HighlandReefer
Team RC
We have had very few negative results when hobbyists have used AF.
AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae
- Thread starter HighlandReefer
- Start date
We have had very few negative results when hobbyists have used AF.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
AF does not kill all species of algae. Once your algae pest is eliminated, the amount of food source available (which includes algae) may not support a large population of snails. If these are standard snails used to help control algae, perhaps letting their populations equilibrate to the food available would be best rather than adding more nutrients to your system. If you have prized snails, perhaps supplementing their food source would be appropriate. 
A similar problem can occur with a sea hare, once the algae dies off or the sea hare eat it all up, it will commonly die off from starvation.
In these situations, perhaps it is better to trade in the sea hare and give away some of your snails (if populations are large) before they die from possible starvation.
A similar problem can occur with a sea hare, once the algae dies off or the sea hare eat it all up, it will commonly die off from starvation.
In these situations, perhaps it is better to trade in the sea hare and give away some of your snails (if populations are large) before they die from possible starvation.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
RealReef7,
You are quoting the label for the fresh water version of AlgaeFix and not the marine version.
This is what is stated from the AF website regarding the AlgaeFix Marine version:
http://aquariumpharm.com/products/Product.aspx?ProductID=127
"Reef –safe aquarium algaecide. Controls many types of algae in marine and reef aquariums. Will not harm marine fish, corals and other invertebrates. Will not harm coralline algae. Effectively controls Green algae, “Red Slime,” and “Brown algae” in marine aquariums containing live corals, invertebrates and fish. Use weekly to control algal growth and reduce aquarium maintenance. Does not discolor water or cause foaming."
You are quoting the label for the fresh water version of AlgaeFix and not the marine version.
This is what is stated from the AF website regarding the AlgaeFix Marine version:
http://aquariumpharm.com/products/Product.aspx?ProductID=127
"Reef –safe aquarium algaecide. Controls many types of algae in marine and reef aquariums. Will not harm marine fish, corals and other invertebrates. Will not harm coralline algae. Effectively controls Green algae, “Red Slime,” and “Brown algae” in marine aquariums containing live corals, invertebrates and fish. Use weekly to control algal growth and reduce aquarium maintenance. Does not discolor water or cause foaming."
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HighlandReefer
Team RC
Keep us posted on your results, especially if you experince negative results in any way. Hopefully AF works on your species of algae.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Diatoms are not listed on the AF label. I am unaware of any hobbyist who has tried AF on diatoms.
Usually diatoms indicate that you are having higher levels of silica in your tank water. If it is a new tank, the silicates should be taken up by the diatoms and reduce low enough to not cause problems. You will need to remove the diatoms from your tank to remove the silica they have asorbed.
If you are not using RODI water than your silicate level can be high in tap water or well water. If you are using a RODI water, when the DI filter becomes saturated it will dump a large amount of silicates into your tank at one time which can spike diatoms. To avoid this, you will need to change your DI filter as soon as your TDS meter reaches 1 ppt. Your TDS meter normally should be running zero.
SimonSKL
New member
Well, I have gone thru 10 doses of AF and it has no impact on my GHA/Bryopsis whatsoever. My water parameter is good and P&N are non-detectable (Hanna PO4 Checker and Salifert No3 Test). I have been raising my Mg level to 1800 with a MgSO4/MgCl2 mixture but it didn't help either. My last resort is to try Kent Tech M as I heard it has something else besides Mg supplement that inhibits the growth or kills Bryopsis. I was reluctant to use it as no one seems to be able to tell what that "something" is. If it does not help, I will tear down my tank and start all over again.
This picture tells you how bad my algae problem is
This picture tells you how bad my algae problem is
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Simon,
Sorry AF did not work on your pest algae. FWIW, your pest looks a lot like Derbesia which is a siphoning algae like Bryopsis. I had problems with Derbesia myself and did not achieve control using the recommended directions. Siphoning algae are hard to kill since they have a super ability to heal any breaks in the exterior membranes, which is what AF causes when it kills many types of algae.
FWIW, sneeyatch was able to control his pest algae which AF did not control at the recommend dosage with minor negative reactions from his coral. If you are willing to take a chance you may want to follow his procedure to see if this will control your pest algae. Sneeyatch simply dosed AF at the recommend amount but every other day instead of every three days. This could be risky, but as a last resort may be worth a try.
Sorry AF did not work on your pest algae. FWIW, your pest looks a lot like Derbesia which is a siphoning algae like Bryopsis. I had problems with Derbesia myself and did not achieve control using the recommended directions. Siphoning algae are hard to kill since they have a super ability to heal any breaks in the exterior membranes, which is what AF causes when it kills many types of algae.
FWIW, sneeyatch was able to control his pest algae which AF did not control at the recommend dosage with minor negative reactions from his coral. If you are willing to take a chance you may want to follow his procedure to see if this will control your pest algae. Sneeyatch simply dosed AF at the recommend amount but every other day instead of every three days. This could be risky, but as a last resort may be worth a try.
zaitmi
Member
High Silicates????
