AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae

Well, one week later I don't think this is going to work. I moved several mushrooms beside/touching the derbesia and I even cut one up and placed it on some of the patches. On one patch I even placed some epoxy over the cut mushroom completely covering the mushroom and patch. Last night I saw the derbesia growing out from under the epoxy. I thought cutting the mushroom up would have a better chance of effecting the derbesia. I was surprised that algae could live this long with no light. I did a 25% water change at the start of this test last Wednesday and have fed very little during the week. My nitrates and phosphates are both near 0 and the weed has grown more than ever. I am at a loss.


pugbreath13 said:
After you told me this yesterday I noticed something. My liverock is in 3 columns in my tank. All 3 have this pest on them except the bottom of one. That one has red mushrooms on it. I will move some closer to other patches of derbesia to see what happens.
Click to expand...
 
I have thought about possibly using bleach as a contact killer for algae on rock taken out of the tank. The bleach would have to be swabbed on using a cotton swab carefully onto the algae only and not the coral while out of the tank (letting the rock dry of as much water as possible). Removing the algae before trying this would be more effective IMHO. This is the procedure used in gardening to kill perennial weeds and not killing desirable plants (of course non-selective herbicides are used instead of bleach). After allowing the bleach to stay on for as long as possible, one would have to carefully rinse the bleach off using salt water, not allowing the water to get onto the coral. If only a small amount of bleach is swabbed on, my hopes would be that the bacteria inside the rock would not be killed. I would imagine that peroxide could be used as well, but perhaps (pure bleach) swabbed on carefully may be more effective. :)
 
HighlandReefer said:
Nice. :)

What is that calcerous algae growing on your rock? AF did not seem to cause a problem with it?
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the algae with white at the bottom and green at the top? I have some in my aquarium and I was told by an LFS that had some that it is the macro algae codium.
 
pugbreath13 said:
Well, one week later I don't think this is going to work. I moved several mushrooms beside/touching the derbesia and I even cut one up and placed it on some of the patches. On one patch I even placed some epoxy over the cut mushroom completely covering the mushroom and patch. Last night I saw the derbesia growing out from under the epoxy. I thought cutting the mushroom up would have a better chance of effecting the derbesia. I was surprised that algae could live this long with no light. I did a 25% water change at the start of this test last Wednesday and have fed very little during the week. My nitrates and phosphates are both near 0 and the weed has grown more than ever. I am at a loss.
Click to expand...

Cut up muchrooms may be spending more of their energy recovering then secreating the toxic chemicals as defence mechanisms. :D
 
chark said:
Are you talking about the algae with white at the bottom and green at the top? I have some in my aquarium and I was told by an LFS that had some that it is the macro algae codium.
Click to expand...

The calcerous algae in the above picture (Crisisback) which apear like green worms growing straigh up and unbranced is what I am refering too. They don't look like a codium to me (I don't believe codium in calcerous). :)

I have looked through some books and can't find this algae in them. :(

They do look intersting and don't appear to be a pest.
 
Thanks for the link. I love the way they look. :)

I would think their growth is slow enough as to not be too much of a pest?

annulata.jpg
 
In my experience, not a pest at all. I only have a few at a time, maybe at most 6-8, right now I only have one. I think they are very cool...
 
I'm not sure if I would say that, but they seem to come and go with the population fluctuating for no obvious reason. I believe I have had them in various quantities for at least two years. At times I have had none, at other times just a few. They grow very slowly.
 
I think an urchin would mow down that codium looking stuff. I have a few sprouts here and there but I've found that near-pristine water conditions (0.0ppm nitrate, near 0.03ppm phosphate) really slows that stuff down.



Cliff, I saw your comment on spot-burning derbesia with bleach, and it's interesting. You might consider using calcium hypochlorite powder instead and having a nice batch of sodium thiosulfate handy for a post-nuke rinse. The powder would sit in one spot a lot easier than the bleach. You could load up a small spray bottle with clean tank water and dribble your corals to keep them wet during the process.


I've considered buying a small pencil torch or Bernz-o-matic for this also.....
 
Just did 4th dose today...

I should see some results soon right?

Maybe the green hair algae I have is the one this product doesnt kill?

When or what dose count should I declare a loss and stop dosing?

thanks
Joe
 
I have been battling hair algae for over a year, I thought it was my phosphates but my test kit showed them at 0 ppm but still the hair algae grew. I finally read about ROWA PHOS PHOSPHATE REMOVAL MEDIA under the reviews on an aquaurium supplier's site. I just ordered this stuff and will give it a shot. I figure my testkit for Phosphate is just garbage and high Phosphates are the cause of my hair algae.
 
joe_dejesus said:
Just did 4th dose today...

I should see some results soon right?

Maybe the green hair algae I have is the one this product doesnt kill?

When or what dose count should I declare a loss and stop dosing?

thanks
Joe
Click to expand...

Most seem to start to see results around the 5th or 6th dose. If you don't see results by the 10th dose, I would say that AF is not going to work.

IF you can post a focused pic, it may help to ID your pest. ;)
 
5th dose this morning
original
DSCN4969.jpg

today
DSCN5009.jpg

orig
DSCN4974.jpg

today, same general area
DSCN5014.jpg

orig
DSCN4970.jpg

now
dscn5011.jpg

the pics are crappy, but i have lost about 40-50% of the ha i had. plus i moved the clams, so that looks really different
 
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