Bryopsis Battle

[Thrassian Atoll]

I have been magnesium dosing for about a week now to battle bryopsis and it is not going exactly how I thought it was. I figured raising it to 1550 for a couple of days would start to deteriate it, but no. My magnesium is now up to 1750 and I am finally starting to notice some change after a week. Everything in the tank seems fine otherwise, snails a little sluggish. I am using Kent M too.

[Jbs77]

I removed the rocks and tossed them in my sump. That stuff is pretty brutal.

[picoreef78]

Need to check today was at about 1640 yesterday. I have not seen Mg (Met-M) kill off the bryopsis but it really has made the difference in regrowth.

[Thrassian Atoll]

I really hope mine kills this crap...How high in magnesium do you guys think is the max you would want or be willing to go safely?

[imchee]

I really hope mine kills this crap...How high in magnesium do you guys think is the max you would want or be willing to go safely?

 

I went as high as 1800 for almost 2 weeks with no impact on the algae. Lost my patience and did a water change ... dipped the rock with the worst algae into HP...24hrs later the rock is completely rid of bryopsis.

 

Considering how cheap HP is and how incredibly fast it works...and the relative low impact on the tank...its the one solution I'd promote over the others.

[dutch27]

I did the Tech M approach. I kept it at around 1800, I also didn't do any water changes for a couple weeks to make sure whatever it is in the Tech M that kills it didn't get removed from the tank. I was pulling the stuff off in clumps, and it was turning translucent as it died back.

 

Then, I did a WC, stopped dosing, and within a week I'm overrun with it again. I'm probably just going to take out the rocks and replace them with new ones, dry these out, and be done with it. There's just no beating this stuff it seems. I'm looking into a new tank soon, and nothing from my current tank that may have had bryopsis near it will touch the new one.

 

The real way to beat it, isn't with dosing Mg. The real way would be to find a way to lower your nutrients and starve it out. A phosban reactor or carbon dosing could help, as well as reduction in feeding/waste.

[Thrassian Atoll]

I did the Tech M approach. I kept it at around 1800, I also didn't do any water changes for a couple weeks to make sure whatever it is in the Tech M that kills it didn't get removed from the tank. I was pulling the stuff off in clumps, and it was turning translucent as it died back.

 

Then, I did a WC, stopped dosing, and within a week I'm overrun with it again. I'm probably just going to take out the rocks and replace them with new ones, dry these out, and be done with it. There's just no beating this stuff it seems. I'm looking into a new tank soon, and nothing from my current tank that may have had bryopsis near it will touch the new one.

 

The real way to beat it, isn't with dosing Mg. The real way would be to find a way to lower your nutrients and starve it out. A phosban reactor or carbon dosing could help, as well as reduction in feeding/waste.

 

I only have one fish and I only feed it every other day or once every three days. I am not over feeding, I do not know where the extra nutrients would be coming from...maybe my live rock? My tank is three months old now. I do not know...I just want the stuff gone

[picoreef78]

Yeah the Kent Tech-M really did not kill it off like some the the claims on the threads. It did help with regrowth once i HP 3% the rocks and zoanthid that had the initial infestation and manual sand bed removal. My Mg in 1550 with no regrowth and I have not dared lower it. My sand bed looks good with a few ferns of Bryopsis but I am moving the tank and plant to toss the sand and re-HP3% the rocks before I start over.

 

My levels are all 0 on repeated measurements, I probably over feed a little and my stock RSM aquarium skimmer seems to work great as long as the water level is correct. So not sure about the initial bioload theory. Its probably a combination of factors, like light, nutrients(even a little), water chemestry etc.

[picoreef78]

Another week gone by, Mg is 1580 now, no regrowth on the rocks I gave HP 3% dip. Sand bed moslty clear, a couple little branches of bryopsis but nothing to take a picture of and post. Same I my last picture. Re-dipped the zoanthid in 3% X 1 minute this time, the bryopsis is now complete gone.

 

Ultimate goal is when I move,

1) Toss the sand bed and place a new one. Dry no live sand.

