Finally an easy solution to bryopsis!
- Thread starter TWallace
- Start date
raddogz
Premium Member
I agree with TWallace.
I didn't feed the fish for three days that the lights were out in my 120g tank. One 30g water change before and another one right after the three day lights out time. Very little change to the Dersbia hair algae at all. Calcium levels were at around 400, and alkalinity was around 14 and Ph during the day was at 8.3 and go down to 8.1.
I've been battling this since late March. I'm still playing with the magnesium as the amount that I've been throwing only raises it maybe 50ppm.
I have several chunks of rock which I pulled out of the tank when it first got real bad and have been sitting in a 7g salt bucket with powerhead for the past two months. I opened the bucket the other day. That stuff is as thick as ever.
I didn't feed the fish for three days that the lights were out in my 120g tank. One 30g water change before and another one right after the three day lights out time. Very little change to the Dersbia hair algae at all. Calcium levels were at around 400, and alkalinity was around 14 and Ph during the day was at 8.3 and go down to 8.1.
I've been battling this since late March. I'm still playing with the magnesium as the amount that I've been throwing only raises it maybe 50ppm.
I have several chunks of rock which I pulled out of the tank when it first got real bad and have been sitting in a 7g salt bucket with powerhead for the past two months. I opened the bucket the other day. That stuff is as thick as ever.
Randall_James
Premium Member
Cyano as you know is not an algae at all..
Spontaneous algal growth is something I am unfamiliar with. I have not experienced a tank with algae outbreaks that did not have some type of nutrient import.. Pulling nutrient from aerated water is something I have never heard of before... can you point me in the direction of where this info is? interesting stuff that is...
Old rock with growth is pretty easy to explain, phosphates leach into and then out of the rock...
As far as the qt tank, it is possible that you have a small circle going here. Some dies, some grows, the nitrogen and nutrient released from dead or dying could be feeding new stuff... hence the export issue, if you pull out growing matter, it deprives the system of the nitrogen it has used (mulching your lawn for example puts nutrient back into the lawn to be used by new grass) The original nutrient was likely brought into the system by fish waste and food initially.
I am not speaking from personal experience here, I have never had issues with algae after about 3 months on any new tank.
I have gone through all the various stages at one time or another and only can only say that I held off on nutrient import on these systems, exported what I could and the stuff always went away as fast as it started. (the time involved was radically different on tanks I put fish in btw, took much longer)
jdieck
New member
Cyano? who said Cyano? .....
j/kRandy:
Has been a while (about a year since I read about it), I'll look for the links. It mentions the use of the CO2 to turn out some sugars used to feed on. On the Nitrogen it mentioned something about simbiosis with bacteris and conversion via some enzymeor something on that line.
Hope I find it.
melev
Well-known member
Well, I had to battle bryopsis a couple of years ago when I got some LR from a local reefer that was moving away. In his tank he never saw it because he had a foxface that kept it mowed down. As I don't like the look of that particular fish, that wasn't an option.
For months, I battled it. I plucked what I could, I added Lettuce Nudibranchs and daily searched for them (in the refugium, pasted to the intake of pumps) and placed them back near the byropsis patches.
You can use a turkeybaster to blow out the trapped detritus that this particular algae uses like a DSB to fuel more growth. If you keep at it this way, you can rid your tank of it. It is frustrating though.
I really hoped this idea of boosting Mg to kill it would work, especially if the livestock doesn't feel any ill effects from higher Mg in the water.
For months, I battled it. I plucked what I could, I added Lettuce Nudibranchs and daily searched for them (in the refugium, pasted to the intake of pumps) and placed them back near the byropsis patches.
You can use a turkeybaster to blow out the trapped detritus that this particular algae uses like a DSB to fuel more growth. If you keep at it this way, you can rid your tank of it. It is frustrating though.
