AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae
- Thread starter HighlandReefer
- Start date
Westridge,
Ther are many things that can impact your algae issue. Water quality is number one in my book.
Please be mindful that there typically is no one chemical that is a " fix all". Please give us a little more details about your system.
Things that impact this are for example: light cycle, water quality(like if your using a ro/di) and what the TDS value is. Is this a new system or been running for some time. Feed cycle. Physical appliances in your life support system like a UV filter or media reacters.
Water quality values like amonia, nitrate, phosphate and nitrite levels. How often and volume of water changes. Physical cleaning of system.
The more info you can provide, the better everyone here can assist.
I stopped using Algae fix some time ago. It worked pretty good for me then but does kill off the good stuff also in my experience.
Ther are many things that can impact your algae issue. Water quality is number one in my book.
Please be mindful that there typically is no one chemical that is a " fix all". Please give us a little more details about your system.
Things that impact this are for example: light cycle, water quality(like if your using a ro/di) and what the TDS value is. Is this a new system or been running for some time. Feed cycle. Physical appliances in your life support system like a UV filter or media reacters.
Water quality values like amonia, nitrate, phosphate and nitrite levels. How often and volume of water changes. Physical cleaning of system.
The more info you can provide, the better everyone here can assist.
I stopped using Algae fix some time ago. It worked pretty good for me then but does kill off the good stuff also in my experience.
Reeferz412
Coral Hoarder
It caused a minor cyano outbreak due to the die off in mine. I used the freshwater algaefix with no problem btw. I dosed more than it said with no ill effects... But now im getting to the root of the problem here so I dont have to dose this stuff anymore.
ampemployee1
Member
2 phase attack peroxide then AF Marine
2 phase attack peroxide then AF Marine
Thanks for this thread. I've read it cover to cover over the last month, and finally decided to deploy AF Marine to combat some nuisance HA.
I have a 57 gallon rimless SPS and Zoa system. My params have been stable - salinity at 1.026, nitrates 0, phosphates, 0.4, Alk 9.0 Ca 430 Mag 1300, PH 8.3. I have a reasonably well stocked tank with 3 different types of Anthias (dispar, resplendent, lyretail). I've been struggling to eliminate some nuisance HA. I run TLF reactor with GFO and run my cone skimmer full time. I have a 48x3W cree LED fixture ramping up to 100% for about 4 hours and ramping down for a total photoperiod of 12 hours. I have an Eheim 1262 return pump and 2 MP10's, one running Nutrient transport mode and the other running reef crest mode. I have a DIY ATO with Kalk in the reservoir. I do 5% water changes weekly, but despite what I considered reasonable husbandry practice, I ended up with HA. I believe that some of the rocks that I had from my prior system started to leach phosphate, which despite having reasonable params, encouraged HA to get a hold. My system has been up for about two years.
Before I started dosing AF Marine, I took most of the rock and treated with 3% peroxide outside the system. There's a thread in RC about the procedure. This seemed to breakdown most of the holdfasts, and, got the majority of the algae exported from the system, but the algae started to slowly com back. The peroxide did fry my coralline algae, but it started coming back almost immediately. So I did one more peroxide treatment before I started dosing AF. It was about 3 weeks after I had treated with peroxide that I started dosing the AF.
I'm at 3 doses of AF Marine. I dose 5ml every 3 days. I figured my actual water volume including my sump is more like 70 gallons, but I decided to start with 5mls instead of 7mls as directed. Most of the algae is receding and getting thinner every day. Prior to each dose, I put my filter socks in place, blow detritus off all the rocks with a spare powerhead, vacuum my shallow sand bed (1") and once the water clears, do a 5% water change, then remove the filter socks.
Seems like my CUC are more active and consuming the algae off the rocks that they ignored previously. I'm running the skimmer wet, and continue to keep the GFO reactor online. All my livestock looks great, full PE on all my SPS, and the zoas have never looked better. I'm optimistic that with a few extra doses that I can ramp AF down to a weekly maintenance dose.
How long are people running their maintenance doses before discontinuing the use of AF altogether? Based on what I've read here, its important to keep running the AF in maintenance doses for a while until the algae spores have run their entire lifecycle.
2 phase attack peroxide then AF Marine
Thanks for this thread. I've read it cover to cover over the last month, and finally decided to deploy AF Marine to combat some nuisance HA.
I have a 57 gallon rimless SPS and Zoa system. My params have been stable - salinity at 1.026, nitrates 0, phosphates, 0.4, Alk 9.0 Ca 430 Mag 1300, PH 8.3. I have a reasonably well stocked tank with 3 different types of Anthias (dispar, resplendent, lyretail). I've been struggling to eliminate some nuisance HA. I run TLF reactor with GFO and run my cone skimmer full time. I have a 48x3W cree LED fixture ramping up to 100% for about 4 hours and ramping down for a total photoperiod of 12 hours. I have an Eheim 1262 return pump and 2 MP10's, one running Nutrient transport mode and the other running reef crest mode. I have a DIY ATO with Kalk in the reservoir. I do 5% water changes weekly, but despite what I considered reasonable husbandry practice, I ended up with HA. I believe that some of the rocks that I had from my prior system started to leach phosphate, which despite having reasonable params, encouraged HA to get a hold. My system has been up for about two years.
