Using magnesium to fight byropsis

[rhouse24]

I have byropsis pretty bad in my 110g. I don't have any tech-M but I do have a gallon of bulk reef supply magnesuim solution (3 parts mg sulfate and 5 parts mg chloride). Has any one used this to get rid of byropsis? If so how high did you keep the level? Thanks for your help.

[Sir Patrick]

I beleive the tech-m has a "special" ingrediant in it, that fights the bryopsis, and the mag itself isnt what kills the bryopsis.

I have also been told, but have yet to see it proven or tested out the theory that-

Tech-m raises salinity, unlike other Mag suppliments, and the rise in salinity is in fact what battles the bryopsis.

One of these days, I would like to test this theory, but not yet.

Maybe you are up for the task? The fish doctors ypsi caries the tech-m, if you are wanting to get some.

[rhouse24]

From what I'm reading it might be magnesium sulfate that's the secret ingredient. If it's safe to dose without MgCl2 I would be willing to do the experiment.

[binford4000]

I have been useing britewells mag supplement with outstand results of PITA algaes virtually disapeering and great coloring also.Present levels are being maintained at 1500. Very european if I don't mind saying. LOL The euorpeans have been showing great results with elevated mag levels for years and it also helps keep two part doase very consitant allowing for better calcification and buffering of PH

[slapshot]

Originally Posted by binford4000

I have been useing britewells mag supplement with outstand results of PITA algaes virtually disapeering and great coloring also.Present levels are being maintained at 1500. Very european if I don't mind saying. LOL The euorpeans have been showing great results with elevated mag levels for years and it also helps keep two part doase very consitant allowing for better calcification and buffering of PH

I use plain ole driveway melt and it has worked for me. I have also done it with epson salt. You have to bring it up slowly to 1500+. Clean off what you can of the byropsis and it won't come back. I just did it again and it worked fine in all areas but one stubborn area. Of coarse it is the middle of a nice table acro. I hate that stuff.

[rmalone]

Well epsom salts are mag sulfate. I have used them to bring up mag levels, both in aquariums and on plants and they sure wont hurt the tank. BRS uses a mix of mag sulfate and mag chloride in their mag mix. I haven't used it for algae control, but neither straight mag sulfate nor BRS mag will hurt anything. But I have generally heard that Kent Tech-M is the choice for bryopsis control. Again I haven't dug into it too much.

[BeakerBob]

Rob, I went through the same situation, but tried a biological solution first, then ended up using Kent's Tech-M.

My thread is HERE and you can read all about my story and how I ended up getting rid of the bryopsis.

[rhouse24]

Originally Posted by BeakerBob

Rob, I went through the same situation, but tried a biological solution first, then ended up using Kent's Tech-M.

My thread is HERE and you can read all about my story and how I ended up getting rid of the bryopsis.

Thanks Bob! I will take some before and afters and post them in your thread One question, I know you dosed 100ml per day but how many ppm per day did that equate to?

[binford4000]

Originally Posted by BeakerBob

Rob, I went through the same situation, but tried a biological solution first, then ended up using Kent's Tech-M.

My thread is HERE and you can read all about my story and how I ended up getting rid of the bryopsis.

Great thread Bob and pics too ! I am wondering with your background was your homemade mag in the same consatration levels as the kent M which is virtually the same as britewells?? I've heard of the home versions just never had the guts to try it.It's easier to blame kent or britewell for my failures in the water world I guess.

[BeakerBob]

I made up two differnt MgCl solutions in my attempt to get rid of the bryopsis...a pure MgCl solution and the 2-part recipe for Ca, Alk & Mg. Both solutions were equivalent in concentration to Randy Holmes-Farley's recipe in "An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System" at about 47,000 ppm of magnesium. Randy's recipe contained about 47,000 ppm magnesium, 70,000 ppm sulfate and 86,000 ppm chloride.

Just a note of interest....it appears that the bryopsis start showing signs of distress at Mg levels around 1,800 ppm. I found that I could add 2X-4X the dosing amounts of the Mag solution without any ill effects on my coral or other livestock. I got very impatient after a week of continued dosing that I was adding 8 to 16 ounces of the solution at the end just to bring up my Mg tank concentration to the level at which the bryopsis would die. It is very important that the Mg solution is diluted in the sump before it hits the main tank so that no corals are getting hit with high concentration undiluted solution.

Originally Posted by rhouse24

Thanks Bob! I will take some before and afters and post them in your thread One question, I know you dosed 100ml per day but how many ppm per day did that equate to?

Dosing 100 ml of the mag solution described above would give you roughly 1,240 ppm of Mag solution per dose into my 100 gallon system.

Originally Posted by binford4000

Great thread Bob and pics too ! I am wondering with your background was your homemade mag in the same consatration levels as the kent M which is virtually the same as britewells?? I've heard of the home versions just never had the guts to try it.It's easier to blame kent or britewell for my failures in the water world I guess.

I'm not sure what the concentration of Mg is in Kent's or Brightwell's solutions, so I can't compare their their levels to the home made solution. The homemade versions are very easy to make and I have been making the CaCl2, Alk & Mg solutions for many years with continued use and very few problems. The biggest problem you will encounter is when the Calcium and the Alk go out of balance....but you will get that in dosing commercial and homemade solutions.