High Silicates????
Is this high silicate?
Deep brown hair algae. i have Salifert Silicate Test Kit but 0 result. May be my Test kit is faulty but my LFS has tested my water and said my silicates are very high. Now if the the silicate is high what should I do to control? I am already running RowaPhos from last 3 months but it has failed to control Silicates. No Silicate Remover is available in India. Plz help? I use Kent RO Drinking Water for my tank.
High Silicates????
Is this high silicate?
Deep brown hair algae. i have Salifert Silicate Test Kit but 0 result. May be my Test kit is faulty but my LFS has tested my water and said my silicates are very high. Now if the the silicate is high what should I do to control? I am already running RowaPhos from last 3 months but it has failed to control Silicates. No Silicate Remover is available in India. Plz help? I use Kent RO Drinking Water for my tank.
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HighlandReefer
Team RC
zaitmi,
Your pest looks like one of the Rhodophyta (red algae). Silicates are not used in their bodies like with the diatoms. So high silicates is not your problem IMHO.
Your pest looks like one of the Rhodophyta (red algae). Silicates are not used in their bodies like with the diatoms. So high silicates is not your problem IMHO.
zaitmi
Member
Thanks for the reply.
Not exactly red but deep maroon brown type algae, so what is the solution reeflander? Plz help?
Test Results :
Nitrates : Nil (dosing vinegar 10ml daily dose fixed)
Phosphates : Nil (running rowa phos)
Calcium : 350 ppm Dosed Purple Up. Can i dose calcium also.
Alkalinity : 6 dkh dosed Randys 2 part Alkalinity-130ml.
Ph : 8.3
I will manually brush my rocks tmrw. morning being sunday but that is temporary solution and very tiring.
Awaiting for your reply.
Not exactly red but deep maroon brown type algae, so what is the solution reeflander? Plz help?
Test Results :
Nitrates : Nil (dosing vinegar 10ml daily dose fixed)
Phosphates : Nil (running rowa phos)
Calcium : 350 ppm Dosed Purple Up. Can i dose calcium also.
Alkalinity : 6 dkh dosed Randys 2 part Alkalinity-130ml.
Ph : 8.3
I will manually brush my rocks tmrw. morning being sunday but that is temporary solution and very tiring.
Awaiting for your reply.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Zaitmi,
The red algae can be the color you describe. They tend to be harder to control the regular green hair algae. Unfortunately, when fighting an algae problem there is no miracle cure, especially if the AlgaeFix does not work.
There are a lot of hobbyists in your same position. Reducing your nitrate and phosphate levels to a zero reading will help in getting rid of many type of algae pests. IME, reducing nitrate and phosphate levels too low can kill or cause problems for many types of coral. Running GAC & GFO will all help in reducing the growth of these type of pests. In many cases they will not eradicate the pest. Vodka dosing will help reduce the nitrate and phosphate levels also, but will not necessarily eradicate the pest either.
A common problem is being able to identify your pest to a category correctly: true algae, cyano, dino, bacteria & other assorted pests that look similar. In many cases a micro look at your pest is best to properly ID it to one of these categories.
IMHO, if you are faced with an algal type pest problem, it is best to implement an algae pest control program strategy:
1) Wet skimming with a good quality skimmer. Clean your skimmer cup at least once per week.
2) Reduce your nitrates and phosphates to a zero reading using the hobby grade test kits. See Randy's articles regarding this:
Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php
Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm
3) Proper lighting. I find that the higher wavelength bulbs are less conducive to algae growth. I now run 20,000 K bulbs from using 10,000 K bulbs.
4) Proper day length is a good thing also. I would not run your lights for more than 12 hrs total. Keep in mind that light entering from a window nearby is added to this figure.
5) Running GAC is a good practice in my book. It will help reduce the total dissolved organic carbons in your tank water and this is a food source.
6) Proper 30% per month total water changes will help export the DOC as well as some of the pests in the water column. It will help maintain the micro-nutrients as well.
7) Physical removal of the pest by hand, scrubbing and siphoning is important as well. If the amount of pest in your aquarium is overwhelming, perhaps dealing with one section at a time is a better idea.
8) Proper water circulation in your tank to prevent dead zones. When dealing with cyanobacteria pests increasing the flow where it grows seems to help.
9) Use RODI water for all top-off, salt mixing, additive mixes... etc.
10) Dosing iron may have benefits for macro-algae, but if you are experiencing algae pest problems than I would stop dosing it as it can add to the problem in many cases.
11) If you are dosing other supplements such as vitamins, amino acids, or others that contain a mix of supplements other than the basic alk., calcium and magnesium, I would stop these until you gain control of your pest. This includes many of the store bought products with unknown ingredients. Dosing Vodka or sugar to reduce your nitrates and phosphates would be an exception in my opinion.