2) A H2O2 3% tank rinse to get any stragglers

3) As far as nutrients, I have chemi-pure elite in all my levels are measure as zero (PO4, NO2, NO3 and NH3) and other than the bryopsis, no real algal blooms. Slight dusting of the glass that snails/and scrapper take care of. So questions is what to do about nutrients (decreased feeding time/amount). Don't really want a reactor at this time. Vodka dosing? Again my levels are all zero so I really would not now how to gauge it unless I look at the algal growth, which now is not bad.

 

Lessons:

H2O2 works well

Mg is great for controlling growth, i did not go above 1700 mEq/l

Watch your frag introductions (dip bryopsis,algal parts in H2O2 to avoid introducing pest algal into the system)

[Neya]

Not sure about everyone else, but after beginning Kent tech m my zoas began to GLOW as if they were under LEDs- only better.

Like my seafoam Palys turned this amazing light blue, and the rest just look 1000x better contrast. Not bleached- just glowing is the only way I can explain it.

No affect on anything but zoas (not even the true paly's changed)

[brandon429]

hey thats a good feedback. Id be open to trying some and Im a notorious stickler about not using unneeded additives. the use of magnesium has been so well covered across reef forums its developed a little anecdotal following much like peroxide. I do believe I will try some, if it gave a little color spice that would not hurt at all plus its not a harmful or accumulative substance to add, can't wait to try some soon.

[picoreef78]

I didn't notice enhancement of the zoa colors. Speculating my orange-grey ones could be looking a little prettier than normal but too hard to tell.

[Neya]

I didn't notice enhancement of the zoa colors. Speculating my orange-grey ones could be looking a little prettier than normal but too hard to tell.

The color enhancement I had was definitely noticeable, no doubt about it. One of my zoas I thought were PB cups (brown, orange center) turned green with orange centers. It was so much of a change in all the zoas I got nervous I was over doing it and backed off (of course, bryopsis started to regrow)

[picoreef78]

What was your magnesium level. I may concur with you on that, brighter colors.

My Mg dropped to 1200 after my 10% water change today. Still some small bryopsis slivers no mayor regrowth though. Maybe will bring my Mg level past 1700, do not want to go too crazy.

[picoreef78]

New full tank shot here:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;#entry3442387

[picoreef78]

So I have been lazy about dosing my tank for he pest couple of weeks. I ran out of Kent Tec-M and didn't dose for a week. Mg was 1290. I bought bright well Magnesium (all they had and did a couple of doses over the past week, my Mg level was 1320) No were near the recommended >1500 to ????. But guess what, no regrowth of the bryopsis. All 3% dipped rocks of some red algae growing (not cyano) and coraline algae, sand bed with mechanical removal also with no regrowth. My magnesium has been at normal levels.

 

So pleased, I had planned to dose for levels 1600-1700 but just got lazy and busy.

 

Anyway past link show my current tank FTS and no bryopsis in sight still.

 

Good luck to all those battling it. I also have to say no coral/nor snail fatalities.

 

I also saw some bubble algae growing an some recent frags. So manual removal and 3% dip also lead to no regrowth.

[imchee]

So I have been lazy about dosing my tank for he pest couple of weeks. I ran out of Kent Tec-M and didn't dose for a week. Mg was 1290. I bought bright well Magnesium (all they had and did a couple of doses over the past week, my Mg level was 1320) No were near the recommended >1500 to ????. But guess what, no regrowth of the bryopsis. All 3% dipped rocks of some red algae growing (not cyano) and coraline algae, sand bed with mechanical removal also with no regrowth. My magnesium has been at normal levels.

 

So pleased, I had planned to dose for levels 1600-1700 but just got lazy and busy.

 

Anyway past link show my current tank FTS and no bryopsis in sight still.

 

Good luck to all those battling it. I also have to say no coral/nor snail fatalities.

 

I also saw some bubble algae growing an some recent frags. So manual removal and 3% dip also lead to no regrowth.

 

Good to hear!