HighlandReefer
Team RC
Does the AlgaeFix make it easier to remove the algae from your rock?
AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae
- Thread starter HighlandReefer
- Start date
SinlessHarbor
New member
Yes it does.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Since the AlgaeFix it having an effect on the algae, then I would take advantage of this and remove the algae by whatever means possible from all your rock, sand bed and glass. I would also get all the dead algae and debris out of your tank. This stuff will brake down and provide a food source for more algae growth.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Another thing to help control the algae, would be to decrease your light output by 1/2. Perhaps encouraging bacterial populations to replace algae populations by dosing a carbon source while decreasing your light output may be helpful.
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HighlandReefer
Team RC
Of all the books I have on algae, macroalgae and algal pests, I use this book the most:
Caribbean Reef Plants
http://www.amazon.com/Caribbean-Plants-Scullion-Littler-Masterton/dp/0967890101
Caribbean Reef Plants
http://www.amazon.com/Caribbean-Plants-Scullion-Littler-Masterton/dp/0967890101
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Tralynne,
I just noticed you are new to RC.
To Reef Central
I just noticed you are new to RC.
To Reef Central
Update on my 55G: I've stopped maintenance dosing AF Marine for the past month, and some GHA has grown back onto the LR. The main reason why I stopped is due to adverse effects on my coral population, which is largely LPS and Actinodiscus (mushrooms).
I'm trying to use a revers photoperiod driven fuge to export N/P, and a purigen bag to further purify the water. Since I have a grip on it, i'm starting vodka to see if it's as effective as maintenance dosing AF. I'm going to give it a month, and if it doesn't improve, then back to AF marine.
I'm trying to use a revers photoperiod driven fuge to export N/P, and a purigen bag to further purify the water. Since I have a grip on it, i'm starting vodka to see if it's as effective as maintenance dosing AF. I'm going to give it a month, and if it doesn't improve, then back to AF marine.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Let us know how it works out for you. Dosing a carbon source makes sense to try and stimulate a bacterial population to replace the algal population.
Were you dosing AF once per week?
Were you dosing AF once per week?
5th dose of AlgaeFix last night. I'd say about 50% of the GHA is gone...possibly more. Very happy with the results so far and fish, coral and inverts don't seem affected at all. I've only had to clean my glass once in the past 12 days and normally, if I don't clean it every other day, it's gets pretty bad by the 3rd day! Pam
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Pam,
Gad to hear the AF is working for you. Keep us posted.
Gad to hear the AF is working for you. Keep us posted.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Chads120,
Your description fits one of the Rhodophyta algae. I don't believe that AlgaeFix will work on them. Perhaps it will work if you continue dosing it for a longer period of time, say in excess of 10 doses. After 10 doses AlgaeFix has been seen to kill some macroalgae. Care needs to be taken if you dose AlgaeFix longer than 10 doses, since some hobbyists have noted problems with their coral.
Controlling the Rhodophyta is usually accomplished by using organisms that will eat them, along with a lot of elbow grease used to scrub them, pick them and remove them any other way possible. Staying on top of removing them is the most effective way of controlling them I have heard of.
Your description fits one of the Rhodophyta algae. I don't believe that AlgaeFix will work on them. Perhaps it will work if you continue dosing it for a longer period of time, say in excess of 10 doses. After 10 doses AlgaeFix has been seen to kill some macroalgae. Care needs to be taken if you dose AlgaeFix longer than 10 doses, since some hobbyists have noted problems with their coral.
Controlling the Rhodophyta is usually accomplished by using organisms that will eat them, along with a lot of elbow grease used to scrub them, pick them and remove them any other way possible. Staying on top of removing them is the most effective way of controlling them I have heard of.
i have tried a few ways of getting rid of hair algae with no success, so after reading this thread on and off for a while i tried some algae fix marine at half strength on a 2 foot cube, mixed reef.
well all i can say is that it was an absolute disaster,the hair algae weakened and would pull out but the impact on livestock was devastating.
the first sign of trouble was the death of the entire cuc,trochus,turbos and hermits,at this stage i stopped dosing and started water changes,the next thing was an explosion of red cyano which i have never had before,as fast as it was removed it had smothered and killed acans,lobos and a duncan,the final straw was 2 clams one after the other
weeks later after many water changes the deaths have stopped,i still get cyano outbreaks and have to clean green algae of the glass twice a day,and the hair algae has returned
the reason for posting my experience is to inform people that if something seems to good to be true it usually is and to warn you all that this stuff even at half doses can have devastating effects on a mixed reef,it certainly upsets the chemical balance of the whole system even after stopping its use for weeks.
well all i can say is that it was an absolute disaster,the hair algae weakened and would pull out but the impact on livestock was devastating.
the first sign of trouble was the death of the entire cuc,trochus,turbos and hermits,at this stage i stopped dosing and started water changes,the next thing was an explosion of red cyano which i have never had before,as fast as it was removed it had smothered and killed acans,lobos and a duncan,the final straw was 2 clams one after the other
weeks later after many water changes the deaths have stopped,i still get cyano outbreaks and have to clean green algae of the glass twice a day,and the hair algae has returned
the reason for posting my experience is to inform people that if something seems to good to be true it usually is and to warn you all that this stuff even at half doses can have devastating effects on a mixed reef,it certainly upsets the chemical balance of the whole system even after stopping its use for weeks.
emoore
New member
Sorry to hear that rdm. I had a similar experience. It did kill my HA and my cheato, next was most of my CUC, then my SPS, then some LPS. I had a bad case of cyano for about a month. Luckily none of the fish died. My "tank of death" lasted about 6 months. I would try adding frags once a month but they would die. The only good thing was that all my HA was killed and has not come back. For the last 2 months I have been adding frags and they have been doing well so I think my tank is back.