Before I started dosing AF Marine, I took most of the rock and treated with 3% peroxide outside the system. There's a thread in RC about the procedure. This seemed to breakdown most of the holdfasts, and, got the majority of the algae exported from the system, but the algae started to slowly com back. The peroxide did fry my coralline algae, but it started coming back almost immediately. So I did one more peroxide treatment before I started dosing AF. It was about 3 weeks after I had treated with peroxide that I started dosing the AF.
I'm at 3 doses of AF Marine. I dose 5ml every 3 days. I figured my actual water volume including my sump is more like 70 gallons, but I decided to start with 5mls instead of 7mls as directed. Most of the algae is receding and getting thinner every day. Prior to each dose, I put my filter socks in place, blow detritus off all the rocks with a spare powerhead, vacuum my shallow sand bed (1") and once the water clears, do a 5% water change, then remove the filter socks.
Seems like my CUC are more active and consuming the algae off the rocks that they ignored previously. I'm running the skimmer wet, and continue to keep the GFO reactor online. All my livestock looks great, full PE on all my SPS, and the zoas have never looked better. I'm optimistic that with a few extra doses that I can ramp AF down to a weekly maintenance dose.
How long are people running their maintenance doses before discontinuing the use of AF altogether? Based on what I've read here, its important to keep running the AF in maintenance doses for a while until the algae spores have run their entire lifecycle.
ampemployee1
Member
Agree, .4 phosphates too high! It was a typo, phosphates at .04.
Couple of pix after 3 doses. Sorry, iphone pix.
Couple of pix after 3 doses. Sorry, iphone pix.
Bert.
It caused or what seemed to be the cause of my cheato die off and mangroves.
Amp. Did I miss in your post about. Ro/di tds readings. If sediment levels are high. This will contribute to algae growth. I too was running a gfo media amd then tried carbon and gfo. My red cyo only got worse. I stopped and stay on top of ro/di and keep the sand stirred up good every few days. I also changed the cycle time for my closed loop to make sure its running longer and more often during the day. Circulation increase has made a world of difference. Last thing is that I changed salt mixes and found obe that works extremely well. I do 25% about once a month or every other month. I have been told that some salts will introduce bad things into the tank.
It caused or what seemed to be the cause of my cheato die off and mangroves.
Amp. Did I miss in your post about. Ro/di tds readings. If sediment levels are high. This will contribute to algae growth. I too was running a gfo media amd then tried carbon and gfo. My red cyo only got worse. I stopped and stay on top of ro/di and keep the sand stirred up good every few days. I also changed the cycle time for my closed loop to make sure its running longer and more often during the day. Circulation increase has made a world of difference. Last thing is that I changed salt mixes and found obe that works extremely well. I do 25% about once a month or every other month. I have been told that some salts will introduce bad things into the tank.
mc-cro
(macro)
I wanted to share my experience here.
I have been fighting HA for about 6 months, and as an absolute last ditch effort i decided to dose algae fix. I dosed slightly less than the directions, 20ml for a 220g system.
I will admit, my SPS had been a little stressed. a month previously I had dropped the lighting schedule by an hour to trying to battle the hair algae.
They went from this to this
To this: (edit this picture was actually taken 4 days after the dosing, the colors were already coming back- they were bone white the next morning after dosing)
And from this:
to this
I completely lost the large pink colony in the front do to RTN within a day or so.
I have been fighting HA for about 6 months, and as an absolute last ditch effort i decided to dose algae fix. I dosed slightly less than the directions, 20ml for a 220g system.
I will admit, my SPS had been a little stressed. a month previously I had dropped the lighting schedule by an hour to trying to battle the hair algae.
They went from this to this
To this: (edit this picture was actually taken 4 days after the dosing, the colors were already coming back- they were bone white the next morning after dosing)
And from this:
to this
I completely lost the large pink colony in the front do to RTN within a day or so.
Blue Space
New member
Sorry you lost that beautiful pinky!:worried:
Biodork
New member
Just wanted to share a major victory using Algaefix. I had hair algae covering just about every surface in my tank. Dosed 2ml Algaefix for a 30gal system. After about 1 month of treatment, the algae is essentially gone. I should mention that I probably dosed less frequently than 1x/3days. The only thing that looks a little worse for wear is the coralline algae. My corals actually looks quite a bit better now. Before and after photos attached.
Attachments
topjimmy
Member
Damn, and I thought I had an algae problem...
containerman1
New member
Great info
conceptvip
New member
I have a bad case of GHA and just ordered some AF. Do you think I could hook it up to one of my spare spots on my dosing pumps just to not shock the system? I have a 210gal with a 30gal sump.
Ralph ATL
Formerly mysterybox
however, be conservative.......:thumbsup:
Johnic
Premium Member
Biodork. I have same size tank with HA problem. Can you give arun down on exactly the dosing per day and for how long did you dose again.
Thanks.
mos90
New member
i would never dose in a reef tank unless it was a emergency.
i found that tons of gfo, carbon,filter socks,less feeding,wet skimming, cut back on lighting times are the way to go.
the problem is everyone wants the algae gone NOW. if it were only that easy.
now in a fish only. i would definitely. but why would you need to. ive never had an algae problem in a fowlr.
i found that tons of gfo, carbon,filter socks,less feeding,wet skimming, cut back on lighting times are the way to go.
the problem is everyone wants the algae gone NOW. if it were only that easy.
now in a fish only. i would definitely. but why would you need to. ive never had an algae problem in a fowlr.
