hair algea/bryopsis

[Acroholic]

I have used Tech M successfully to get rid of bryopsis in my 300 gallon net system. I raised my Mag level to 2000 (tested with Salifert test kit) and left it there for two weeks with a weekly 25 gallon water change.

This is all anecdotal, but I believe the main issue to the success of Tech M in eliminating vs suppressing the bryopsis is exposure time.

If you read a lot of the threads on the different national websites, many people reporting initial success with Tech M had it come back after a period of time (few weeks), which tells me they only suppressed it, like pulling english ivy out but not getting the roots, so it grows back.

Many people that did not have success with Tech M also reported doing water changes to try to bring the mag level back down after reaching their target level.

My magnesium levels stayed at 1900+ for over three weeks straight. I did not do larger than normal water changes, and just let the mag levels fall naturally over time thru the normal chemistry of the reef tank. My bryopsis has died and has stayed gone for months now.

I believe the tank needs at least two weeks exposure at an
1800-2000 magnesium level to get the roots or holdfasts (or whatever part keeps it on the rocks) of the bryopsis.
Dave

 

[DLO]

. My phosphates read zero, same with nitrates. I use RO/DI, I have a GFO and carbon filter, .

The phos / nitrate tests will read zero or very low because the algea is consuming it and bumping the mag up will only burn off the bad algea if its food source has been dealt with.

 

[Froggerspawn]

Adding Phos. Remover may help eliminate one of the algaes food source but unfortunately beating hair algae isnt always as simple as that. Drastically reducing the available nutrients. Phos/Silicate/Nitrate removing resins etc. are all a good measure to take but often mean nothing if you aren't presenting a complete food web (nothings eating it) then it seems to me (after many years of troubleshooting individuals aquariums in my store) that photosynthesis alone may be all it needs to persist even when starved for nutrient. LARGE (active/healthy) Turbo Snails and some Urchins seem to be the best candidates IMO. One of the biggest reasons I feel that turbo snails often produce mixed results with hair algae is that they are either too small or they have been starving to death in a fish store before they are purchased. I am talking Obscenely large Turbos (zebras are my preference) they have a tough enough mouth to deal with things their smaller counterparts cant.

 

[SaraB]

So I battled bryopsis in my fuge and frag tank from a frag plug from someone elses tank. I've got a little over 400 gallons so this was fun! I went though 6 gallons of Tech M and got zero results. During this time I cut back on feedings and ran carbon and GFO which was replaced every 2 weeks with zero results. It was also manually removed by scraping all plugs, changing out the eggcrate and scraping the glass tank of it. This went on for 2 months and during this time I kept up my water changes. My nano also exploded with hair algae during all of this as well. I was at my wits end as I could not stop this stuff from thriving. My last attempt at cleaning the area again of the bryopsis was done 10/25. I'm not going to jinx myself, but so far so good after that final clean-out and just one other thing. I have an inline TDS meter which was reading 0 to 1 TDS. Since I was fresh out of options and my corals were mad with the high Mag, I changed all 4 filters and the membrane ... and so far the bryopsis is not growing back. I was so mad at the nano and the hair algae that I tore it down, bleached the rock and the tank is up for sale. It's being replaced with a 2x2x2 Marineland cube in the near future.

I think we need to look at all options, especially if we try Tech M and it does not work ... something is feeding it and you need to find what that nutrient source is. Just my 2 cents!

 

[FaviaFreak]

Bryopsis Pennatta: Propagates through spores, gametes, and possibly by fragmentation.

Factors likely to influence Spread and Distribution: Relatively calm waters, low salinity, high nutrients availability

 

[Ike]

I have first hand experience with raising the mag to 1500 for two weeks with BRS and no results. One week of Kent TechM at 1350 and I am seeing a dramatic difference. TechM all the way
Just a quick background as it may help you, I have a 70 gallon system I dose 60mL 3 times a day for over a week now. I am on my third bottle when its gone I should be good. Half bottle to go and not a single sign of the devil grass!

1350 is basically natural megnesium levels... I suggest people target around 1800 if for no other reason than how easy it is for magnesium test kits to be off by 100+ppm.

 

[Ike]

Bryopsis Pennatta: Propagates through spores, gametes, and possibly by fragmentation.

Factors likely to influence Spread and Distribution: Relatively calm waters, low salinity, high nutrients availability

Various species of Bryopsis will do quite well in tanks with very low nutrient levels. Small pockets of detritus buildup can help spur on their growth as well. Also, I've seen bryopsis growing on enough 2000gph powerheads to realize that flow isn't going to play much of a factor.

 

[110reef]

Various species of Bryopsis will do quite well in tanks with very low nutrient levels. Small pockets of detritus buildup can help spur on their growth as well. Also, I've seen bryopsis growing on enough 2000gph powerheads to realize that flow isn't going to play much of a factor.

That would be my experience as well. And my salinity is 1.026.

 

[Acroholic]

Various species of Bryopsis will do quite well in tanks with very low nutrient levels. Small pockets of detritus buildup can help spur on their growth as well. Also, I've seen bryopsis growing on enough 2000gph powerheads to realize that flow isn't going to play much of a factor.

I've also seen it confined to a single area in a reef, like only on the overflow or on one spot on the live rock or a PH as you said. I didn't have a plague of it when I got rid of it, but had seen enough infested tanks to see what could happen.
Dave

 

[uchin]

Sea hare and boost flow.

 

[Ike]

Sea hare and boost flow.

If this is in regards to Bryopsis it won't work unless you get a freak Seahare... The same goes for flow, it doesn't seem to play a large role on Bryopsis thriving or not.

 

[aquafrags]

tech M does work, it will take some time,(1800-2000ppm) but there is some additive in the Tech M that the bryopsis algae doe's not like:nerd:

 

[110reef]

Maybe Tech M works sometimes. But not in my case. Also, my mag has been raised for months before I started to bring it back down some. Haven't checked it lately, but I would bet it is still way high. All the conventional "wisdom" has not worked on my Byropsis. I am not disputing that these cures have worked for people in the past, just saying none of them have worked in my case. I believe there are probably different species of byropsis out there, and some are susceptible to mag while others are not.