martinserrano
New member
Okay, will do direct treatment. Do i rinse in tank water after or just put it back into the tank? I have 1 clown, 2 blue damsels, and a clean up crew. All levels are at zero except a small nitrate presence.
pico reef pest algae problem challenge
- Thread starter brandon429
- Start date
brandon429
Active member
Truly i don't think it matters. Its so much tank dilution, and a spot treatment is just enough peroxide to saturate the target, just putting the rock back in wont matter
martinserrano
New member
Great thanks I will get it done this week sometime. 
Will update when complete.
Will update when complete.
csammis
Mental Institution
Progress pics!
Tank stats
Biocube 14 that has been running about 18 months
Ammonia / Nitrite / Nitrate 0
PO4 detecting 0
KH 7
Ca 420
Magnesium not tested
77 deg F
Running phosguard and purigen
No skimmer
5 gallon water change once a week
Before
This is the worst of the bryopsis infection. The rock was only added to the tank a month ago which is why it's still bone white.
My new birdsnest
Good polyp extension on the part that isn't covered with a hot mess.
The bryopsis is a PITA but here is my true enemy: red bubble algae. This is everyfriggin'where in the tank and in places it's actually out-competing zoanthid mats. I've removed everything in the past and scraped / peroxided...it helps for a while but I obviously can't reach every last little bit and it keeps bouncing back! Screw this noise.
Process
On April 5 I drained down to the last 2" in my tank and syringed 3% peroxide from a recently opened bottle directly onto the bryopsis-affected rock, a patch of a bubble algae infested rock, and after some hesitation directly onto the affected branches of the birdsnest. There was a little polyp extension on those branches but I figured I'd take the chance to save the known good section of SPS from algae encroachment. Since I was applying directly on the rock structure in the tank the excess peroxide mixed with the fresh saltwater that was added back in. All told I applied about 6mL of peroxide.
After
Took these pictures April 8 (three days after treatment).
The bryopsis rock cleaned up a lot! It's much better though there are still some tenacious areas on the backside. Also there is still some bryopsis clinging onto the topmost branches of the birdsnest though it's hard to see in this picture.
I siphoned away some of the RBA as well as hitting it with peroxide...I honestly can't tell if there's a huge difference. It looks like some of the darker red that indicates RBA pre-bubble is receding but I'm not sure. Has there been success treating this infection with peroxide before?
Now this one is highly aggravating as I know I treated this rock with direct application of peroxide after a quarantine and before placing it in the tank. This one isn't bryopsis at least. I'll hit it again the next time I do a water change.
Ongoing...
So far so good but I'm concerned that even with direct application I won't be able to get all the areas that the creeping crud has spread because I simply can't reach it. I know for a fact that I can't get at all the bubble locations without dismantling the entire tank and I'm just not ready to do that again unless I know for certain that the problem can and will be solved. Brandon what do you think? Continue with direct application on the spots I can see, and what of the spots I can't? Thank you!
Tank stats
Biocube 14 that has been running about 18 months
Ammonia / Nitrite / Nitrate 0
PO4 detecting 0
KH 7
Ca 420
Magnesium not tested
77 deg F
Running phosguard and purigen
No skimmer
5 gallon water change once a week
Before
This is the worst of the bryopsis infection. The rock was only added to the tank a month ago which is why it's still bone white.
My new birdsnest
Good polyp extension on the part that isn't covered with a hot mess.The bryopsis is a PITA but here is my true enemy: red bubble algae. This is everyfriggin'where in the tank and in places it's actually out-competing zoanthid mats. I've removed everything in the past and scraped / peroxided...it helps for a while but I obviously can't reach every last little bit and it keeps bouncing back! Screw this noise.
