Reeferz412
Coral Hoarder
I think I have another rock with a patch of the stuff growing, I will perform the same method and take some before after pics.
what eats bryopsis
- Thread starter Allmost
- Start date
Tech-m WILL kill that stuff, just be careful. I mistakenly thought i still had a little bit of bryopsis remaining when it was really a little GHA and got my MG over 2000 and my corala really suffered some damage. If you go from 1200 to 1800 or even less than that it will die off. Maybe slowly, but it will definitely die. I had it everywhere before dosing tech-m
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coralsnaked
New member
By "corala" I must assume that is a typo because I have never herd of that type coral. Must have meant the S and not the A.
Look I have used Tech M in mixed reef tanks, LPS tanks and Softy tanks and I have seen none of these corals affected no more than a little color loss. In fact LPS will color up some. But when I "shock" the system which IMO works best on Bryopsis, the corals do fade temporarily but color back up quickly. But again IMO I do not feel normal levels of Mg 1200 - 1350 will kill Bryopsis. It may indeed stave it off but I can't confirm that. I just know that in my experience low levels of Mg seems to invite pest algae problems of all sorts.
Maybe it was something else damaging your corals while you elevated the Mg. I'd say PO4 and Nitrates would be a good candidate for that if your talking SPS corals.
Merry Skerry
I had a bit in my new tank which was carried over from frags in my old tank where the bryopsis had taken hold. Tech M up to 1700, raising by 100 ppm each day until I got there; then I started running GFO (I also have UV running). After a couple weeks, all the algae in the tank had lost color. I then added a yellow tang and once the tang was eating frozen, I held off on offering nori until he scoured the rocks. Now I have no bryopsis visible. If you have a lot of bryopsis, I suggest turning off the pumps and manually removing as much as possible while you treat to assist the process.
Tech M not a panacea for my bryopsis eradication
Tech M not a panacea for my bryopsis eradication
Six months after setting up a new tank, I started to see bryopsis. It probably came in on some live rock I purchased. Rather than get on it quickly, I tried several fish, urchins and crabs. Eventually, the bryopsis coated most of the rocks and had a tight grip. I found this thread and I used Tech M as directed, raising the Mg level 50-100 ppm / day checked on an Elos Mg test. Tank parameters vary slightly from 1-2 ppm nitrates (the palest pink when viewed through the side wall of the plastic cup on a Salifert kit), 0.05-0.07 phosphates (Hanna test kit). I keep nitrates and phosphates low by using a "Natureef" system that doses carbon called Nitragone and something called Phosphagone into a separate plexiglass tank / chamber that undergoes anoxic reduction to convert the nitrates to nitrogen gas and then the nitrate and phosphate free water gets pumped back into the tank three times daily. I have a good skimmer and use filter socks that get swapped out every third day. Old socks go to the washing machine for a bleach wash.
It took 2 1/2 gallons of Tech M over a couple of weeks to get to 2000 ppm in my 180 (plus refugium), when I stabilized it. It still required smaller maintenance dosages to keep the level at 2000, so the Mg must be breaking down or being metabolized. It did make the bryopsis sick, lose it's grip on the rocks and I was able to pull most of it off the live rocks. However, not all of it was accessible. I kept the level at 2000 ppm for 8 weeks hoping to kill it all, and still not 100% kill. Skimate changed from dark green (pre Tech M) to dark green and bubbly (once the bryopsis started to decline). The bubbles ooze out the top of the skimmer lid and I have to empty the skimmer every other day. I was siphoning bryopsis off the rocks and pulling it out of my refugium. Perhaps not all strains of bryopsis are created equal.
After dosing the Tech M, the calcium started to rise to 500 ppm, at which point I turned off my calcium reactor. My clam loved the increased calcium and grew quickly. The problems were my turbo and Astrea snails went dormant and they stopped eating. No meals for 8 weeks did in all the snails in the tank, not only the turbos and Astreas. Several weeks after the bryopsis started to die, a layer of red slime algae coated nearly everything (I think it was living off the dying bryopsis). Red algae crept over my SPS and did that in ($$$$). The red algae is finally 98% gone. Overall, I would not repeat this Tech M experiment.
The person who suggested dipping the live rocks in pure Tech M may have the best idea. I have two plans. Plan A: I may break the tank down and dip the rock in pure Tech M or boil the rocks, then let the "dead rock" cure out. It seems like the smallest piece of bryopsis hidden under a rock is enough to reseed the whole tank. Plan B: Go to a FOLR tank, let the bryopsis grow back and live with it. Fwiw, I have a Magnificent Foxface that eats some bryopsis. He'd rather munch on nori but every so often he surprises me. Emerald crabs eat a small amount until they get a taste of the good life (PE Mystis) and then never go back. Any suggestions on Plan A, Plan B or another plan? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks.
Tech M not a panacea for my bryopsis eradication
Six months after setting up a new tank, I started to see bryopsis. It probably came in on some live rock I purchased. Rather than get on it quickly, I tried several fish, urchins and crabs. Eventually, the bryopsis coated most of the rocks and had a tight grip. I found this thread and I used Tech M as directed, raising the Mg level 50-100 ppm / day checked on an Elos Mg test. Tank parameters vary slightly from 1-2 ppm nitrates (the palest pink when viewed through the side wall of the plastic cup on a Salifert kit), 0.05-0.07 phosphates (Hanna test kit). I keep nitrates and phosphates low by using a "Natureef" system that doses carbon called Nitragone and something called Phosphagone into a separate plexiglass tank / chamber that undergoes anoxic reduction to convert the nitrates to nitrogen gas and then the nitrate and phosphate free water gets pumped back into the tank three times daily. I have a good skimmer and use filter socks that get swapped out every third day. Old socks go to the washing machine for a bleach wash.
It took 2 1/2 gallons of Tech M over a couple of weeks to get to 2000 ppm in my 180 (plus refugium), when I stabilized it. It still required smaller maintenance dosages to keep the level at 2000, so the Mg must be breaking down or being metabolized. It did make the bryopsis sick, lose it's grip on the rocks and I was able to pull most of it off the live rocks. However, not all of it was accessible. I kept the level at 2000 ppm for 8 weeks hoping to kill it all, and still not 100% kill. Skimate changed from dark green (pre Tech M) to dark green and bubbly (once the bryopsis started to decline). The bubbles ooze out the top of the skimmer lid and I have to empty the skimmer every other day. I was siphoning bryopsis off the rocks and pulling it out of my refugium. Perhaps not all strains of bryopsis are created equal.
After dosing the Tech M, the calcium started to rise to 500 ppm, at which point I turned off my calcium reactor. My clam loved the increased calcium and grew quickly. The problems were my turbo and Astrea snails went dormant and they stopped eating. No meals for 8 weeks did in all the snails in the tank, not only the turbos and Astreas. Several weeks after the bryopsis started to die, a layer of red slime algae coated nearly everything (I think it was living off the dying bryopsis). Red algae crept over my SPS and did that in ($$$$). The red algae is finally 98% gone. Overall, I would not repeat this Tech M experiment.
The person who suggested dipping the live rocks in pure Tech M may have the best idea. I have two plans. Plan A: I may break the tank down and dip the rock in pure Tech M or boil the rocks, then let the "dead rock" cure out. It seems like the smallest piece of bryopsis hidden under a rock is enough to reseed the whole tank. Plan B: Go to a FOLR tank, let the bryopsis grow back and live with it. Fwiw, I have a Magnificent Foxface that eats some bryopsis. He'd rather munch on nori but every so often he surprises me. Emerald crabs eat a small amount until they get a taste of the good life (PE Mystis) and then never go back. Any suggestions on Plan A, Plan B or another plan? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks.
ArrecifeJunkie
New member
I dosed the tank daily with hydrogen peroxide injected into the bryopsis jungle. It would turn it white and start to kill it. Then I would pull all I could the next day and repeat.
kelrn98
Member
I have never had bryopsis. However I have a large CUC including Mexican turbo snails & emerald crabs. I also keep Mg around 1480-1500 (using BRS 2 part Mg mix).
I have had hair algae and seen emerald crabs mow through it.
Just curious, mostly so I don't violate the RC rules in the future, what is it that isn't allowed?
I have had hair algae and seen emerald crabs mow through it.
Just curious, mostly so I don't violate the RC rules in the future, what is it that isn't allowed?
firewill65
New member
I'm having good luck with a cheap 6$ pincushion urchin. It's doing a good job of cleaning my rock....I will probably go and buy a second one!
firewill65
New member
Here is a question...after you raise the mag. and it kills the bryopsis, how do you get the dead residue off? I've had dead bryopsis on my rocks for a while.
