Finally an easy solution to bryopsis!
- Thread starter TWallace
- Start date
jbird69
New member
I am winding up a successful irradication of the vile weed. Like redfishsc, I didnt have a plague by any stretch of the imagination, but everytime I pulled some out, it grew back almost before my very eyes.
I went the route of techM. My mag started off quite low at 1290. Over the period of 4 days I brought it up to 1440 and the algae just vaporized. It makes me think there isnt a magic number but more like a % of increase that causes the dieoff. I am still slowly increasing my mg as I dont want to miss any. I can see some very small green "grass" in a couple crevices I cant positively ID. I just want to be sure! I have 25% water change standing by.
I couldnt be happier with the results from the Kent TechM. Even my sand bed was becoming overrun by some clumping root system and hairy green filiments...thats all gone now too!! WHOO-HOO!!!
I went the route of techM. My mag started off quite low at 1290. Over the period of 4 days I brought it up to 1440 and the algae just vaporized. It makes me think there isnt a magic number but more like a % of increase that causes the dieoff. I am still slowly increasing my mg as I dont want to miss any. I can see some very small green "grass" in a couple crevices I cant positively ID. I just want to be sure! I have 25% water change standing by.
I couldnt be happier with the results from the Kent TechM. Even my sand bed was becoming overrun by some clumping root system and hairy green filiments...thats all gone now too!! WHOO-HOO!!!
jbird69
New member
LoneWolf88
New member
can you use any mag supplement or does it have to be Tech M to be successful
redfishsc
New member
Lone_wolf, there are lots of conflicting reports on that.
Magnesium chloride (mag flake) has done NOTHING to my bryopsis outbreak.
I just started magnesium sulfate a few days a go, to NO effect.
Some have used a Seachem magnesium product to good effect, I haven't tried it.
I am about to order some Tech M. It's like $15 for a 64oz bottle and $30 for gallon from marinedepot.
Tech M has a LOT more than just magnesium in it anyhow, and the theory is that the Tech M has a trace mineral that, in higher quantities, the bryopsis can't handle. The theory is that it hits the "sweet spot" for copper toxicity (it has some copper) without being toxic to anything else in the tank.
I'm gonna bomb it and keep the levels high for a month if it works, just to make sure I nuke out all bryo.
Magnesium chloride (mag flake) has done NOTHING to my bryopsis outbreak.
I just started magnesium sulfate a few days a go, to NO effect.
Some have used a Seachem magnesium product to good effect, I haven't tried it.
I am about to order some Tech M. It's like $15 for a 64oz bottle and $30 for gallon from marinedepot.
Tech M has a LOT more than just magnesium in it anyhow, and the theory is that the Tech M has a trace mineral that, in higher quantities, the bryopsis can't handle. The theory is that it hits the "sweet spot" for copper toxicity (it has some copper) without being toxic to anything else in the tank.
I'm gonna bomb it and keep the levels high for a month if it works, just to make sure I nuke out all bryo.
LoneWolf88
New member
I guess I will be ordering Tech M...
redfishsc
New member
Hey, guys, I need your input on something.
My Tech M showed up Friday, and I started it then. I raised my mag by around 80, and again today. No change yet, but it's early in the game.
Anyhow, here is the problem.
Tech M used to list about 15 different elements in its ingredients--- stuff like copper, chromium, manganese, etc...
Now it just says "water, mag chloride and mag sulfate".
The liquid is kinda light yellow or tan looking (kinda like wet skimmate) so I'm 100% sure that the water has something other than mag chloride and mag sulfate---- but have they changed their solution???????
Has anyone used this Tech M, that lists only the sulfate and chloride in the ingredients, to successfully whip the bryo?
My Tech M showed up Friday, and I started it then. I raised my mag by around 80, and again today. No change yet, but it's early in the game.
Anyhow, here is the problem.
Tech M used to list about 15 different elements in its ingredients--- stuff like copper, chromium, manganese, etc...
Now it just says "water, mag chloride and mag sulfate".
The liquid is kinda light yellow or tan looking (kinda like wet skimmate) so I'm 100% sure that the water has something other than mag chloride and mag sulfate---- but have they changed their solution???????
Has anyone used this Tech M, that lists only the sulfate and chloride in the ingredients, to successfully whip the bryo?
redfishsc
New member
Either you let them rot and pollute the tank, or you siphon them out on a daily basis.
My patch of bryo isn't really all that big, so I'm actually gonna let the "rot" method take over and hope the skimmer takes out what it can. I already have 0 nitrates and very low phosphates.
