Finally an easy solution to bryopsis!
- Thread starter TWallace
- Start date
adirondack
New member
I used Mag from bulk reef supply. Worked great, very inexpensive compared to Kent.
that's interesting, I used Mg (both MgS04 and MgCl) from BRS for weeks and drove my Mg level above 2000mg/dl, which did nothing to curtail the growth of the Bryopsis, then I switched to Kent after waiting for Mg level to drop, and began seeing the green turn to pale and eventually die
adirondack
New member
I used 100% MgCl from bulk reef. I had read about using Kent, but I already had the Bulk Reef so I figured what the heck. It took about 3 weeks at 1600-1700, but the bryopsis faded to yellow and then just disappeared. Kent may work faster.
there may also be other factors at play, such as different species of Bryopsis in our tanks, the rate that we are raising the algaecide, whatever it is, tolerance to it and codependence on other constituents in our water
OwenInAZ
New member
I also tried the BRS mag, with no success. Then on the advice of an LFS I tried the Magnesion-P from Brightwell Aquatics. Before treatment I manually removed bryopsis, cleaned out my pumps and skimmer (things I normally do, but without success). I also stopped water changes during treatment (I normally change about 10% over the course of a week).
In 6 days I've gone from this:
To this (as of 6 AM today):
You can see in the pictures that the byropsis has been totally wiped out by the magnesium supplement. There are some other algae types that have appeared, but my suspicion is as they are exposed the snails will get them, and as the nutrients from the dying bryopsis are sucked up by the GFO/Carbon reactor and skimmer they will die back.
To summarize: Brightwell Magnesion-P rocks at killing bryopsis too
In 6 days I've gone from this:
To this (as of 6 AM today):
You can see in the pictures that the byropsis has been totally wiped out by the magnesium supplement. There are some other algae types that have appeared, but my suspicion is as they are exposed the snails will get them, and as the nutrients from the dying bryopsis are sucked up by the GFO/Carbon reactor and skimmer they will die back.
To summarize: Brightwell Magnesion-P rocks at killing bryopsis too
Here is a link to an interview (teleseminar recording) I did on bryopsis algae control with two other owners of high-end custom install/service businesses. It's 88 minutes long and can be downloaded to your iPod/MP3 player or just listen on the site.
http://saltwateraquariumsecrets.com/221/bryopsis-algae-control-methods-that-work-a-teleseminar-interview-with-two-saltwater-aquarium-experts/
I thought this might help give more insight into dealing with bryopsis algae and would love to hear what other think of the interview and the strategies discussed.
http://saltwateraquariumsecrets.com/221/bryopsis-algae-control-methods-that-work-a-teleseminar-interview-with-two-saltwater-aquarium-experts/
I thought this might help give more insight into dealing with bryopsis algae and would love to hear what other think of the interview and the strategies discussed.
Bryopsis Thread Summary
Here's an attempt to summarize the findings in this thread for those who don't have time to read all 50+ pages. This is meant as a reference for those who are battling bryopsis and want a summary of what's been working for others. The main observation is that bryopsis can be effectively killed using magnesium supplementation with Kent Tech-M, Epsom salt, or certain other magnesium supplements. Many thanks to TWallace, jdieck, redfishsc, and everyone else for contributing so much to this thread. It's been a lifesaver for me and my tank.
Effective Ingredient
(1) Magnesium -- The thread started with TWallace's posting that elevated magnesium levels were effective in killing bryopsis. He noted his own success with using Kent Tech-M to elevate magnesium levels from NSW levels (~1300 ppm) to nearly 1700 ppm. However, subsequently many have questioned whether it is the magnesium that's responsible for killing the bryopsis. Several people chronicled attempts to dose magnesium through MagFlake (Magnesium Chloride/MgCl2), which did not result in the bryopsis dying, even at Mg levels in excess of 1800 ppm (however, at least a couple of people have reported success dosing magnesium with MgCl2). Rightly or wrongly, a clear majority of posters seem to believe that magnesium by itself is not getting results, but that Tech-M should be used in preference to other magnesium supplements. However, others have also noted success with Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulphate/MgSO4) and certain other commercial Mg supplements. Also note that Tech-M itself apparently is made using both MgCl2 and MgSO4.
