Hair Algae Solution That Worked For Me

[youngreef180]

I have benn out of town now for a week working. My wife should be doing the sixth dose today (fingers crossed). It seems to me that the hair algea is definetly still there but where I have scraped it off it does not grow back now. Before I started dosing the algaefix when I would scrape it off it would simply return within a few days. I have also noticed pieces of it in my filter socks and stuck in the gaps of my overflows so maybe the algeafix is getting some of it to break free. So to sum it up its not a real rapid thing yet but it definietly seems to be having an effect and I should know more on Monday when I see the tank.

 

[saltydog64]

youngreef180........

Thanks for taking the time to update...............working is good !!!!

Going slow on the doses is probably the best way to go anyway..

look forward to your update(s).......

Good luck !!!!!!

 

[madreef_7K]

dwimber: How is your battle agaist HA coming along with this new weapon ? particularly how is your refuge (cheatos etc) doing?
I am waiting fro an update from you for the status of refugium with this new Algaefix. I have is ready to go as soon as I hear from you. I just don't want to kill my cheatos .
Anybody else tried it with refugium? please chime in.
Thanks.

 

[saltydog64]

madreef........

ditto..........on that, I to await the update...............

 

[dwimber]

I haven't noticed any negative effects on the cheato yet. Still noticing positive results against the GHA. I find dead hair all over the place now! I wish that I had a filter sock before starting this treatment.

I'm doing a big water change today... More updates to come.

 

[madreef_7K]

Thanks a ton Big guy

I will pull the triger tonight for GHA. I think I am going to turnoff my skimmer and phosban reactors to make sure the treatment does not get skimmed out.

 

[saltydog64]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14084446#post14084446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dwimber
I haven't noticed any negative effects on the cheato yet. Still noticing positive results against the GHA. I find dead hair all over the place now! I wish that I had a filter sock before starting this treatment.

I'm doing a big water change today... More updates to come.

d...............

All righty now, sounds real good, your right about the filter sock. If you do add one, IMO go for the 200 micron size, anything tighter just plugs up to soon. A word to wise these things do catch an unbelievable amount of junk....hard to believe it comes from our tanks...and they could overflow a sump if placed to high-up the sump...

Continued good luck and please keep us update...

Dick

 

[devoman]

Dwimber, Sounds like things are moving in the right direction. I really hope this helps out. That's why I started the post.

Thanks for the update.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14084446#post14084446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dwimber
I haven't noticed any negative effects on the cheato yet. Still noticing positive results against the GHA. I find dead hair all over the place now! I wish that I had a filter sock before starting this treatment.

I'm doing a big water change today... More updates to come.

 

[L98-Z]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13969016#post13969016 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by morphiii
Found this on another website

Comments: DON’T USE THIS PRODUCT! BUYER BEWARE!!! I used this is my 125 gallon saltwater that has been set up for years. All my fish have been completely healthy, never showing any signs of illness or stress. As soon as I put this in my tank my large queen angel became stressed and before I knew it she was dead! BUYER BEWARE!!!
I would not recommend this product to my friends.

This guys source is Petstore.com.

 

[L98-Z]

Another post regarding this stuff found on another board. I don't know the rules on posting direct links to other boards so here's what was stated:

I think I will move your thread to Lee's forum to see what he thinks about this product. It's a microbicide used to kill bacteria, mold, yeast and algae. It's dimethyliminoethylene dichloride, ethoxylate. Here is its MSDS.

Emergency Overview
Risk: Harmful to aquatic organisms

Ecological Information
DIMETHYLIMINOETHYLENE DICHLORIDE, ETHOXYLATE
The material is classified as an ecotoxin* because the Fish LC50 (96 hours) is less than or equal to 0.1 mg/l

Manufacturer's website:

Marine

Reef â€"œsafe 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.

What exactly do they mean by "reef-safe?" It is a biocide. That means it kills life, including "green algae," "Red Slime" (which is actually cyanobacteria) and "brown algae."

The manufacturer recommends that you use it "weekly to control algal growth and reduce aquarium maintenance." What are the residual effects? The manufacturer probably has no clue because I doubt that any studies have ever been run. This is a product that is an ingredient in wood preservatives used to prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast, mold and algae.

It is toxic to fish, according to the MSDS, at levels less than 0.1 mg/l. I don't know what the concentration is in Algaefix but I'm sure it's quite dilute or you would end up killing everything in your aquarium.

You can't kill stuff without killing stuff. What the manufacturer is trying to get you to do here is add a biocide to your aquarium weekly to kill off nuisance algae and cyanobacteria but at a dosage that the manufacturer believes is harmless to other marine life in your aquarium. How do they know? Did they run any long-term studies?

What are the long-term effects of using this toxic substance in a reef aquarium? Are the toxic effects cumulative? How does it affect the reproductive systems of animals in your aquarium? How does it affect their immunological systems? What are the effects on expected lifespan?

There are NO products that KILL stuff that are COMPLETELY SAFE for use in a reef tank. There are no products that claim to get rid of cyanobacteria that are both completely effective and completely safe for use in a reef tank. The ones that appear to work are not 100% safe. If they were 100% safe, they wouldn't work.

Reviews from DrsFosterSmith.com

I did everything I could think of to save my fish from algae. I had so much algae it ate up all the oxygen in the tank and I was loosing fish daily. Then I tried AlgaeFix and within a few hours my tank was perfectly clear. I didn't even need to use the three-day treatment. Just one treatment did the trick. I highly recommend AlgaeFix!

I was extremely discouraged with my aquarium water. No matter how hard I tried or how often I cleaned the water it was always green. Sometimes you could hardly see the fish. I used AlgaeFix and within hours, the water was crystal clear. It was like a miracle. Great product!!

