Tech M for hair Algae ( it works )

[Glenn E King]

I have a 180 gal mixed reef. For over 6 months I have been battling hair Algae. Reduced feeding, reduced lighting, water changes, manual removal, sea hare, turbo snails, - all the usual actions. I decided to try the Tech M Kent technique. To raise my magnesium to 1600 needed about $60.00 worth of Tech M. The legend is that the treatment only works with Tech M and not other magnesium supplements. It took about a month of elevated magnesium level but the hair algae has mostly died off. It doesn't appear to have had an adverse effect on any of the inhabitants although I've been told that invertebrates and snails suffer from elevated magnesium. I'm now installing a GFO reactor to try to avoid a recurrence.
My final analysis is that the Tech M treatment works but it takes some time and is expensive.

 

[Irvine Man]

Yeah I have had it return in a new recycling of my tank and I have read about that Kent M and am currently trying to raise my Mag with other products, Sea Chem and another that I'm not sure what the brand is since I'm in the office. haha.

I also dosed API AlgeaFix once every three days as recommended for three treatments and that put a quick end to the growth, now the higher MAG level is probably stopping the return. So I am going to do some manual removal of the thinning and dying out GHA and then hope it doesn't return!!

Goodluck to you in your battle.

Oh and I used to get it from using tap water to top off with, never making that mistake again!!

 

[mike_cmu04]

Are you sure it is hair algae and not bryposis. I have heard tech m working on bryposis but not hair algae.

 

[CJO]

It worked on the bryopsis for me but had no affect on the hair algae. However, I only ran it for about 2 weeks.

Is there a chance that something else helped with the hair algae- less feeding, using GFO, adding macro algae, etc.?

CJ

 

[Irvine Man]

oh I don;t know the difference, I'll look at some pics later and compare. I didn't do anything but the higher MAG dosing and the Algea Fix product that I read about after searching the forums.