I really hoped this idea of boosting Mg to kill it would work, especially if the livestock doesn't feel any ill effects from higher Mg in the water.
steelers2005
New member
I wanted to report in that this does indeed seem to be working for me. Most of what is left in the tank are t he stalks of what I believe to be bryopsis. Slowly but surely it's clearing up, hopefully it will stay away. I still have not be able to figure out how to post a few pictures.
murraycamp
Member
I just tried this method with my sps tank. I raised Magnesium to between 1550-1600 (with Tech M) from 1200 over the course of four days. I had a nasty Bryopsis outbreak, and no herbivores worked. Even a sea hare wouldn't touch it.
Three or four days after I hit my target level, the Bryopsis was gone. No evident harm to any other inhabitants. Pretty cool.
I am planing on keeping the Mg level up for two weeks and then brining it back down.
Three or four days after I hit my target level, the Bryopsis was gone. No evident harm to any other inhabitants. Pretty cool.
I am planing on keeping the Mg level up for two weeks and then brining it back down.
frederickk
New member
Let us know if it stays like that. I might try it as well but curious to know if chance are you get another outbreak a little later.
Kolognekoral
New member
It seems that many of the successes are done using Tech M. Perhaps there is some component in it that makes the difference? I do not know the product here in Europe. Anyone know more about its composition?
raddogz
Premium Member
I have been dosing with Tech M in earnest for the past four to five days. The magnesium levels are up to 1500 or so for me from 1200.
The tips are dying as they are clearly turning white. The recession of green is a bit more (as in a little bit) everyday.
I will say I have been doing more water changes, running dual phosban reactors with Warner Marine's phospure HC, upping Magnesium levels, added sea hare, and removing the worst to the hair algae covered rocks. I also have been doing way more pruning.
Yes, I am trying a little bit of everything so will never really know if it's just the Tech M or not; however I am seeing results. I would just leave the bryopsis covered rocks if it was a smaller tank, but at 120g it's starting to be an ongoing nightmare.
The tips are dying as they are clearly turning white. The recession of green is a bit more (as in a little bit) everyday.
I will say I have been doing more water changes, running dual phosban reactors with Warner Marine's phospure HC, upping Magnesium levels, added sea hare, and removing the worst to the hair algae covered rocks. I also have been doing way more pruning.
Yes, I am trying a little bit of everything so will never really know if it's just the Tech M or not; however I am seeing results. I would just leave the bryopsis covered rocks if it was a smaller tank, but at 120g it's starting to be an ongoing nightmare.
TWallace
New member
I've been using Mag Flake in my QT to boost the magnesium. I haven't tested in a few days, but the last test was around 1600. I haven't noticed the bryopsis dying that tank. I had success with Kent Tech M in my main system, though. Maybe I'll order more of that and try it again in the QT.
TWallace
New member
I just ordered more Kent Tech M, hopefully it will arrive this Friday. I'll test it out on my QT. Bryopsis is slowly making a comeback in my main tank. I just tested the magnesium in that tank and it's at 1410. I'll update this thread with my results after I get more Tech M.
Peter Eichler
New member
Nash, mine was done with an accidental overdose of epsom salts. So I don't think the type of MG has anything to do with it, unless Tech M is just Epsom salts in a bottle with some RO water, which is entirely possible
Kolognekoral
New member
Below are the contents listed for Tech M by Kent Marine. There are lots of components and it is probably this combination that makes the magic! I have found a mailorder firm where I can get this stuff, so I will give it a try. In general, their products are an interesting range.
Contents:
deionized water containing the following elements (as ions): magnesium, chlorine, sulfur, calcium, potassium, bromine, strontium, boron, fluorine, lithium, rubidium, iodine, iron, molybdenum, zinc, nickel, copper, manganese, vanadium, cesium, cobalt, tungsten, selenium, and chromium.
Contents:
deionized water containing the following elements (as ions): magnesium, chlorine, sulfur, calcium, potassium, bromine, strontium, boron, fluorine, lithium, rubidium, iodine, iron, molybdenum, zinc, nickel, copper, manganese, vanadium, cesium, cobalt, tungsten, selenium, and chromium.