I use it on my saltwater tank, fish only. It works!

Hate that green algae. After two (2) treatments green algae is gone. I highly recommend this product.



This product is fantastic! I occasionally use city water during water changes. I have always used a dechlorinator, but this last time I ended up with a significant algae bloom (reddish/brown, string-like) in my planted aquarium. I was looking for a product that would kill the algae while preserving my plants. This product worked within hours and my plants remained healthy. I highly recommend this product.

I tried the AlgaeFix for saltwater. I have a reef tank and was getting red algae bubbles everywhere, I also have some hair algae as well. I thought I would give it a try to get rid of the hair algae. What it's doing is getting rid of the RED ALGAE BUBBLES, I was really suprised. I had them all over, growing on everything. They are now all most completly gone. They lose all their color and just dissolve. I will be keeping it on hand as a part of my maintenance.

 

[madreef_7K]

L98Z: This guy from other website looks like a polititian to me with scare tactic and full of BS
Does he know if you put excess Vodka in the system it will kill or harm the aquarium creatures but several people use it successfully when used in controlled amounts!
I am a medicinal chemists with several years of antibacterial/antifungal experience (didn't want to pull this here but when I here such BS I have to show my credintials here) and all the antibiotics you eat are toxic and can/does kill in general, however, when taken in limited quantities will have benefical effect.
According to him LD50 for fish is 1mg/L and the manufacturer recommends adding 5 mL /50 usg or 190L. At this concentration, its only going to hit things that we want to hit. Now if you are a bonehead and think may be I can dose all 6 doses at the same time and does 30 mL/50 USG, sure you are going to see stuff die in your tank!
He talks about long term effects on the tank!! We all change water weekly/monthly, run Carbon and run skimmers How long will this medication stay in the tank. Reproductive systems of animal yeh! I 'll put a pill of Viagra with every dose and that should take care of it

"There are NO products that KILL stuff that are COMPLETELY SAFE for use in a reef tank. There are no products that claim to get rid of cyanobacteria that are both completely effective and completely safe for use in a reef tank. The ones that appear to work are not 100% safe. If they were 100% safe, they wouldn't work." He should go and check the warning labels on the human pharmaceutical he eats all the time to cure his headaces or treat a cold/flu. I bet he is in for a surprise there!

I don't really belive all the stuff from DFS either but then people here like D man and youngreef and OP has tried the stuff and I tend to belive them more than anything else. If this was such a wonderful product that one dose worked in few hrs then API will not sell it for $13.00/8 oz (belive me they also know how bad this problem is and how desperate some of the reefers are that they will by it at 4 times the price) and yes! you can always keep the active ingrident as trade secret!

JMHO

 

[dwimber]

Well, this isn't encouraging at all.

Even though it's risky, this fix was my last attempt. If this doesn't work, I'm selling my livestock, and pulling every rock I have out of my tank.

Seems like an ecotoxin might be acceptable at this point.

 

[saltydog64]

d..........

What's not encouraging ??????? those last couple of posts ?? what a bunch of bs..........we must make our own decisions not based on roomer or unfounded remarks....sure we could have a failure or failures, nothing is 100%...................will almost nothing !!!!

So make your own decision(s) and post actual results.....

 

[firebirdude]

Maybe I missed it.....

But what is the dosage size/per gallon? Wondering which size bottle/quantity to buy.

EDIT: Nevermind. Think I just found it on another website. 1ml per 10 gallons?

 

[L98-Z]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14089079#post14089079 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dwimber
Well, this isn't encouraging at all.

Even though it's risky, this fix was my last attempt. If this doesn't work, I'm selling my livestock, and pulling every rock I have out of my tank.

Seems like an ecotoxin might be acceptable at this point.

Wasn't trying to discourage you, just showing you some other views. There are other boards who have experimented with this product as well. Many of them did not have positive results, but I never saw anything in regards to multiple doses. Maybe that's why?

 

[madreef_7K]

I wouldn't get discouraged! Like Salty said, Just test the fix and get the real result, good or bad!

 

[dwimber]

Not to worry, The posts were a little discouraging. Knowing that I'm using an Ecocide is scary, but I have noticed positive results so far. I did my water change earlier today, and sucked a lot of hair out with my gravel vacuum. It's looking better! I also just bought an RODI, so I will be using 0 TDS water from here on out. That's got to make a big difference, right?

 

[saltydog64]

d..............

Absolutely......RODI is the only to go and as a reminder (I don't recall how your are handling PO4 ???), but also watch closely for phosphates (PO4) as it is, as you know, a serious plant fertilizer...

Good that it is looking better, after you finsh up your treatment please post pics (before and after if you have them) of the results....and as madreef stated........good or bad.

Dick

 

[Po-vegas reefer]

Hey after reading this thread and having some GHA problems of my own I went out and picked up a bottle of Algae Fix and did my first dose on Monday. I am treating four tanks 3 Solanas and a 65. I had an outbreak after breaking down my 125 and moving everything into the other tanks. I have tried every crab and snail out there with not very good results. Then I found this thread and said cant hurt to try. While I dont believe most of those reveiws that say "My tank cleared up in hrs" I do belive that this product will work and there is only one way to find out. I will post results after each dose.

My first dose was on Monday 1/5/09 no noticeable changes since then next dose will be tomorrow 1/8/09

Here are some pics of my current set up from my local club website.
http://hvreef.org/yabb/index.php?topic=8935.0

Hey Salty where in NY are you

 

[firebirdude]

Is anyone finding this stuff local? I see similar API products around, but can't find this stuff. Trying to get it sooner than later and prevent ordering online.