Hair Algae Solution That Worked For Me

Can I ask what may be percieved as a stupid question?
If the bottle says to dose every three days, how are you doing that?
For example, if you dose on Monday, is that day 1, Tues = day 2 and Wed = day 3, and dose on Wed? Or is it dose on Mon, wait three days and dose on the fourth day (Thurs)? I am about to start and want to be sure not to overdo it with this stuff.
Thanks, and looking forward to the pics.
 
I wondered that too. I went with on the forth day. So i last dosed on tuesday and then dosed again today friday. I am not sure if that right, I just wanted to air on the side of caution. I am also very careful to not overdose. My tank is a nano - 24g, I figure 22g of actual water and so I dose 2ml.
 
I basically stuck to every 72 hours when I treated. So...If I dosed on Monday evening...the next dose was Thursday evening.
 
Thanks guys, put my mind to rest a bit there. I also have a small tank, at 25 gallons total. Will be dosing 2.5 ml. Pics coming over the weekend.
 
I would not use Algaefix in a reef tank. It is a potent biocide and can potentially kill other inverts. API specifically says to not use it in the presence of crustaceans,

According to the MSDS, and after a little redjusting for their incorrect namming, Algaefix is 4.5 weight percent of a cationic polymer

Poly[oxy-1,2-ethanediyl(dimethyliminio)-1,2-ethanediyl(dimethyliminio)-1,2-ethanediyl chloride (1:2)]

more commonly known as

Polyquaternium 42

and these other common names:

Armoblen NPX; BL 2142; Bualta; Bubond 60; Bulab 6002; Busan 1507; Busan 77; KA 1700; MBC 115; Polixetonium chloride; Poly[oxyethylene(dimethylamino)ethylene(dimethylamino)ethylene dichloride]; Polyquaternium 42; TB 66; WSCP


For example:

A potential biocide for control of the golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei. Darrigran, Gustavo A.; Colautti, Dario C.; Maronas, Miriam E. Division Zoologia Invertebrados, Facultad Ciencias Naturales y Museo, La Plata, Argent. Journal of Freshwater Ecology (2007), 22(2), 359-360.

Abstract

We assessed to response of larvae of the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) to different concns. of a quaternary ammonium polymer (Bulab 6002) in order to est. its effectiveness in controlling this invasive mussel. Mussels were collected along the coast of the Rio de la Plata, Argentina, and were tested in two lab. trials. The estd. median lethal concn. for these 24-h exposures were 9.6 mg/L and 4,6 mg/L, indicating that this biocide may be suitable as a control agent for this mussel.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14600857#post14600857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
I would not use Algaefix in a reef tank. It is a potent biocide and can potentially kill other inverts. API specifically says to not use it in the presence of crustaceans,

According to the MSDS, and after a little redjusting for their incorrect namming, Algaefix is 4.5 weight percent of a cationic polymer

Poly[oxy-1,2-ethanediyl(dimethyliminio)-1,2-ethanediyl(dimethyliminio)-1,2-ethanediyl chloride (1:2)]

more commonly known as

Polyquaternium 42

and these other common names:

Armoblen NPX; BL 2142; Bualta; Bubond 60; Bulab 6002; Busan 1507; Busan 77; KA 1700; MBC 115; Polixetonium chloride; Poly[oxyethylene(dimethylamino)ethylene(dimethylamino)ethylene dichloride]; Polyquaternium 42; TB 66; WSCP


For example:

A potential biocide for control of the golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei. Darrigran, Gustavo A.; Colautti, Dario C.; Maronas, Miriam E. Division Zoologia Invertebrados, Facultad Ciencias Naturales y Museo, La Plata, Argent. Journal of Freshwater Ecology (2007), 22(2), 359-360.

Abstract

We assessed to response of larvae of the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) to different concns. of a quaternary ammonium polymer (Bulab 6002) in order to est. its effectiveness in controlling this invasive mussel. Mussels were collected along the coast of the Rio de la Plata, Argentina, and were tested in two lab. trials. The estd. median lethal concn. for these 24-h exposures were 9.6 mg/L and 4,6 mg/L, indicating that this biocide may be suitable as a control agent for this mussel.
Click to expand...
Randy, I usually trust your posts to be quite accurate but I have to ask. Is the above taken from the API AlgaeFix for freshwater? The marine version does not have the crustacean warning anywhere.
The stated ingedients for the marine version are:
AlgaeFix Marine
Active Ingredients: Poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride]: 4.5%
Doesn't really mean much to me, but perhaps you can make something out of it.
 
With all due respect - there is science and then there are results. So far, as long as posters are honest and post the bad along with the good, we have seem no ill effects and many positive effects. Most people here are using the algaefix as a last resort. Yet I think better conclusions will come after many months of treatment, I just couldn't wait that long.
 
