Bryopsis

chuckle_berry · Aug 28, 2009

Just to chime in. I think that Tech M is def. the way to go if your fighting bryopsis, FOR NOW. With that being said i am still curious of what compound is doing the work. It would be great if we could pinpoint what is actually killing it. Then we may be able to fight it without sky rocketing our mag. Just a thought. Wink Wink. All you scientist or those with access to a lab. This would make for a great little experiment.

myzislow · Aug 30, 2009

I got me some tech M and hoping it takes care of mine. Stuff thrives in the lowest of nutrients.

Paul_N · Aug 30, 2009

I used Sechem Mag first and nothing happened. I switched to Kent Tech-M and it just started dying off. I raised my levels to 2000 for about 6 weeks.

kelleyga36 · Aug 31, 2009

Paul at that level did you have any other losses, or ill affects?

subielover · Sep 10, 2009

Any other updates from anyone?

J. Montgomery · Sep 10, 2009

During my last outbreak of bryopsis about two years ago, I raised my magnesium >1500ppm with a combination of MAGflake and Epsom salt. I was using Instant Ocean at the time. The bryopsis went away and hasn't been back. I try to keep my magnesium >1400ppm at all times ever since.

Paul_N · Sep 10, 2009

The only thing that happen was that snails became lethargic and if I added a new snail it died. But the snails and hermits in the system were fine. I assume the ones in my tank were able to acclimate to the higher level since I did it slowly but the the ones I brought from the store into my tank died even if I drip acclimated them for an hour. No ill effects on coral or fish. Instead of just pouring it in the tank I sped up the process a little by using an old Aptasia-X syringe and squirting it directly on the bigger patches. The spots I hit with the Tech-M almost instantly started to get pale and die.

sorry for the late reply, I missed your post.

Paul_N · Sep 10, 2009

chuckle_berry said:
Just to chime in. I think that Tech M is def. the way to go if your fighting bryopsis, FOR NOW. With that being said i am still curious of what compound is doing the work. It would be great if we could pinpoint what is actually killing it. Then we may be able to fight it without sky rocketing our mag. Just a thought. Wink Wink. All you scientist or those with access to a lab. This would make for a great little experiment.

I put the same question to Randy at RC and he could not figure it out.

subielover · Sep 10, 2009

I have also been reading that lettuce nudis main diet is bryopsis. It would be much easier, IMO, to add one or two to the tank rather than dealing with having to raise the Mg. so high as well as the money involved with doing so.

Does anyone here have experience with lettuce nudis eating their bryopsis? I do understand that once the algae is gone they will starve to death, so they would need to be removed from the system or given another food supply.

amay121 · Sep 10, 2009

I had bryopsis once when I bought some LR from a retiring reefer. I just pruned and maintained my normal schedule of water changes, etc. It took me a while, but after 5 months or so, it just went away.

I used IO salt, but didn't supplement and didn't boost my MG to higher levels. My issues were just probably from the LR that I bought, and also, I borrowed a RO/DI unit from a local reefer who probably hadn't touched any of the filters/membrane in a few years (I bought a RO/DI myself shortly afterwards).

So give it some time and be patient. Try raising your mag, but prune and make sure that you're on top of your maintenance.

Paul_N · Sep 10, 2009

I also did a TON of manual removal because I did not want all the die-off in my tank. I was pulling most of it off the rocks before it just fell off. Even so, I had a huge hair algae outbreak after the bryopsis die-off.

SaraB · Sep 10, 2009

I ordered up 2 gallons of Tech M and started dosing 2 cups a day on Tuesday. My Mag is only at 1320 so far, so I'll keep dosing slowly to bring the level up ... might need a couple more gallons

laskopyre · Sep 10, 2009

Couldn't you use the BRS to get it to 1500+, then use the Kent M?

SaraB · Sep 10, 2009

laskopyre said:
Couldn't you use the BRS to get it to 1500+, then use the Kent M?

I'm not sure, but that would be helpful since I already have 2 gallons of the BRS Mag as well. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Paul_N · Sep 10, 2009

The only other mag I have ever tried for Bryopsis removal is Seachem and it didn't do anything.

laskopyre · Sep 10, 2009

J. Montgomery said:
During my last outbreak of bryopsis about two years ago, I raised my magnesium >1500ppm with a combination of MAGflake and Epsom salt. I was using Instant Ocean at the time. The bryopsis went away and hasn't been back. I try to keep my magnesium >1400ppm at all times ever since.

SaraB,
since something other then Kent was used for the above, I think that BRS Mag should work as well. It is pharmaceutical grade Mag I believe. Raising to 1500 with that should do the trick. If you want to use the Kent after hitting that number, I don't think it would be an issue.

kelleyga36 · Sep 10, 2009

I raised my mag level to around 1700 with the BRS stuff did not affect the bryopsis at all.Lowered it back down to around 1500. Started raising it back up with Kent- Tech M. At around 1600 the bryopsis started receding.Been maintaining it around 1650 for around a week now.No more Bryopsis, but I am getting some hair algae. Going to keep it up for another week. Then lower it back down.
Kevin

Paul_N · Sep 10, 2009

kelleyga36 said:
I raised my mag level to around 1700 with the BRS stuff did not affect the bryopsis at all.Lowered it back down to around 1500. Started raising it back up with Kent- Tech M. At around 1600 the bryopsis started receding.Been maintaining it around 1650 for around a week now.No more Bryopsis, but I am getting some hair algae. Going to keep it up for another week. Then lower it back down.
Kevin

That is what happened to me with the hair algae. Try remove as much bryopsis manually. I think the die-off fuels the hair algae.

SaraB · Sep 10, 2009

So I have hair algae going mad in my nano now that is hooked to the main system, but Gary had helped me manually remove all of the Bryopsis. The Bryopsis is slowly growing back but I didn't have a die-off at all to fuel this HA out-break now ... strange.

J. Montgomery · Sep 10, 2009

Not to really side track the thread or sound condescending, but if you have two different types of nuisance algae growing in your system then you have a nutrient problem. Too many nutrients.

Try cleaning everything, stirring up the silt in your refugium, sump, tank . . . clean the skimmer, cut back on feeding, run some carbon and phosphate removing media, etc . . .

I've been through nuisance algae more times than I'd like to remember, just trying to keep others from doing the same.