Brightwell Razor Marine — systemic cleaning polymer for marine aquariums

The Brightwell Razor Marine is a complex systemic polymer formulated to deep-clean the surfaces of live rock, decor, and aquarium walls in marine systems. Made in the United States by Brightwell Aquatics, it gently loosens unsightly accumulations, debris, and coatings, and flocculates suspended particles (leftover food, detritus, precipitates) so they end up captured by mechanical filtration and the skimmer — or vacuumed up on the next maintenance pass.

The polymer also prevents new particles from resettling on rock and decor, cutting down manual maintenance between cleaning sessions. Useful on a mature reef leaving the "ugly stage" as well as on an older aquarium where surfaces have collected an organic film.

What Razor Marine is for and when to use it

Lifting build-up from live rock — brown deposits, biofilm, visible residues that resist manual scrubbing.
Improving water clarity — flocculating suspended particles the skimmer alone doesn't catch.
Preventing re-deposition — residual polymer that keeps particles from sticking to tank surfaces.
Post-cycling — cleanup after the "ugly stage" or after a biological incident.

Brightwell official ramp-up (per 50 US gal)

Day 1: 2.5 mL (½ capful)
Day 2: 5 mL (1 capful)
Day 3: 7.5 mL (1.5 capfuls)
Day 4: 10 mL (2 capfuls)
Day 5: 12.5 mL (2.5 capfuls)
Day 6: 15 mL (3 capfuls)

Post-ramp maintenance: 7.5 mL (1.5 capfuls) per 50 US gal every other day, or as needed.

Brightwell capfuls (know this for dosing)

125 mL, 250 mL, 500 mL bottles: cap = 5 mL
2 L and 4 L bottles: cap = 10 mL

Brightwell official constraints

Shake the bottle well before every use.
Dose in a high-flow area of the main display.
Suspend activated carbon during the cure — carbon absorbs the polymers and reduces effectiveness.
Slow-acting product: multiple applications may be needed to reach the target effect.

Specifications

Brand: Brightwell Aquatics (made in the USA)
Available sizes: 125 mL, 250 mL, 500 mL, 1 L, 2 L, 4 L, 20 L
Type: systemic surface-cleaning polymer
Compatibility: marine and reef aquariums
Action: lifting + flocculation + anti-redeposition

Why choose Brightwell at ReefSolution

Brightwell MicroBacter Clean — the detritus-targeted bioculture to combine with Razor Marine for biological backup.
Brightwell MicroBacter7 — the baseline bioculture to run in parallel to keep tank biology stable.
Brightwell Extrax Phos — the phosphate-remover media to reintroduce after the Razor cure to hold PO₄ in the target range.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Razor Marine cure last?

Brightwell publishes a 6-day ramp (2.5 mL → 15 mL per 50 US gal), followed by maintenance at 7.5 mL per 50 US gal every other day or as needed. The product is slow-acting: multiple cycles may be needed to reach full effect on a heavily coated tank.

Can I run activated carbon in the sump while dosing Razor Marine?

Brightwell explicitly recommends suspending activated carbon during the cure. Carbon absorbs Razor's polymers and reduces cleaning efficiency. Pull the carbon media before starting the ramp, put it back once the cure is done.

Do I need to turn the skimmer off before dosing Razor Marine?

No — the skimmer stays on. Brightwell just asks you to dose in a high-flow area of the main display so the polymer disperses fast. The skimmer will then capture flocculated particles.

Which cap should I use for 5 mL of Razor Marine?

Brightwell notes: on 125 mL, 250 mL, and 500 mL bottles, one cap = 5 mL. On the large 2 L and 4 L formats, one cap = 10 mL. Don't confuse them — the whole dose flips.