(2) Tech-M "Secret Ingredient" -- Because more people have reported success dosing Kent Tech-M than other forms of magnesium, there's a theory that Tech-M contains some other herbicide that's responsible for killing bryopsis. Lots of speculation of what this might be. Kent claims that Tech-M contains only a mix of "pure grade" Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Sulphate, and RO/DI water (along with trace amounts of impurities such as copper). It's possible that Kent's source for "pure grade" MgCl2 and MgSO4 contains a key impurity that affects bryopsis.
(3) Copper -- Some believe that copper is the "secret" ingredient in Tech-M that's effective for bryopsis. Copper is a known herbicide and at least certain formulations of Tech-M are known to contain copper. However, it's unclear whether there's enough copper in Tech-M to work as a herbicide (Tech-M is believed to contain only trace amounts of copper as an impurity, although potentially in higher concentrations than NSW).
(4) Sulfate -- An alternative theory is that the sulfate in Tech-M and Epsom salt is what causes bryopsis to die. Several people have reported good results dosing Epsom salt instead of Tech-M.
Application Methods
(1) Slow Increase -- One method of using Tech-M/magnesium is to slowly raise the magnesium level (by less than 100 ppm per day) in the tank and then letting the tank "stew" by not doing any water changes for a period of weeks while the bryopsis dies off. Some people have reported apparent eradication after as little as two weeks. Others have reported needing longer periods.
(2) "Shock and Awe" -- Another method people have used is to dose Tech-M/magnesium to quickly increase magnesium levels (by ~100 ppm per day). Some think this is more effective than the slow increase at killing bryopsis. Even this method has been said to involve maintaining extended periods of elevated Mg levels (months).
(3) Basting -- Yet another method people have described is using a turkey baster or syringe to spot treat bryopsis with concentrated Tech-M, with circulation pumps off. The theory is that if Tech-M contains a herbicide other than Mg then basting the bryopsis avoids the need to waste Tech-M and unnecessarily elevate Mg levels.
(4) Long Term Daily Dosing -- Others have reported that it was necessary to dose smaller amounts of Tech-M (~1 ml/gallon) over a longer period of time. The theory behind this is that the herbicide in Tech-M/magnesium supplements lasts only a short period in the tank before it's organically bound and skimmed out and therefore needs to be replenished on a regular basis.
(5) Additional Treatment -- In addition to using Tech-M/magnesium, people have suggested that the magnesium treatment is more effective when (i) keeping elevated pH levels (>=8.5); (ii) exposing the bryopsis to intense light (based on observations that bryopsis in high light areas of the tank dies faster than elsewhere); (iii) NOT running carbon (on theory that it adsorbs active herbicide); (iv) manually removing bryopsis from the tank (both before, during, and after dosing); (v) using a turkey baster to blow out detritus collected within the clumps of bryopsis; (vi) elevating alkalinity (to > 9 dkH); (vii) overskimming/skimming wet; (viii) running a phosban reactor.
Adverse Effects
(1) Many people have reported that they observed no adverse effects at very elevated Mg levels (>2000 ppm). However, others have reported that using Tech-M had negative effects on various livestock, including snails, clams, zoanthids, leathers, anemones, euphyllia, and starfish.
(2) Several people have observed that if the Tech-M treatment results in a large amount of bryopsis dying it can result in the dead bryopsis releasing nutrients into the water, fueling other nuisance algae outbreaks.
Other Issues
(1) Permanence of Treatment -- One concern is whether the Tech-M/magnesium treatment can be used to permanently eradicate bryopsis. Many people have had the experience of seemingly eradicating bryopsis through Tech-M dosing, only to have it recur a few weeks or months later. Others have succeeded in completely eliminating it. Some suggest continuing to dose Tech-m at lower levels (25 ppm) for several months even after the bryopsis appears to be eradicated.
(2) IDing Bryopsis -- A recurring issue in this thread is that people misidentify other types of nuisance hair algae as bryopsis, leading to erroneous conclusions about whether a particular bryopsis treatment works. Also, there are many types of bryopsis and not all may be equally susceptible to treatment.
(3) Signs of Effective Treatment -- People who have had success in dosing Tech-M/magnesium have reported seeing the bryopsis losing color and turning clear, looking "ragged", and eventually falling off the rock or being easy to pull off manually.
(4) Hidden Bryopsis -- People have recommended looking in overflows and other dark places for residual bryopsis even when there's none apparent in the display tank. Apparently bryopsis can survive in these darker areas longer than in well-lit areas.
