Dictoya Outbreak - What would you do?

[djkms]

Ok I have a dictoya outbreak. For those that are not familier with dictoya it is nasty nasty stuff. Its a macro algae that is spreading everywhere. I would say worse than hair algae and bryopsis. I had a bryopsis outbreak and Tech-M took care of it no problem. I have read that dictoya will even grow on your coral and smother it out.

For those that are not familiar with my setup I have a 125 gallon mixed macro reef. I have lps, sps, zoas, clams and about 15 different types of macro algae's.

The 2 most important things to me are not stressing out my Moorish Idol and keeping my macro algae's. Think of my tank like a display refugium with corals.

Anyways if you were in my shoes how would you handle the outbreak? Pleas vote and post your reason why voted what you did.

Here are the options and my observations:

• Do nothing. Just let it take over and hope the macros can out-compete
• Take out the rocks piece by piece and cook them (scrubbing not efficient enough to completely remove it)
• Replace the rock which it has grown on (costly)
• Purchase a Naso Tang to eat it (125 gallon a bit on the small side for a naso and it will eat some of my other macros but not all)
• Remove all the macros and dose Algaefix Marine (not a fan of chemical solutions)
• Other?

I really would appreciate your opinions on the matter guys, please post your thoughts and

 

[djkms]

 

[Yaten13]

I have bryopsis, dictoya, caulerpa, etc. And I just pull it out with my weekly maintenance if it is encroaching on my corals. When I am doing weekly water changes, I have a pretty small hose, so I just attack the rock with the tube and use that to pull it out. So if you don't want to stress out your tank, my solution is to "do nothing." Your mileage may vary.

 

[MartinsReef]

Just yank it out when it gets to big or when it encroaches corals as Yaten stated.

 

[projectx]

I did some reading, and from what I found was that a two-barred rabbitfish is the way to go if you dont want to put Algaefix in. I dont know if it will play nice with the rest of the tank though, or what coral he may munch on in the process.

Seemed like the few that pulled and scrubbed the rocks it was a waste of time as it came back, unless you do what I did with my briopsys and hit it with a blowtorch lol.

Just a thought

 

[Cake_Boss]

Buy the tang, make sure to have extras of the macro you want to keep, have the tang destroy the dictoya, when said tang is becoming a pest sell said tang to me

 

[djkms]

I have bryopsis, dictoya, caulerpa, etc. And I just pull it out with my weekly maintenance if it is encroaching on my corals. When I am doing weekly water changes, I have a pretty small hose, so I just attack the rock with the tube and use that to pull it out. So if you don't want to stress out your tank, my solution is to "do nothing." Your mileage may vary.

I think this would work short term but i am looking for more of a longterm solution. Pulling it out will spread it more IMO. I would prefer to get rid of it.

I did some reading, and from what I found was that a two-barred rabbitfish is the way to go if you dont want to put Algaefix in. I dont know if it will play nice with the rest of the tank though, or what coral he may munch on in the process.

Seemed like the few that pulled and scrubbed the rocks it was a waste of time as it came back, unless you do what I did with my briopsys and hit it with a blowtorch lol.

Just a thought

I did some reading on the rabbitfish as well. My worry is it munching on corals.

Buy the tang, make sure to have extras of the macro you want to keep, have the tang destroy the dictoya, when said tang is becoming a pest sell said tang to me

The tang idea is actually the one I am leaning towards I just know a Naso is way to big to keep in my 125. I would have to get him small, 1-3". My concern though how would it be any different then me manually removing the dictoya? I would think it would spread the same with the fish picking at it and as soon as I remove the tang it would just come back wouldn't it?

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep em coming! What would you do!

 

[jonthefb]

Tuxedo urchin, priest hat urchin, emerald crabs. If you are wanting to try a tang, consider a tomini, or kole or some other type of bristletooth tang. I wouldn't recommend using the algaefix with the rest of your acros. Consider aggressive water changes and suspend the addition of your iron supplement temporarily. My personalmexperience with dicotya is that it shows up, grows like nuts, and then dies back to almost nothing.

Cheers!
Jon

 

[djkms]

hmmm tuxedo urchin will eat dictoya? That is good news! Not sure on the emerald crabs, was hoping to stay away from crabs in my reef since they are opportunistic. If they finish the job would they be easy to take out? Maybe put some food in a acrylic tube at a slant so they can get in but not out? I wanted to stay away from Tangs all together since they will decimate my macro collection but it seemed like my only viable option...

How many tuxedos' would you recommend? Can you get them? If so price and will you be at reefstock?

Once again, great info and thanks for posting Jon!

 

[Wicked Color]

+1 emerald crads
I voted tang because it is what I would do, however, with your macros you might regret that move.

 

[wirick181]

algee fix zapet the litttle that i had growing with only a few treatmets

 

[Rebel]

Kris, I don't know anything about that sort of algae. But I know Keys had a Tomini tang last weekend (they had two--I got one).

 

[dv3]

from your options i chose the naso tang ....easiest and most natural way assuming it works ..plus its a cool looking fish

but if it were me i would listen to jon

 

[Cake_Boss]

from your options i chose the naso tang ....easiest and most natural way assuming it works ..plus its a cool looking fish

but if it were me i would listen to jon

If you go the tang route, I'll buy him from you when he is no longer needed/grows up....just saying

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[jgonzz]

I didnt see anywhere on the Poll to dry it out and roll it up ???

 

[wirick181]

lol

 

[Mantid]

I got some rock urchins and was surprised to see that they were the only thing in my tank that would eat it.

 

[jonthefb]

Yeah reef-safe urchins are likely your best bet because they are kinda slow and clumsy and you can keep placing them on the algae if they wander away. I do try to keep tuxedos in stock but am out at the moment. I probably won't be doing a livestock order before reefstock.

 

[djkms]

Thanks for all the info guys. I will try the Urchin route first. I was at Auqamart last night but they didnt have any Tuxedo's. If that doesnt work then I will probably try a Naso and take him out of the tank when it gets too big. I would rather try to fight it naturally first before I start yanking out rocks.

 

[Rcpilot]

I didnt see anywhere on the Poll to dry it out and roll it up ???

LOL!!!

:cigar: