Bryopsis control question

[Darkim]

I've read a lot about using an overdose of Magnesium to combat Bryopsis. Everthing I've read they mention Kent Tech M specifically. Will any of the Mag supplements work for this. I have a bottle of "Brightwell Magnesion", order Kent Tech M and they sent me this instead. I don't want to use this if it's not going to work. I've a problem with bryopsis for a long time and was excited to see the post talking about the Mag OD killing off the algea. My water parameters aren't bad

Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.2
Alkalinity: 10
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 400
Magnesium: 1060
Iodine: .01

I'm using API test for everything but the Mag and Iodine, they are Salifert. Of course if I truly had no Phosphates I wouldn't have the bryopsis. I haven't dosed Iodine but will now be starting with Kent Tech I since that is way low as well. I was hoping to take my Mag level up to about 1600-1700, while watching the Alkalinity and Calcium to make sure they stay high enough. Will the Brightwell product work or should I go get a bottle of the Kent product since every post I have seen talks about the Kent product. Thanks for any advice.

 

[PCFishman]

The best thing for bryopsis is to get a scribbled rabbitfish they will mow it down.

 

[mfinn]

I've read a lot about using an overdose of Magnesium to combat Bryopsis. Everthing I've read they mention Kent Tech M specifically. Will any of the Mag supplements work for this. I have a bottle of "Brightwell Magnesion", order Kent Tech M and they sent me this instead. I don't want to use this if it's not going to work. I've a problem with bryopsis for a long time and was excited to see the post talking about the Mag OD killing off the algea. My water parameters aren't bad

Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.2
Alkalinity: 10
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 400
Magnesium: 1060
Iodine: .01

I'm using API test for everything but the Mag and Iodine, they are Salifert. Of course if I truly had no Phosphates I wouldn't have the bryopsis. I haven't dosed Iodine but will now be starting with Kent Tech I since that is way low as well. I was hoping to take my Mag level up to about 1600-1700, while watching the Alkalinity and Calcium to make sure they stay high enough. Will the Brightwell product work or should I go get a bottle of the Kent product since every post I have seen talks about the Kent product. Thanks for any advice.

You have to use Tech M for this remedy, and alot of it. There is some sort of a impurity in Tech M that kills the bryopsis.

 

[mal1099]

yeah i use tech m when i had this issue make sure you dose that slowly tho i wouldnt raise it more then 50 points a day myself to no shock stuff. it took about a month for my Bryopis to go away. Also wouldnt raising mag keep cal and alk higher?

 

[Darkim]

That's what I thought, only the Kent product will work (that's why I ordered it) too bad they sent me the wrong stuff. I was kinda hoping since Brightwell is sort of a spin off of Kent (so I'vd heard) it might work as well. I think I have too much for one fish to handle. Oh well, I guess I just wait until I can get the right stuff delivered. Thanks for the info.

 

[NC2WA]

Darkim,

From someone that fought bryopsis for almost 6-8 months, Kent Tech M is the ONLY supplement that will work Period. Anything else will be a waste of money.

I kept my Mg level for at least two weeks before I did water changes (you need to give it time for the high Mg level to take effect)..I had no loss of inverts or clams with this high of a level. I have heard SPS could be affected, but I dont keep SPS only LPS and I saw no adverse effects. It was hard as $%$$# to get rid of, but eventually I was able to rid it, but I was very close to tearing down the entire tank and starting over...thankfully I was able to control it before it got to that point.

if you want more info, send a PM

Kirk

 

[Knowledgeseeker]

I also struggled with briopsis for over 1.5 years trying everything under the sun that everyone under the sun suggested. It ended up growing up into all my sps and lps which were rather large colonies and I lost everything but a couple of frags. Once I was finally able to get rid of it I pretty much had to start over. This was a blessing in disguise because now I have some very special sps pieces that I would not have acquired other wise (thanks Kev)

I tried removing rock with severe growth and putting it in dark contanier for a couple of months. seemed to do the trick until it came back. Tried every type of fish a person recomended and non worked. Nudi's worked for small amounts, but were killed by over flow and pumps.

Tried upping mg for long time periods only to be frustrated to have it return after bringing mg levels back to normal.

I feed my fish next to nothing for months to try and limit food source for the weed from hell. This only was successfull in tortering my poor fish, and surviving coral.

I changed all my light bulbs to no avial.

The issue for me ended up being my ballasts. They were not firing on all the way which had bulbs working in a spectrum that was very beneficial for briopsis. Once Kevin Pockell had me try a new ballast and I could see the difference between the two types I changed them out and the briopsis died out in about 2-3 weeks and has not returned.

All alge is a result of either insuficient flow, nutrient issues from food source or lighting, or all of the above. Until you figure out what exactly the problem is you will always sturggle with the symptom which is the alge.

In my opinion the mg will work for the short term, but what happens when you lower it back down? Again you have to figure out the probelm and not just tx the symptoms.

Good luck, it truly is the most frustrating thing to deal with.

 

[Matt@CFI]

I had good luck with using tech-M rasing the mag to 1800 and lots of water changes with decreased feeding.

Matt

 

[Darkim]

Thanks for all the info, I've had this problem for a good year and half. Everything was ok then I got a piece of live rock with a lot of feather dusters on it from a friends sump. Since it was in the sump and not getting much light the rock was clean visually. It didn't take long for the bryopsis to start showing it's ugly head. I didn't know what it was a the time and tried changing light bulbs, added a lot of flow and other things. Next thing you know it has spread all over and is now a complete pain in the @%&*@. If I had only known then what I know now, I would thrown away that rock the minute I saw and probably never had an outbreak in the first place. My friend had some in his main tank, but I was (still am) new to this and thought the rocks in the sump look clean they must be Ok, what a mistake.

Thanks though, I'll give the Tech M a try, if I can get it back where it was maybe I can keep it clean. I can't think of what root cause I have going, but maybe I'll have to start over. Thanks for the info, I'll fight on.

 

[mfinn]

Here is some reading material.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1113109


Also, there is a product called ALGAEFIX Marine made by API.
Some say it helps with bryopsis. I know it really makes a difference with hair algae.

 

[NC2WA]

Darkim,

One other piece of info that is important. Do NOT clean the rock in the display tank !!!

This will promote more growth as the spores will spread rapidly.

 

[Workaholic]

Has anyone else had good luck with a scribbled rabbit like pcfishman?

Tom

 

[NC2WA]

Negative..Did not even touch it. I think it depends on the fish, but for me the best treatment was Kent Tech M at a level of 1700ppm for 2 wks..need to give the high ppm time to do its thing.

Kirk

 

[NC2WA]

BTW, the only method that worked for me was Kent Tech M. IME, any other combination of Mg supplements will not work and you are throwing money away.