AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae

[Buzz1329]

Agree with you about the CUC. I have tried snails, hermit crabs, emerald crabs, tangs, urchins,

I agree that the hair alga in your tank might be resistant to AlgaeFix. I'm skeptical about adding more snails and hermits because I don't think they'll attack the hair algae. There are a lot of urchins, and the one you get might eat the alga, but I don't know enough about them to say what the odds are.

Agree with you about the CUCs. Over the years, I have tried unsuccessfully to control GHA in my tanks with snails (I’ve tried them all, including the vaunted Mexican Turbo Snails), hermit crabs (which are good for keeping snail population in check), emerald crabs (which are good for keeping LPS polyps in check), tuxedo urchins, etc., but none of them would eat filamentous algae. The only inverts that did were Dola Bella Sea Hares but, oddly enough, while they would consume mass quantities of filamentous algae growing on a horizontal surface (like on substrate), they would not touch the same type of algae growing vertically on rocks. Go figure.

 

[ostrow]

Or, you may have a terrible species like I did that consumes the algecide seemingly. The algae I had killed dolabellas (after they are a bunch) and most Snails that ate it. Ditto emerald crabs. And I mean, I watched them easy on Tuesday and saw them belt up Wednesday.

Some plagues you just won't kick. In my frustration above I called it snake oil but clearly the product works on some pests. But what we call "hair algae" or GHA is a misnomer....there are many, many species.

I sent mine to Guam and the ID was new to me, the diagnosis was "you are never going to eradicate this stuff."

��

 

[godless]

Hello,
i had a "huge algae" problem wichi actually is turning into a "algae" problem.
Background: everything was running good with the tank free of algae untile february. My aquarium is a Dennerle 60 Liters with 12kg of live rocks.
In february i was having issues with flatworms (white ones) and i used Flatworm exit to kill them. After 3 dosing of FE i didn't achieve to kill all flatworms according to the doses so i stupidly put into the tank the whole residual flatworm exit.
After a couple of days my tank was destroied. All zooplancton died and most of the bacteria too. I had a peak in no2 and then raised no3 and po4. After a couple weeks i had my tank fully covered with air algae.
I started dosing firstly another product (Fauna Marin Ultra Algae X) then i started dosing a week ago APIFIX Marine AF. I noticed that AF started to whiten the algae and the green ones are easier to pull out of the tank. I'm at the third dose. I was wondering now how to collect the weakened algae at the moment since they are short and i cannot take them off from the tank...
Do you advice to use a toothbrush? if so, wouldn't be dangerous to spread the algae again into tank? again, they come off very easily but i cannot reach many of them....
advices on this? do i just go on with the AF dosing and wait them to peel off by themselves?
I am also using PO4 resins and zeolite. Skimmer on.
Thanks in advance for all your replies.

 

[bertoni]

A toothbrush would be fine if you get siphon out or otherwise remove the debris. If you can't remove the dead algae, brushing it might help with the looks, but I am not convinced it'll kill the algae faster.

 

[Mikefromaz]

I promised myself to collect as much info from other reefers with similar observations about Marine Algaefix before commenting. First of all.this API product worked amazingly well go kill HA. I followed the dosing procedures to the letter and got good results. That being said about ten days into the process my otherwise well maintained reef broke out in a hideous case of dinoflagellates. It was bad. I immediately lost three corals and about 20 snails. I suspected the change in my tank was caused by overkill of micro algae and fauna by this algae killer. I read more than a couple of posts in the dino thread from other reefers who had the same experience. There is ALWAYS competition in the reef between "good" and harmful lifeforms. It is my opinion that Marine Algaefix disturbed that balance and handed the di oflaggelates the opportunity for lack of competition to run wild, which they did. Comments or opinions?

 

[bertoni]

It's possible that the AlgaeFix bumped the system from one local optimum (or stable point) to another, although more commonly, I think it kills off one part of the system entirely, leaving some nutrients free for other organisms to consume and grow.

