollusk in question is a sucoglossan Elysia rufescens, and it is interesting that it is too becomes protected from fish predation by the depsipeptide kahalalide Fthat is produced by it's food source Bryopsis algae.

Have you identified your hair algae correctly,by the way? Another species of algae that is commonly called "hair algae" in the hobby is Derbesia sp.. There are quite a few predators on that algae, so make sure your identification is correct.

Good luck!

 

[Brian]

I agree with Gene in making sure that it IS Bryopsis. I had a very bad outbreak of it (i.e. the WHOLE tank was covered in it) I raised my MG up to 1500 and it was gone in days.

 

[Patriot76]

I am sure it is Bryopsis, i have had GHA algae before and this is not GHA (i wish it was). i raised the mag to about 1600-1650, will give it a day or two.