Process
On April 5 I drained down to the last 2" in my tank and syringed 3% peroxide from a recently opened bottle directly onto the bryopsis-affected rock, a patch of a bubble algae infested rock, and after some hesitation directly onto the affected branches of the birdsnest. There was a little polyp extension on those branches but I figured I'd take the chance to save the known good section of SPS from algae encroachment. Since I was applying directly on the rock structure in the tank the excess peroxide mixed with the fresh saltwater that was added back in. All told I applied about 6mL of peroxide.
After
Took these pictures April 8 (three days after treatment).
The bryopsis rock cleaned up a lot! It's much better though there are still some tenacious areas on the backside. Also there is still some bryopsis clinging onto the topmost branches of the birdsnest though it's hard to see in this picture.
I siphoned away some of the RBA as well as hitting it with peroxide...I honestly can't tell if there's a huge difference. It looks like some of the darker red that indicates RBA pre-bubble is receding but I'm not sure. Has there been success treating this infection with peroxide before?
Now this one is highly aggravating as I know I treated this rock with direct application of peroxide after a quarantine and before placing it in the tank. This one isn't bryopsis at least. I'll hit it again the next time I do a water change.
Ongoing...
So far so good but I'm concerned that even with direct application I won't be able to get all the areas that the creeping crud has spread because I simply can't reach it. I know for a fact that I can't get at all the bubble locations without dismantling the entire tank and I'm just not ready to do that again unless I know for certain that the problem can and will be solved. Brandon what do you think? Continue with direct application on the spots I can see, and what of the spots I can't? Thank you!
brandon429
Active member
Csammis
Thanks for such great picture documentation thats really helpful. The red and green valonia variants will die when exposed to peroxide it just takes a few days. Its true they are hard to contact, especially when under a rock ledge in the back we didnt know about etc, and it doesnt repond well to in tank treatments it works best on an emersed treatment with direct undiluted contact. page 8 I think had some thorough kills of the green variant. And then there is my friend Snakebyt from the lubbockreefclub.com where our peroxide idea just didnt work in his big tank for the reasons you mentioned, fierce growback
But there is still a way, you really should brainstorm some new isolation contact rigs where X container is placed underwater over your targets and then a little peroxide is injected into that container for the direct/extended contact.
Truly our saran wrap underwater tarps has worked for some who dont want to take down a tank, brainstorm any other extended contact method and give it a run.
This is preferable to dumping peroxide in a tank into the water where all targets and nontargets are treated equally...this skews the dilution and contact time in favor of the nontargets and against the targets.
The curvy nature of our live rock makes it hard to get any good seal. some brainstorms that come to mind offhand are little brown medicine bottles with thick foam insulation around the opening that will mould a little to any contact surface when pressed against it. Then we inject peroxide into the little medicine bottle through a tiny hole in the side or something, hold in place several mins etc. Thats the best way I can think of to treat your rocks without removing them since you didn't list having any of the known sensitives in your system.
What Im liking best about peroxide as the pages unfold is the extreme predictability/safety we can get with it now, knowing what corals and coral systems will be fine with a trial run or five. Nearly all targets die, if they can be located and treated, and the grow back ranges system to system. The initial kill is sometimes enough to save corals that were previously being irritated and in some cases it does wipe out the invader permanently or long enough thats its of no threat any longer.
Until we find a better option or a direct natural grazer that can be relied on Id be experimenting with various underwater traps for peroxide for your particular situation its my best guess.
Thanks for such great picture documentation thats really helpful. The red and green valonia variants will die when exposed to peroxide it just takes a few days. Its true they are hard to contact, especially when under a rock ledge in the back we didnt know about etc, and it doesnt repond well to in tank treatments it works best on an emersed treatment with direct undiluted contact. page 8 I think had some thorough kills of the green variant. And then there is my friend Snakebyt from the lubbockreefclub.com where our peroxide idea just didnt work in his big tank for the reasons you mentioned, fierce growback
But there is still a way, you really should brainstorm some new isolation contact rigs where X container is placed underwater over your targets and then a little peroxide is injected into that container for the direct/extended contact.