 

[Mikefromaz]

It's possible that the AlgaeFix bumped the system from one local optimum (or stable point) to another, although more commonly, I think it kills off one part of the system entirely, leaving some nutrients free for other organisms to consume and grow.[/QUOTE/

I agree with your post 100% Two thngs seem certain to me. The dead algae whether visible or microscopic left a pile of nutrients behind. The other thing of course is the dinos free of competition spread like crazy on the dead stuff.

 

[Aquarist007]

I'd consider adding another 20 lbs of rock. Curing it separately first would be safest. That's a very small amount of rock for that bio-load, in my opinion.

I would gradually replace the existing rock with dry reef rock for eg Florida key largo.
If phosphates are bound up in the rock it could refuel alga for a very long time

If you are not effective at removing the dead alge then it just continues to recirculate phosphates.
I use a canister filter with a micro filter to remove alge while treating for it

 

[jason2459]

I can confirm PO4 release from at least pukani dry rock can last a good year or so. Fun times.

 

[Threshold]

I have only read a few pages of posts -- so forgive me for not reading everything before asking this...

I am concerned about my chaeto and my lettuce sea slug (aka lettuce nudibranch). Will they be okay if I use Algaefix? Or should I put them in a QT tank while the DT is being dosed?

 

[hkgar]

They will in all likelihood be goners if you don't QT them

 

[reefknight]

It will kill the chaeto, this I know for a fact. The nudibranch, I can't say for certain. I would hazard to say yes and QT it as to not lose it.

 

[bertoni]

I'm not sure about the slug. I think it should be okay, but we don't know the toxic dose of the chemical for that species.

 

[Threshold]

Thanks -- I'll qt the slug and chaeto.

The slug eats many varieties of algae. Think the chaeto is one? If not, I may keep one piece of live rock with algae in the qt, too.

 

[Mikefromaz]

Threshold - my experience with marine algae fix was a disaster. As I researched it over the next week's after my tank crash, I discovered more than a few people with the same experience. Inshort....the algae killer works TOO well. It killed off the beneficial competition for nutrients at the microscopic level leaving my tank wide open to dinoflagellate over run. If you have a chance and do read back about two months. Look up the thread detailing other marine algaefix. Seriously, I have been a reefer since 1998 and never had a hint of dinos before my recent experience trying to rid my tank of HA and the results of Algaefix. Bad news and tons of work getting the dinosaur under control

 

[ostrow]

Threshold - my experience with marine algae fix was a disaster. As I researched it over the next week's after my tank crash, I discovered more than a few people with the same experience. Inshort....the algae killer works TOO well. It killed off the beneficial competition for nutrients at the microscopic level leaving my tank wide open to dinoflagellate over run. If you have a chance and do read back about two months. Look up the thread detailing other marine algaefix. Seriously, I have been a reefer since 1998 and never had a hint of dinos before my recent experience trying to rid my tank of HA and the results of Algaefix. Bad news and tons of work getting the dinosaur under control

I had a rare Cladophoropsis, not bryopsis, and the Cladophoropsis ate the algaefix as a preferred diet and really exploded. Meanwhile the algaefix killed all else at what ended up being a triple dose.

But I was fighting a losing battle vs that Cladophoropsis. Don't go triple dose unless your alternative is drain/bleach/restart. That's where I was at....

 

[Mikefromaz]

I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to dosing etc. I use calibrated measuring curettes, syringes and such. A week of spot on following directions cost me 4 stonies and a couple of dozen inverts before all was said and done.

 

[Brieninsac]

AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae

I recently starting using Algaefix too. Today was my second dose with no noticeable results so far. But from what I've read it takes 2-3 weeks to show any signs of receding. I wish the instructions addressed the effects of using GFO/Carbon and/or skimmer during treatment. So many of the posts here have anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness with or without additional preventive measures.

Until I discover otherwise I'll kill my GFO/Carbon reactor and skimmer for 24-hours after treatment.

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm dosing algeafix for GHA and am having trouble finding if I should take my activated carbon offline or not. Also, is it okay to leave the skimmer running during treatment? I've read many people don't have results for 3+ weeks, and I'd hate to leave my skimmer offline that long. There's nothing in the instructions that says anything about GAC or skimmer one way or the other. I want to give the algaefix the best chance to work.

 

[ostrow]

Forget this stuff.

Fluconazole is by far more preferred and more effective.