(5) Chemistry Calculator -- http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
Here's an attempt to summarize the findings in this thread for those who don't have time to read all 50+ pages. This is meant as a reference for those who are battling bryopsis and want a summary of what's been working for others. The main observation is that bryopsis can be effectively killed using magnesium supplementation with Kent Tech-M, Epsom salt, or certain other magnesium supplements. Many thanks to TWallace, jdieck, redfishsc, and everyone else for contributing so much to this thread. It's been a lifesaver for me and my tank.
Effective Ingredient
(1) Magnesium -- The thread started with TWallace's posting that elevated magnesium levels were effective in killing bryopsis. He noted his own success with using Kent Tech-M to elevate magnesium levels from NSW levels (~1300 ppm) to nearly 1700 ppm. However, subsequently many have questioned whether it is the magnesium that's responsible for killing the bryopsis. Several people chronicled attempts to dose magnesium through MagFlake (Magnesium Chloride/MgCl2), which did not result in the bryopsis dying, even at Mg levels in excess of 1800 ppm (however, at least a couple of people have reported success dosing magnesium with MgCl2). Rightly or wrongly, a clear majority of posters seem to believe that magnesium by itself is not getting results, but that Tech-M should be used in preference to other magnesium supplements. However, others have also noted success with Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulphate/MgSO4) and certain other commercial Mg supplements. Also note that Tech-M itself apparently is made using both MgCl2 and MgSO4.
(2) Tech-M "Secret Ingredient" -- Because more people have reported success dosing Kent Tech-M than other forms of magnesium, there's a theory that Tech-M contains some other herbicide that's responsible for killing bryopsis. Lots of speculation of what this might be. Kent claims that Tech-M contains only a mix of "pure grade" Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Sulphate, and RO/DI water (along with trace amounts of impurities such as copper). It's possible that Kent's source for "pure grade" MgCl2 and MgSO4 contains a key impurity that affects bryopsis.
(3) Copper -- Some believe that copper is the "secret" ingredient in Tech-M that's effective for bryopsis. Copper is a known herbicide and at least certain formulations of Tech-M are known to contain copper. However, it's unclear whether there's enough copper in Tech-M to work as a herbicide (Tech-M is believed to contain only trace amounts of copper as an impurity, although potentially in higher concentrations than NSW).
(4) Sulfate -- An alternative theory is that the sulfate in Tech-M and Epsom salt is what causes bryopsis to die. Several people have reported good results dosing Epsom salt instead of Tech-M.
Application Methods
(1) Slow Increase -- One method of using Tech-M/magnesium is to slowly raise the magnesium level (by less than 100 ppm per day) in the tank and then letting the tank "stew" by not doing any water changes for a period of weeks while the bryopsis dies off. Some people have reported apparent eradication after as little as two weeks. Others have reported needing longer periods.
(2) "Shock and Awe" -- Another method people have used is to dose Tech-M/magnesium to quickly increase magnesium levels (by ~100 ppm per day). Some think this is more effective than the slow increase at killing bryopsis. Even this method has been said to involve maintaining extended periods of elevated Mg levels (months).
(3) Basting -- Yet another method people have described is using a turkey baster or syringe to spot treat bryopsis with concentrated Tech-M, with circulation pumps off. The theory is that if Tech-M contains a herbicide other than Mg then basting the bryopsis avoids the need to waste Tech-M and unnecessarily elevate Mg levels.
(4) Long Term Daily Dosing -- Others have reported that it was necessary to dose smaller amounts of Tech-M (~1 ml/gallon) over a longer period of time. The theory behind this is that the herbicide in Tech-M/magnesium supplements lasts only a short period in the tank before it's organically bound and skimmed out and therefore needs to be replenished on a regular basis.
(5) Additional Treatment -- In addition to using Tech-M/magnesium, people have suggested that the magnesium treatment is more effective when (i) keeping elevated pH levels (>=8.5); (ii) exposing the bryopsis to intense light (based on observations that bryopsis in high light areas of the tank dies faster than elsewhere); (iii) NOT running carbon (on theory that it adsorbs active herbicide); (iv) manually removing bryopsis from the tank (both before, during, and after dosing); (v) using a turkey baster to blow out detritus collected within the clumps of bryopsis; (vi) elevating alkalinity (to > 9 dkH); (vii) overskimming/skimming wet; (viii) running a phosban reactor.
