Instructions on adding Kent Tech M Magnesium to kill bryopsis algae

tewebb · Apr 6, 2011

Can someone help me out on some instructions on using the Tech M treatment to kill this bryopsis algae. I have a 180 gal tank with fish and corals.
I got the 16 oz bottle hoping this was enough. I also got the Salifert Magnesium test kit but it only goes up to 1500 ppm. I understand I need to raise the magnesium level to 1800 ppm. I really need some help getting started on this. I don't want to kill my fish and corals doing this.

Thanks,
Tom

dnov99 · Apr 6, 2011

I just dealt with this, a few months ago. I just started dosing 1ML/gal each day and that cleared it up within 2 weeks. Start at this dosage and you should start to see results in a week. I did not do any water changes in order to keep the levels concentrated. HTH

sf_ramsden · Apr 6, 2011

My guess is you will need much more than 16 oz on a 180 gal tank... I don't have experience with that size tank, but that's my thought.

dougers31 · Apr 6, 2011

sf_ramsden said:
My guess is you will need much more than 16 oz on a 180 gal tank... I don't have experience with that size tank, but that's my thought.

Yep, prolly need a gallon or two at the minimum.

patent · Apr 6, 2011

Saliftert is just a titration. You start with 1.0 ml of the reagent in the titration syringe and titrate until it changes color. If you use the full 1.0 ml you are at 1500. Refill the titration syringe with another 1.0ml, continue to tritrate. If you titrate another .2ml you are at 1800 (1500 from first ml, 300 from .2ml) Just add the two results, or add 1500 to the second syringe result.

I think you need a bigger batch of Mg, but you'll know soon enough how much it takes to raise it.

Electrobes · Apr 6, 2011

Yeah definitely will need a bigger bottle of Tech M. Does anyone know what is in Tech M that kills of the bryopsis? I've tried this method (years ago) but it didn't really work that well for me. Truth be told I probably screwed up the directions.

tewebb · Apr 6, 2011

Electrobes said:
Yeah definitely will need a bigger bottle of Tech M. Does anyone know what is in Tech M that kills of the bryopsis? I've tried this method (years ago) but it didn't really work that well for me. Truth be told I probably screwed up the directions.

So how did you get rid of the algae?

mfinn · Apr 6, 2011

Electrobes said:
Does anyone know what is in Tech M that kills of the bryopsis?

That question has been asked many times on several forums.
Be nice to find out what.

btkrausen · Apr 6, 2011

I've heard it actually something "bad" in the Tech M that actually does this. I can't remember when I read this though, I'll try to look it up.

You want to slowly raise the Mag, but only by less than 100ppm per day. Use this calculater to determine how much you need to increase by 100ppm:

Reef Chemistry Calculator

mfinn · Apr 6, 2011

tewebb said:
Can someone help me out on some instructions on using the Tech M treatment to kill this bryopsis algae. I have a 180 gal tank with fish and corals.
I got the 16 oz bottle hoping this was enough. I also got the Salifert Magnesium test kit but it only goes up to 1500 ppm. I understand I need to raise the magnesium level to 1800 ppm. I really need some help getting started on this. I don't want to kill my fish and corals doing this.

Thanks,
Tom

Reef Chemistry Calculator

Use the calculator to tell you how much you will need.

You should only raise the mag level up 100 to 150ppm per day

btkrausen · Apr 6, 2011

mfinn said:
That question has been asked many times on several forums.
Be nice to find out what.

Yup, just found it. Its an impurity in the solution that actually kills the byopsis

I knew I read that somewhere. haha

According to Randy Holmes-Farley "It is likely some unknown impurity, not the magnesium, chloride, or sulfate."

Electrobes · Apr 6, 2011

tewebb said:
So how did you get rid of the algae?

The hard way unfortunately. I got everything out of the tank, and took a scrub brush to it all. Did this numerous times until I leeched out, and got rid of all the algae. It sucks but is effective.

mfinn · Apr 6, 2011

btkrausen said:
I've heard it actually something "bad" in the Tech M that actually does this. I can't remember when I read this though, I'll try to look it up.

You want to slowly raise the Mag, but only by less than 100ppm per day. Use this calculater to determine how much you need to increase by 100ppm:

Reef Chemistry Calculator

I guess I was typing my post at about the time you were. lol

JR's Reef · Apr 6, 2011

Tom youll need a few gallons It takes alot of Mag to raise just a lil in the tank. It works very well on some strains byopsis but there is some it does not work at all on. High mag dont really hurt anything that Ive found and Ive had mine over 2000 before

just test along the way and you will be fine.

btkrausen · Apr 6, 2011

mfinn said:
I guess I was typing my post at about the time you were. lol

Haha, yeah, I saw that. Once I posted, I thought it was my link until I saw yours. Oh well, great minds think alike

btkrausen · Apr 6, 2011

JR's Reef said:
Tom youll need a few gallons It takes alot of Mag to raise just a lil in the tank. It works very well on some strains byopsis but there is some it does not work at all on. High mag dont really hurt anything that Ive found and Ive had mine over 2000 before just test along the way and you will be fine.

In my system, which was around 100 gallons, I was putting in like 400ml at a time just to raise it up by 100ppm. I started off super small, like 5ml, 10ml, and it wasn't making a difference. I was actually surprised myself on the amount you needed to raise so little.

mfinn · Apr 6, 2011

I had to do this in my 240.
I bought 1 gallon and went through it and hardly budged the mag up at all. I bought 2 more gallons to finish the job.
I did have enough left over to treat a small 40 gallon tank that I had cross-contaminated.