My patch of bryo isn't really all that big, so I'm actually gonna let the "rot" method take over and hope the skimmer takes out what it can. I already have 0 nitrates and very low phosphates.
redfishsc
New member
Alright folks, while magnesium chloride didn't work, and magnesium sulfate (epsom) didn't work.... Tech M seems to DEFINITELY be doing the trick.
I don't have any before/after photos, but the bryopsis in my tank is definitely disintegrating. It's not a big patch to start with--- 3-4" diameter at it's largest, and a few other 1 or 2" patches... but it's dying day by day.
I raised my mag from 1800 (from the mag chloride and sulfate) to around 2200, but again this is only a crude measurement of whatever is in the Tech M that is killing the bryopsis. I have MASSIVE doubts that the magnesium has anything whatsoever to do with it.
I have never in my life enjoyed watching the death of something. I gleefully dance and spit on bryposis' grave.
I don't have any before/after photos, but the bryopsis in my tank is definitely disintegrating. It's not a big patch to start with--- 3-4" diameter at it's largest, and a few other 1 or 2" patches... but it's dying day by day.
I raised my mag from 1800 (from the mag chloride and sulfate) to around 2200, but again this is only a crude measurement of whatever is in the Tech M that is killing the bryopsis. I have MASSIVE doubts that the magnesium has anything whatsoever to do with it.
I have never in my life enjoyed watching the death of something. I gleefully dance and spit on bryposis' grave.
tankslave
New member
Well, the good news is that it seems to have worked (or just died off on its own, which would be quite a coincidence). I didnt keep the Mg up that high, actually only slightly above "normal" but the length of time I kept it there (about 6mo) seems to have taken its toll on the GHA.
The bad news is that now I need to find the "Finally an easy solution to red slime algae" thread.... :rolleye1:
The bad news is that now I need to find the "Finally an easy solution to red slime algae" thread.... :rolleye1:
redfishsc
New member
Unfortunately for me, the bryo came back kinda quickly. It died back to the point that there wasn't a trace of it in the tank. So I gave it a week and did a couple large water changes to bring stuff close to NSW.
In a week the !#@%^&#%^$^* had returned:hmm4::furious:, although not at a plague level.. yet.
So I'm back nuking the tank again, I'll keep it in the tank longer this time. :uzi:
I will say my frogspawn HATES this, it stays mostly closed up every day.
In a week the !#@%^&#%^$^* had returned:hmm4::furious:, although not at a plague level.. yet.
So I'm back nuking the tank again, I'll keep it in the tank longer this time. :uzi:
I will say my frogspawn HATES this, it stays mostly closed up every day.
... spoke too soon.
badonkadonk
Member
I had a patch of bryopsis show up about 6 mos. to a year ago, and recently had started spreading, especially to areas where two corals had grown into each other and resulted in localized die-off. The rabbit fish that used to keep the small patch in check seemed to have lost interest. Also, my styrene egg crate frag rack got pretty heavily infested with it (that stuff always seems to be the first indicator of an algae problem in my system). My magnesium was typically around 1150 to 1200 and I would dose whenever I would think about it (not often enough). I use Reef Crystals and NSW. Anyway, I decided to try the hyper-mag method, and am very pleased with the results and grateful to the individual that first reported the effect. I raised my mag to about 1400 with Randy's 2-part mag mix, then raised with Tech-M to 1475 or 1500. The bryopsis started looking unhealthy after a few days, and by about 2 weeks was breaking apart. There are still some "filaments" here and there, but I'm hoping those will disappear eventually. There were no noticable ill-effects to any of the organisms; in fact, the corals never looked healthier (could have been I had a low magnesium problem all along). I might raise the mag a bit more, or at least I'll try and maintain the current level for the long run. I'll try to alternate dosing mag with Tech M and 2 part mag. BTW, the mag chloride is from BRS, and the epsom salt is from Costco. Thanks again, original algae assassin! (who was that btw?)
So who is going to figure out what causes the die off. Obviously it isn't the magnesium level!!!! There has to be something in Kent's Tech-M that is different from other magnesium supplements. It seems like the biggest waste of money to by a diluted magnesium supplement from Kent for some minor element in that supplement to kill a weed. Why not figure out the element or compound need to kill the bryopsis and buy that in bulk?
I think it would be much more helpful for people to focus on this does anyone have an ideas or input?
I think it would be much more helpful for people to focus on this does anyone have an ideas or input?