Adverse Effects
(1) Many people have reported that they observed no adverse effects at very elevated Mg levels (>2000 ppm). However, others have reported that using Tech-M had negative effects on various livestock, including snails, clams, zoanthids, leathers, anemones, euphyllia, and starfish.
(2) Several people have observed that if the Tech-M treatment results in a large amount of bryopsis dying it can result in the dead bryopsis releasing nutrients into the water, fueling other nuisance algae outbreaks.
Other Issues
(1) Permanence of Treatment -- One concern is whether the Tech-M/magnesium treatment can be used to permanently eradicate bryopsis. Many people have had the experience of seemingly eradicating bryopsis through Tech-M dosing, only to have it recur a few weeks or months later. Others have succeeded in completely eliminating it. Some suggest continuing to dose Tech-m at lower levels (25 ppm) for several months even after the bryopsis appears to be eradicated.
(2) IDing Bryopsis -- A recurring issue in this thread is that people misidentify other types of nuisance hair algae as bryopsis, leading to erroneous conclusions about whether a particular bryopsis treatment works. Also, there are many types of bryopsis and not all may be equally susceptible to treatment.
(3) Signs of Effective Treatment -- People who have had success in dosing Tech-M/magnesium have reported seeing the bryopsis losing color and turning clear, looking "ragged", and eventually falling off the rock or being easy to pull off manually.
(4) Hidden Bryopsis -- People have recommended looking in overflows and other dark places for residual bryopsis even when there's none apparent in the display tank. Apparently bryopsis can survive in these darker areas longer than in well-lit areas.
(5) Chemistry Calculator -- http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
skh, thanks for summary, very nice!
one additional note from another thread:
It appeared that hypersalinity at around 1.0285 or above seemed to kill bryopsis. That person had also raised his Mg moderately with no effect until he raised salinity.
I am still battling bryopsis having very slow die off using Magnesion-P from Brightwell Aquatics up to a Mg of 2000, however I then raised my salinity up to 1.030 and now see a significant die off occurring.
one additional note from another thread:
It appeared that hypersalinity at around 1.0285 or above seemed to kill bryopsis. That person had also raised his Mg moderately with no effect until he raised salinity.
I am still battling bryopsis having very slow die off using Magnesion-P from Brightwell Aquatics up to a Mg of 2000, however I then raised my salinity up to 1.030 and now see a significant die off occurring.
djkms
Fish Freak
Great thread!!
I noticed bryopsis growing on 2 of my rocks. I just set up my tank 2 months ago and already have this pest. I had my wife pull out the 2 rocks while at work and I will examine my tank tonight for other signs of this pest.
I hope this is a isolated incident and just on these 2 rocks but that is wishful thinking I know.
The funny thing is the 2 rocks it was growing on where from BRS and they where sold as dry rock.
I have some tech M handy and will update if I have this issue as a ongoing problem.
Thanks for all the helpful tips guys!
I noticed bryopsis growing on 2 of my rocks. I just set up my tank 2 months ago and already have this pest. I had my wife pull out the 2 rocks while at work and I will examine my tank tonight for other signs of this pest.
I hope this is a isolated incident and just on these 2 rocks but that is wishful thinking I know.
The funny thing is the 2 rocks it was growing on where from BRS and they where sold as dry rock.
I have some tech M handy and will update if I have this issue as a ongoing problem.
Thanks for all the helpful tips guys!
returnofsid
New member
Ryan, it would seem that it's not actually the Magnesium that kills the bryopsis. There seems to be some sort of impurity, in Kent Tech M, that's thought to be what kills the bryopsis. Other magnesium supplements have been used, without the beneficial effect of killing the bryopsis.
OwenInAZ
New member
Check five posts above yours.
Brightwells works. Which kind of makes sense, since Steve Brightwell was the chemist behind the Kent line of products.
okay i was able to find 3 bottles of the 473ml tech M and im ordering extra bottles of magnesion from brightwell as well for backup since tech M isnt easy to find.
actually i already dosed a little of kents tech M and it wiped the bryopsis for a while except for the one thick clump in one part of my tank. i ran out of tech M so i was unable to continue dosing. i tried adding other readily available mg supplements like tropic marin and brightwell(unfortunately LFS had 1 bottle left, next shipment is mid november) but they didnt seem to be as effective.
i noticed that the bryopsis in my tank is localized on a few rocks that are easy to remove so ill start by removing those rocks and drying them out and then scrubbing the hell out of them and then maybe ill put them back in my tank!
