Bryopsis only thread

[mojoreef]

yes when any algae dies it releases all of its contents back into the water. What you will notice is a color change in the plant. It will go from green to a little more yellow. You can simply siphon it out using a gravel vac when you see it happening. As per the balance of the algae else where...I am not sure if bryopsis is more suceptable then other algae families but it would be something to keep an eye on for sure.


Mike

 

[twilliard]

So when it does start to die off and releasing the nutrients back into the water a good number and higher volume water changes should help to remove it.. right?

 

[burning2nd]

24/7 water changes would do it.....

 

[TWallace]

Got my magnesium up to 1410 over 3 days (started at about 1110). I'm hoping to get it to around 1550and hold it there. I'll post pics if the bryopsis starts dying off.

 

[burning2nd]

please do.... Id like to know about that....

if thats the case.. ill just start dumping MAg in there.

 

[twilliard]

What is it doing to your Alk and Cal levels??

 

[TWallace]

What is it doing to your Alk and Cal levels??

Just tested all using Salifert:

Magnesium: 1485
Calcium: 500
Alk: 7.7dKH

Alk is a little low, but I'm not worried. I have used Kent Superbuffer dKH once in the last few days to boost it. Maybe I'll add it again tonight.

For calcium, I use kalkwasser for top off water and also have been adding some Kent liquid calcium over the last few days to boost it. I know 500 is more than I need, though. Maybe it's just rising in relation to magnesium, as I know mag typically measures 3 times the calcium level.

It's taking a monumental amount of Tech M to boost the magnesium up. I started around 1100ppm and have used about 2/3 of a 64oz bottle of Tech M to boost it to 1485. I should have bought the 128oz bottle. This is in a 55g aquarium.

 

[TWallace]

Here's one of my many bryopsis forests. I think I'll keep taking pics of this section every couple days to monitor the bryopsis growth (or hopefully, lack of).

Underneath that bryopsis lies hundreds of radioactive dragoneye zoanthids.

 

[twilliard]

So are you adding more than the max daily amount?

I started on my 12G nano and adding 10Ml a day to it.
I could emagine what it would take to raise MG in 130G of water! My main tank

 

[TWallace]

Yeah, the bottle says only 1ml per gallon per day, which only raises it 18ppm per day. At that rate it'd take around a month to get it to the level I want it. That's too slow for my taste. So far I haven't noticed any adverse effects in the tank.

 

[TWallace]

I accidentally overshot my goal and raised the magnesium to 1660ppm. At least now I don't have to add anymore for quite some time.

Latest pic of bryopsis forest:

I'm not doing any manual removal of bryopsis for now. I want to see what the magnesium alone will do to it.

 

[twilliard]

Cool!! Keep us posted for results. I am still increasing my nano. We shall see.

 

[burning2nd]

thats pritty cool.... It would be great if that would do it....

Im gonna get a nunabranch thingy one of these days.....

 

[cr8signs]

I have not had this, but bubble algae spreads crazily too. Don't pop/touch them in the tank either.

 

[mojoreef]

So when it does start to die off and releasing the nutrients back into the water a good number and higher volume water changes should help to remove it.. right?

When you see the algae begin to change color (going to a yellowesh color) I would get a siphon and begin sucking out the algae, just stick the siphon right on the algae itself, the dieing strands should break right off and go up the siphon along with the spores that are being released. I dont think water changes would do you much help in regards to this task.

What is it doing to your Alk and Cal levels??

A simple explanation: Alk has an affection for calcium, Alk ions like to bind to calcium and percipatate out of solution, look at it like that horny teenager trying to date your daugther and get her to move out. Magnesium ions surround the alk ions and thus dont allow it to bind up the calcium. Concider it the big brother of calcium that surrounds the alk ions and is holding a big stick .

So when you raise your mag, your going to see your alk take a bit of a hit and your calcium should raise a bit as its no longer binding as much.


Mike

 

[twilliard]

Awesome Mike!

A "real world" explanation helps a ton!

 

[TWallace]

thats pritty cool.... It would be great if that would do it....

Im gonna get a nunabranch thingy one of these days.....

If you're talking about the lettuce sea slug (Elysia crispata) I think you're wasting your time. They won't have any effect on the bryopsis. Plus they're easily killed by the weakest of powerheads.

 

[TWallace]

Day 3 of magnesium over 1500:

I'm not sure how well it shows in the pic, but I can tell it's clearly dying. Many of the "branches" of it have turned yellow/brown and translucent. I think tomorrow I'll suck some out with a siphon as mojo recommended. I don't think it's ready to be slurped out just yet.

Nothing else in the tank seems to be affected by the magnesium overdose. I have chaeto in my fuge and it still appears dark green and healthy. The bryopsis in the fuge is yellowing out and falling apart. Not sure how the 4 lettuce sea slugs in the fuge will like that. Maybe I'll sell them locally.

 

[TWallace]

For comparison:

Sunday:

Monday

Tuesday:

 

[twilliard]

Oh my I think in a few weeks it may be gone!

I can see it is browning out