12) Proper feeding habits. This can be the number one problem when trying to reduce your nitrate and phosphate levels. Use low phosphate fish foods.
13) IMHO, lighted refugiums may be a problem when trying to deal with an algae type pest problem. They are wonderful when it comes to reducing nitrates and phosphates. However, the light over most refugiums is conducive to the microalgae type pests. If the refugium becomes infested with a microalgae pest, I would clean it throughly of all pests as best as possible, remove the macro and turn off the lights until you gain control of your pest. Re-using the same macroalgae later may serve as a source for re-infestation of your pest.
14) Adding fish and other creatures that will eat your algae pest will help.
15) Running a diatom filter which has been suggested by Boomer, makes a lot of sense to me. It will help remove a lot of organic material in your water column.
16) For some additional thoughts regarding switching an algae based system to a bacterial based system see this thread:
(Using a carbon source with appropriate bacterial dosing may possibly help to push your system to where you want it although this is controversial.)
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1781320
17) There are other items that can be added to this list if others care too share and some of the items listed may be disputed.
The red algae can be the color you describe. They tend to be harder to control the regular green hair algae. Unfortunately, when fighting an algae problem there is no miracle cure, especially if the AlgaeFix does not work.
There are a lot of hobbyists in your same position. Reducing your nitrate and phosphate levels to a zero reading will help in getting rid of many type of algae pests. IME, reducing nitrate and phosphate levels too low can kill or cause problems for many types of coral. Running GAC & GFO will all help in reducing the growth of these type of pests. In many cases they will not eradicate the pest. Vodka dosing will help reduce the nitrate and phosphate levels also, but will not necessarily eradicate the pest either.
A common problem is being able to identify your pest to a category correctly: true algae, cyano, dino, bacteria & other assorted pests that look similar. In many cases a micro look at your pest is best to properly ID it to one of these categories.
IMHO, if you are faced with an algal type pest problem, it is best to implement an algae pest control program strategy:
1) Wet skimming with a good quality skimmer. Clean your skimmer cup at least once per week.
2) Reduce your nitrates and phosphates to a zero reading using the hobby grade test kits. See Randy's articles regarding this:
Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php
Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm
3) Proper lighting. I find that the higher wavelength bulbs are less conducive to algae growth. I now run 20,000 K bulbs from using 10,000 K bulbs.
4) Proper day length is a good thing also. I would not run your lights for more than 12 hrs total. Keep in mind that light entering from a window nearby is added to this figure.
5) Running GAC is a good practice in my book. It will help reduce the total dissolved organic carbons in your tank water and this is a food source.
6) Proper 30% per month total water changes will help export the DOC as well as some of the pests in the water column. It will help maintain the micro-nutrients as well.
7) Physical removal of the pest by hand, scrubbing and siphoning is important as well. If the amount of pest in your aquarium is overwhelming, perhaps dealing with one section at a time is a better idea.
8) Proper water circulation in your tank to prevent dead zones. When dealing with cyanobacteria pests increasing the flow where it grows seems to help.
9) Use RODI water for all top-off, salt mixing, additive mixes... etc.
10) Dosing iron may have benefits for macro-algae, but if you are experiencing algae pest problems than I would stop dosing it as it can add to the problem in many cases.
11) If you are dosing other supplements such as vitamins, amino acids, or others that contain a mix of supplements other than the basic alk., calcium and magnesium, I would stop these until you gain control of your pest. This includes many of the store bought products with unknown ingredients. Dosing Vodka or sugar to reduce your nitrates and phosphates would be an exception in my opinion.
12) Proper feeding habits. This can be the number one problem when trying to reduce your nitrate and phosphate levels. Use low phosphate fish foods.
13) IMHO, lighted refugiums may be a problem when trying to deal with an algae type pest problem. They are wonderful when it comes to reducing nitrates and phosphates. However, the light over most refugiums is conducive to the microalgae type pests. If the refugium becomes infested with a microalgae pest, I would clean it throughly of all pests as best as possible, remove the macro and turn off the lights until you gain control of your pest. Re-using the same macroalgae later may serve as a source for re-infestation of your pest.
14) Adding fish and other creatures that will eat your algae pest will help.
15) Running a diatom filter which has been suggested by Boomer, makes a lot of sense to me. It will help remove a lot of organic material in your water column.
16) For some additional thoughts regarding switching an algae based system to a bacterial based system see this thread:
(Using a carbon source with appropriate bacterial dosing may possibly help to push your system to where you want it although this is controversial.)
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1781320
17) There are other items that can be added to this list if others care too share and some of the items listed may be disputed.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
FWIW Zaitmi, I would not add any more organisms to your tank except snails or other things that would possibly eat your alge until you gain control, especially coral. Tangs and Foxface fish may eat your algae pest.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
RealReef7,
Keep us posted on your results and good luck.
Keep us posted on your results and good luck.