I am trying to put a cautionary word out for folks to be wary, and not accept such information from a small group of casual users as indicating that it will necessarily be fine to use. If you like the product, by all means use it, and recommend it to others, but realize that you are risking other people's tanks when recommending it, not just your own, and such tanks may respond VERY differently than yours.

It may always be fine, but it may well not be. This is not a new magic compound that reefers are the first to investigate. It has been around killing many types of organisms for decades. You can read all of its ecotoxicity data that is collected here:

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC34167

Some of these articles show effects on aquatic organisms at doses lower than the 1 ppm or so that the company suggests for killing algae. And since relatively few organisms have been so carefully tested, I think this is a big risk to use. I do not think that your experience trumps the scientific studies reported in the literature.

Randy, I usually trust your posts to be quite accurate but I have to ask. Is the above taken from the API AlgaeFix for freshwater? The marine version does not have the crustacean warning anywhere.

Yes, the API comment is from the freshwater one, but the compound and concentration is the same as what you posted for the marine version. Not sure how they reconcile that. The dose is certainly above the dose causing biological effects in the above linked articles.

With all due respect - there is science and then there are results. So far, as long as posters are honest and post the bad along with the good, we have seem no ill effects and many positive effects.

And you have tested or seen testing results of it on all of the organisms that RC reefkeepers keep and in all of the different types of tanks in which they are kept to know it is safe for them?

Folks that have carefully tested it would seem to get results that should worry you. They certainly worry me.



As a very last resort before bleaching the rock, yes this is probably worth trying. Before that, just recognize that there are drawbacks and it is not a magic bullet.
 
Randy - I am really not qualified to even have this discussion with you. And I am in no way advocating that others should use this chemical. 99.9% of the time chemical are a bad idea. I guess when I look back at my post, I am really just trying to justify my reason for resorting to this product. Time will tell.
 
You can check back through my posts in this thread. 1) It appears that vodka dosing will negate the effect of the product on HA. JMO since that was the only thing I could find that was different about my system. 2) prolong (over 4 weeks) can have a negative effect to coral. I lost a small birdsnest colony, 2 birdsnest frags, a small hydnophora colony. I had RTN on all of them. My tank is finally making a recovery after I stopped dosing and did a 20gal and then a 40gal wc. This was just my experience. Most people that had good results, did so within 5 or 6 doses. There is no mention on the bottle about prolonged usage. I never increased my dosage and only went with what was stated on the product. I would not feel comfortable using this long term
 
Paul_PSU - The bottle actually says to keep dosing after the algae is under control but only once a week. I am not seeing the dramatic results some have seen but I am waiting until dose 6. I am not sure if I should do my normal 5g water change or wait until after the 6th dose? Any thoughts on that? Will water changes decrease the effectiveness. Also I need to change out my activated carbon but I am afraid that will reduce the effectiveness - thoughts on that?
 
ok time for the update pics, not much better...so again no real results yet.

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I started seeing stress on my corals after dose 11 I think. I also can tell you that when I did a huge water change after I stopped dosing my corals started coming back (all but the birdsnest and hynophora) I am pretty sure I lost them to rtn. Until you, I think I was the only one the really didn't see much improvement. I honestly don't want to suggest anything as far as dosing maximums. There is not very much info yet. I can tell you if I could do it all over again, I would just avoid it. JMO As you can see there are some success stories with it.
 
ok so I will relate to my experience.... I have been dosing my 125 and my 29 and am on about the 10 dose cycle.... I am dosing with lights out and the 125 has a skimmer... so far I have allmost eliminated the HA in the 125... I have started cycling the lights back on..... however the unskimmed 29 is showing very little change. I have also been using ALGONE in the 29 along with the Marine AlgaeFix.... I am going to set up a skimmer in the 29 and start more manual removal and remove the ALGONE also...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14605969#post14605969 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mevstheworld
You need to borrow/buy a couple blue spotted sea hares. I hear they go to town on algae.
Click to expand...

I already tried one. They are clumsy as hell. If you have a lot of flow in the tank, they get blown off the rocks. Mine ate what he could then died on me.

I quit Algaefix, did the huge WC and then started up vodka dosing again. It has been fading on me now. little by little. I just do as much manual as I can and it hasn't been growing back.
 
I did a 5g water change tonight (24g nano) and stopped using activated carbon and phosban. I also decided to harvest some Ha(against my better judgment as I said I was done harvesting). There was definently a change in the HA, is was easier to pull out...but I am still not holding my breath. Dose #3 is Tuesday. I took some pics after the water change and harvesting but I really can't tell much of the difference - that's how bad my infestation is...
 
Sorry make that Dose #5 which I did this morning. My plan is to do 8 doses then reevaluate. So far no noticeable change to corals/inverts and only slight change to HA.
 
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