I would like to echo that caution should be used. I was using about 3/4 dose and had horrible results.
I would like to echo that caution should be used. I was using about 3/4 dose and had horrible results.
Frogmanx82
New member
Chads, I had that red capet all over my tank and I found red hermits absolutely love to eat it.
A few posts back, someone was upgrading from an 85 to a 150 and was going to bleach or boil his rock to kill the algae so he wouldn't have it in the 150. Isn't hair algae always present when conditions are ripe for it? I don't know how it gets in there, but it seems like a fools errand if you think you can keep it out by quarantine.
A few posts back, someone was upgrading from an 85 to a 150 and was going to bleach or boil his rock to kill the algae so he wouldn't have it in the 150. Isn't hair algae always present when conditions are ripe for it? I don't know how it gets in there, but it seems like a fools errand if you think you can keep it out by quarantine.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
I had looked into getting a sea cucumber, but had decided that from the results other hobbyists seem to have with them (usually they end up dieing due to starvation), I would not.
This is a good article regarding Sea Cucumbers:
AQUARIUM INVERTEBRATES by ROB TOONEN, Ph.D.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/invert.htm
From this article:
"In general, the chemicals which appear to protect the sea cucumbers from being eaten are saponins (soap-like compounds) which are derived from triterpenoids (Ponomarenko et al. 2001; Stonik and Elyakov 1988). These chemicals usually work well to discourage many generalist predators, and unfortunately are also likely to seriously impact, and potentially even wipe out all their tankmates in a reef aquarium (the so-called "˜cuke-nuke')."
This is a good article regarding Sea Cucumbers:
AQUARIUM INVERTEBRATES by ROB TOONEN, Ph.D.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/invert.htm
From this article:
"In general, the chemicals which appear to protect the sea cucumbers from being eaten are saponins (soap-like compounds) which are derived from triterpenoids (Ponomarenko et al. 2001; Stonik and Elyakov 1988). These chemicals usually work well to discourage many generalist predators, and unfortunately are also likely to seriously impact, and potentially even wipe out all their tankmates in a reef aquarium (the so-called "˜cuke-nuke')."
Sorry to hear about your disaster R.D.M. 
I just finished my 11th dose of AlgaeFix. I'm doing one more dose tomorrow, then switch to a weekly maintenance dose. It had absolutely no negative effects on my fish, Coral, CUC,
Clam, or my large Sabae Anemone. I put in my first SPS frag, a Setosa, and I was hoping that it wouldn't affect that frag, and it hasn't. Good PE on the Setosa. The rest of my corals are LPS with a couple zoos. It has definitely made a big dent in my GHA, but for the first time ever, I have some Cyano. It's not bad, but I decided to do a 3 days lights out this weekend before it gets worse. I still have a good amount of GHA, but definitely a lot less than before using AlgaeFix. I'm overdue replacing my Phosban, but I was waiting to change it out until I finished the dosing of AlgaeFix. I'm going to change it out tomorrow or Tuesday, so hopefully the GHA will continue to decline. AlgaeFix obviously does something to battle Algae, because my glass was getting pretty bad if I didn't clean it every other day. Now, while dosing the Algae fix, the glass is just barely getting dirty by the 5th day after cleaning.
I just finished my 11th dose of AlgaeFix. I'm doing one more dose tomorrow, then switch to a weekly maintenance dose. It had absolutely no negative effects on my fish, Coral, CUC, Clam, or my large Sabae Anemone. I put in my first SPS frag, a Setosa, and I was hoping that it wouldn't affect that frag, and it hasn't. Good PE on the Setosa. The rest of my corals are LPS with a couple zoos. It has definitely made a big dent in my GHA, but for the first time ever, I have some Cyano. It's not bad, but I decided to do a 3 days lights out this weekend before it gets worse. I still have a good amount of GHA, but definitely a lot less than before using AlgaeFix. I'm overdue replacing my Phosban, but I was waiting to change it out until I finished the dosing of AlgaeFix. I'm going to change it out tomorrow or Tuesday, so hopefully the GHA will continue to decline. AlgaeFix obviously does something to battle Algae, because my glass was getting pretty bad if I didn't clean it every other day. Now, while dosing the Algae fix, the glass is just barely getting dirty by the 5th day after cleaning.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Pammy,
Great to hear your results.
It is not uncommon that cyano appears after using AlgaeFix. One possible reason may be the increased amount of dead and dieing algae which serves to feed the cyano.
Great to hear your results.
It is not uncommon that cyano appears after using AlgaeFix. One possible reason may be the increased amount of dead and dieing algae which serves to feed the cyano.
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Can you use AF in conjunction with Vodka and MB7?
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