Bryopsis Treatment (1 Viewer)

[FireEater]

Did a search here and didn't see a thread on treating and eradicating Bryopsis. So I thought I would start a thread on my treatment plan. I have been battling it for some time by simply pulling it out, though it is tough and is stuck to the rocks real good. Now thanks to Donovan, I will try Kent Tech M Magnesium. I have a gallon jug that came in the other day. Bryopsis thrives on low nutrients, so cutting back on feeding does not affect it. If I pull it out, what is left, the tangs and Foxface will munch on to an extent. It is so tough though, that they lose interest real quick.

Here are the instructions I will go by as I trust the source and have seen these instructions across numerous boards.

TechM is a magnesium supplement that has an impurity in it that is deadly to bryopsis. Often it is assumed that the Mg is doing the killing but that is not the case. I have fought bryopsis for a long time in several tank and this is the only known "bottled cure". Here is the directions.

1. Buy 3 16oz bottles of Kent TechM (no other brand will do)
2. Do a 20% water change.
2a. If the bryopsis is high in the tank (on overflows of pumps) and is exposed while you are removing the water, pour some TechM on the bryopsis if possible and then add new water)
3. Use one entire bottle of TechM... all of it. Save the other bottles for two weeks. Within the next two weeks you will see bryopsis dissolve slowly.
4. After 2 weeks, do a 20g water change and add another bottle of TechM to the tank.
5. After another 2 weeks (4 weeks total) do a WC and then add the last bottle. You should be good after that. You need to keep nutrients down by not over feeding and doing quality water changes using NO3 and PO4 free RO/DI water. If you start to see any bryopsis spurt back up... (once fish stores have it, it is easily reintroduced back into the home aquarium) have TechM ready and dose a bottle immediately. This is completely reef safe as I have done this in my SPS systems more than I would have liked.

This system has been up and running since 2004 and is very mature. I have had my two yellow cucumber worms have two babies. My Percula Clowns lay eggs every 11 days like clockwork. I recently added another pair of Perculas to the other side of the tank as they were given to me and hopefully they will start laying eggs soon. They were laying for the person who gave them to me. I have corals that spawn all the time and grow everywhere.

I will document the results along with pics. I have patches of it throughout the main tank and pulled out as much as possible last week. So today I will dose 16 ounces.

8MAY12

 

[ReefMaster32787]

Good to know, thanks

 

[mario8402]

Good luck Mark. I hope you win. I fought this battle and I am having to restart my system. Any idea where you got it from? maybe a new frag?

 

[FireEater]

I've actually had it for a few years, but it has always stayed in one spot. Then slowly it has spread throughout the tank, so after Donovan told me about Kent Tech M, I did some research and decided to try and get rid of it.

It actually grows pretty slow and is not bad to deal with, except when it is time to pull out patches of it. Then it is like someone super glued it down. lol!

 

[karlo]

Good luck Mark, I also had to deal with Bryopsis but after many months of trying every single thing that is recommended I gave up and decided to redo the entire thing.

Here is my thread of what I had to deal with:
http://www.marsh-reef.org/marine-reef-general-discussion/26677-my-tank-recovery-anniversary.html