Bryopsis Help

[jbird69]

but other people in t walls previous thread report success with elevated Mg levels from other mg supplement including things like de-icer

Let me share MY experience with Bryopsis.

When I had a moderate outbreak, I used the TechM, it was painful for my wallet because, as with an mg suppliment, it takes a LOT to raise the levels. Especially to the numbers we're after for bryopsis. My magic number was 1500. The bryopsis turned to ash and disappeared in a few days. I didnt (should have) hold that level for long. I brought the MG back down with water changes. 6 mo later I hade a small area of bryo crop up, I figured Id go the cheap route, I raised the mg to 1450 with BRS magnesium and then continued to 1650 with the TechM. It did not work at all. I honestly believe you have to add TechM from the beginning so you add a larger volumn of the stuff. It may have worked if I kept going with it, but my algae was minimal and I was out of TechM. The next chapter was a tank upgrade, so I just scrubbed the guilty rock before transfer and my new tank is 100% free of the devil weed.

If I get it again I will get a gallon of techM and use it alone to do the job.

If you read all the way thru that thread, youll see the percentage of success with other mg suppliments working is miniscule and not worth the time, effort and money IMO. Also you can easily stress your tank if you take the Mg WAY up with the cheap stuff, bring it back down with water changes and bring it way up again with TechM if plan A fails....

I would definitly recommend doing the Techm way the first time. Then youll know. If you use the cheap stuff and it doesnt work, your gonna go the techm route anyway.

BTW It is speculated that the impurity in TechM that kills bryopsis is trace amounts of copper.

 

[asl4me76]

Kent Tech-M is what you will need. Get yourself a big ole gallon jug of the stuff. Measure your Mg levels, and raise it up to about 1600-1650 or so... leave it there for awhile and it will kill your Bryopsis with no problems. Never allowing it to come back again, and if it does you are ready for war!

 

[Ron Popeil]

walt, ive used tech on multiple occasions to kill off bryopsis. its the only thing ive tried that works. ive used snails, urchins, foxfaces and other types of magnesium to no avail.

when i use it, i use it very liberally. i dont worry about dosage. i just pour it in and get my magnesium up somewhere above 1800 usually. it takes ALOT. you may notice your leathers and anemones bleaching slightly, you may even lose some snails....but the bryopsis dies off and typically wont come back.

good luck! do a before and after picture!

 

[deangelr]

BTW It is speculated that the impurity in TechM that kills bryopsis is trace amounts of copper.[/QUOTE]


Copper? how do you figure

 

[jbird69]

BTW It is speculated that the impurity in TechM that kills bryopsis is trace amounts of copper


Copper? how do you figure

Just from following discussions in the chemistry forum with entries from guys like Randy Holmes Farley, Jonathon Bertoni... and company.

 

[WDLV]

walt, ive used tech on multiple occasions to kill off bryopsis. its the only thing ive tried that works. ive used snails, urchins, foxfaces and other types of magnesium to no avail.

when i use it, i use it very liberally. i dont worry about dosage. i just pour it in and get my magnesium up somewhere above 1800 usually. it takes ALOT. you may notice your leathers and anemones bleaching slightly, you may even lose some snails....but the bryopsis dies off and typically wont come back.

good luck! do a before and after picture!

Oh you bet on it. I'm letting the stuff grow for now just for gits and shiggles. It's about an inch long and covering both side walls of the aquarium. It looks like my newly sprouted lawn. Only healthier!

 

[deangelr]

 

[deangelr]

bryopsis algae..? or how about this

 

[asl4me76]

bryopsis algae..? or how about this

You need to get some close ups of the stuff. From that distance, it looks like green hair algae. Bryopsis looks like a fern.

 

[fishlibrary]

I have 20g SPS dominant tank with Bryopsis, photo below showing my bryopsis.
I switched to use Kent Tech-M after knowing that it can kill bryopsis, BrightWell Magnesium used as the source to maintain magnesium before.

09Jan2010 Mg=1455mg/L (Salifert)
09Jan2010-16Jan2010 start using 2ml Kent Tech-M per day.

17Jan2010 Magnesium reduced to Mg=1380mg/L (Salifert)
17Jan2010-25Jan2010 dose 3ml Kent Tech-M per day.
Photo below showing the bryopsis at 17Jan2010.