if i see the bryopsis pop up again, thats when ill start with tech M again. im also going to lessen the feedings of my fish and coral and hopefully the NP biopellets i have take care of the extra nutrients. i hope this works!
actually i already dosed a little of kents tech M and it wiped the bryopsis for a while except for the one thick clump in one part of my tank. i ran out of tech M so i was unable to continue dosing. i tried adding other readily available mg supplements like tropic marin and brightwell(unfortunately LFS had 1 bottle left, next shipment is mid november) but they didnt seem to be as effective.
i noticed that the bryopsis in my tank is localized on a few rocks that are easy to remove so ill start by removing those rocks and drying them out and then scrubbing the hell out of them and then maybe ill put them back in my tank!
if i see the bryopsis pop up again, thats when ill start with tech M again. im also going to lessen the feedings of my fish and coral and hopefully the NP biopellets i have take care of the extra nutrients. i hope this works!
JasonD
Active member
Restarting my tank after letting it go fallow for a year or so. Unfortunately nutrient explosion and Bryopsis everywhere. Eventhough I have an algae scrubber the bryopsis wants to grow on the rocks and the sand :eek1:
So I'm scrubbing it off but I also ordered som Brightwell Manesium. I'll take some pictures and then post it with the results on here.
Jason
So I'm scrubbing it off but I also ordered som Brightwell Manesium. I'll take some pictures and then post it with the results on here.
Jason
redfishsc
New member
I've found that bryopsis cannot handle living in a freshwater planted tank. Even after dumping $80 in Tech M over the past year (on an 80g system!) it never totally eradicated it. So I DID.
Kinda nice, though, knowing it can't reach me now.
My next reef setup (years down the road after I finish grad school)---
1) All rock will by dry rock. No live rock except maybe a couple carefully selected "seed" pieces that are visibly devoid of anything whatsoever that is 'green'. Only pink/purple.
2) All stony corals get a couple weeks in a quarantine. Good practice in general to avoid stuff like AEFW, monti nudies, etc.....
3) All zoanthids or other stone-attached softies will get a longer quarantine. Bryopsis LOVES zoanthid mats for some reason.
Kinda nice, though, knowing it can't reach me now.
My next reef setup (years down the road after I finish grad school)---
1) All rock will by dry rock. No live rock except maybe a couple carefully selected "seed" pieces that are visibly devoid of anything whatsoever that is 'green'. Only pink/purple.
2) All stony corals get a couple weeks in a quarantine. Good practice in general to avoid stuff like AEFW, monti nudies, etc.....
3) All zoanthids or other stone-attached softies will get a longer quarantine. Bryopsis LOVES zoanthid mats for some reason.
lolgranny
The DQ King
Not sure if this is is, but i have been unable to ID it. I might be trying this later this week unless i can figure it out.
Its stringy, reason i don't think its HA is because it doesn't seem to grow in "thick" patches. The 2nd pic the rock is in front of a 1050gph power head and the algae which feels similar to cheeto, but softer is something like 6" long.
Its stringy, reason i don't think its HA is because it doesn't seem to grow in "thick" patches. The 2nd pic the rock is in front of a 1050gph power head and the algae which feels similar to cheeto, but softer is something like 6" long.
RVANANO
SWAGON
It really doesn't look like Bryopsis to me. Each strand of bryopsis looks like a feather towards the tip. It branches out a tiny bit. Your algae looks like straight individual strands that don't branch out. Like you mentioned in your other thread, it looks more like macro algae. But it looks like the stringy kind that has the little green balls on the strands which yours does not seem to have. Sorry i cannot recall the name of the macro I am referring too. I had some and it easily got into the DT and it grew like mad so I got rid of it and switched to cheato with much better results.
wgibbons, I downloaded the discussion on Bryopsis (Teleseminar-Saltwater Aquarium Secrets) and found it to be very informative. All three of the individuals involved in the discussion had positive results using Tech-M. The discussion, helped me to formulate what I think is an effective battle plan to help me rid my tank of bryopsis. However, I don't recall whether or not tank lighting was mentioned in the discussion. So, should lighting play a part in this treatment process and if so in what way? Do I turn my lighting off for significant periods or does it matter one way or the other? And, I don't think they addressed how long Mg levels should remain at the suggested high levels. I mean, do I have to maintain these levels to prevent the bryopsis from coming back? Other than those two issues, I thought the discussion was excellent.