26Jan2010 Magnesium reduced to Mg=1365mg/L (Salifert)
26Jan2010-03Feb2010 dose 5ml Kent Tech-M per day.
Photo below showing the bryopsis at 26Jan2010, few bryopsis still on the rock surface.

04Feb2010 Mg=1470mg/L (Salifert)
04Feb2010-19Feb2010 dose 7ml Kent Tech-M per day.
Photo below showing the bryopsis at 10Feb2010, bryopsis gone.

Water change and new SPS addition take place during the treatment period with some manual bryopsis removal. No bad side effect observed from SPS, LPS and any other soft coral & fish.

 

[WDLV]

Cool guys. Thanks for sharing.

 

[WDLV]

So I will officially call this day one. I have been running the ROWA phos for several days and my levels went from almost undetectable (<0.05) to undetectable. $55 for that? I feel like I've been had.
Today was the first hot day of the season. I hear it was over 90F. My tanks were at about 83.6F when I got home. They're set at 82F. Not too bad but it prompted me to open some windows for cross draft.
My magnesium is quite low as I suspected. It's about 1410 according to Salifert. I removed a little more than half of the volume of my sump this evening so there would be less water overall to "treat."
I should be working with around 120-130 gallons.
Here's ground zero. Others have done shots of a particular rock. I will do FTSs to show what does or does not happen with mine.

Given how low the Mg levels were I thought it would be best to use a pipette and a graduated cylinder to precisely measure out the Tech-M and add it to the sump... but then I got a couple beers in me and the madd scientist got his butt kicked.
Has anyone tried Michelob's new beer (Shock Top?) It's pretty good stuff. If you like Blue Moon, you might give it a try.

 

[WDLV]

Well nothing spectacular to report. The Mg was at 1410 again tonight. So, I was a bit more liberal with the Tech-M addition. I probably added three cups last night. Tonight I bumped it up to about a half gallon.



I did determine a bit of a problem though.... My Salifert test kit only goes to 1500. I'm figuring I can refill the 1cc syringe and generate a negative value to derrive the reading when I get past 1500. Anyone?



The temp however was at 84.1!!! I need to throw a fan over the sump.

 

[Ron Popeil]

walt, only on the east coast would you ask about different flavors of michelob...

 

[WDLV]

I don't know if you meant that as though I am a fru-fru because of the different flavors or you're calling me a redneck because I'm drinking a domestic but I will either redeem myself or cause further damage and proudly boast that my favorite beers are:
Murphy's Irish Stout
Guinness
and Blue Moon
...although I'm not sure what order the last two fall in.
I won't even begin to mention wines for fear of public ridicule.

Anyhow I let the Tech-M mix in for about an hour and tested it again and I'm looking at 1740 if my calculations are correct. There is also the question of whether or not it's accurate at those levels. I imagine that it is but they just don't expect people to be reading levels that high. I'll check it again tomorrow when it's fully mixed.

 

[Ron Popeil]

im giving you a hard time. i just remember i was limited to four domestic beer choices when i was in florida, and ive heard its like that all up and down the east coast. here on the west coast...hundreds of delectable microbrews.

as for your magnesium, youre on the right track. you certainly had a dense growth of that stuff. i look forward to seeing it all melt away to yellow stringy filaments....

 

[WDLV]

I absolutely took it in the spirit it was intended... but we have a boatload of beer and wine choices. It tends to increase as you travel North.


I'm looking forward to watching that mess melt away too. I did let it go a little on purpose for dramatic effect. How long should I leave the level elevated? Two weeks maybe???

 

[asl4me76]

Leave it elevated until it's gone. As it dies off it will turn an ugly, and I mean an ugly brown color. Once it's that color, you can manually start removing it . However, in my tank. My CUC did the job for me

 

[WDLV]

I tested the water again this afternoon. It was 1650.
I also observed that my Kenya Tree was bleached. The tips of the bryopsis appear to be whitening... or maybe I'm seeing things.
Because there are two tanks involved with this system, I'll post them like this from now on so there will be a broader view of success or failure with this process.

 

[WDLV]

Since the level had dropped a little I decided to add about a cup this morning. This evening the reading was 1680. My wife took the good camera to the beach. So, I'm stuck with the point and click underwater camera.

These are about as good as they get for this cam. I cheated after these were taken and syphoned a good amount of the bryopsis out. I just couldn't stand looking at it any more despite the fact that it is starting to die off.

I don't think I've ever done a video of my thielleis. So here you go. The bryopsis in that tank is starting to brown up and fall off too.