Truly our saran wrap underwater tarps has worked for some who dont want to take down a tank, brainstorm any other extended contact method and give it a run.
This is preferable to dumping peroxide in a tank into the water where all targets and nontargets are treated equally...this skews the dilution and contact time in favor of the nontargets and against the targets.
The curvy nature of our live rock makes it hard to get any good seal. some brainstorms that come to mind offhand are little brown medicine bottles with thick foam insulation around the opening that will mould a little to any contact surface when pressed against it. Then we inject peroxide into the little medicine bottle through a tiny hole in the side or something, hold in place several mins etc. Thats the best way I can think of to treat your rocks without removing them since you didn't list having any of the known sensitives in your system.
What Im liking best about peroxide as the pages unfold is the extreme predictability/safety we can get with it now, knowing what corals and coral systems will be fine with a trial run or five. Nearly all targets die, if they can be located and treated, and the grow back ranges system to system. The initial kill is sometimes enough to save corals that were previously being irritated and in some cases it does wipe out the invader permanently or long enough thats its of no threat any longer.
Until we find a better option or a direct natural grazer that can be relied on Id be experimenting with various underwater traps for peroxide for your particular situation its my best guess.
Chris Abbott
New member
:bounce2::hammer: thanks for posting the pics, how bad did the birds nest react?
brandon429
Active member
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2282884&page=3
These guys are passionate to say the least if I wind up banned for taking the advocate side in their thread well thats not how I thought the thread would unfold it didnt seem that bad to me. Ill watch your before and after pics as a lurker keep them coming.
If he doesn't ban me maybe we can add forty more pages this year to this thread. I really need to stay out of the Chem forum and let the masters respond to peroxide threads unchallenged.
Close call on this one, I should have known better but its just so fun interacting with those dudes and wondering why they refuse to acknowledge what we collect here. Board politics can be tricky sometimes...this thread summarizes the top reasons the best chemists in this forum (disc) dislike the way i write about peroxide. Their arguments are good food for thought to anyone seeking both sides of the coin before deciding to dose. This is just the place to collect all the good bad and ugly so anyone can make an informed decision
These guys are passionate to say the least
if I wind up banned for taking the advocate side in their thread well thats not how I thought the thread would unfold it didnt seem that bad to me. Ill watch your before and after pics as a lurker keep them coming. If he doesn't ban me maybe we can add forty more pages this year to this thread. I really need to stay out of the Chem forum and let the masters respond to peroxide threads unchallenged.
Close call on this one, I should have known better but its just so fun interacting with those dudes and wondering why they refuse to acknowledge what we collect here. Board politics can be tricky sometimes...this thread summarizes the top reasons the best chemists in this forum (disc) dislike the way i write about peroxide. Their arguments are good food for thought to anyone seeking both sides of the coin before deciding to dose. This is just the place to collect all the good bad and ugly so anyone can make an informed decision
Last edited:
brandon429
Active member
Progress pics!
Tank stats
Biocube 14 that has been running about 18 months
Ammonia / Nitrite / Nitrate 0
PO4 detecting 0
KH 7
Ca 420
Magnesium not tested
77 deg F
Running phosguard and purigen
No skimmer
5 gallon water change once a week
Before
This is the worst of the bryopsis infection. The rock was only added to the tank a month ago which is why it's still bone white.
My new birdsnest
The bryopsis is a PITA but here is my true enemy: red bubble algae. This is everyfriggin'where in the tank and in places it's actually out-competing zoanthid mats. I've removed everything in the past and scraped / peroxided...it helps for a while but I obviously can't reach every last little bit and it keeps bouncing back! Screw this noise.
Process
On April 5 I drained down to the last 2" in my tank and syringed 3% peroxide from a recently opened bottle directly onto the bryopsis-affected rock, a patch of a bubble algae infested rock, and after some hesitation directly onto the affected branches of the birdsnest. There was a little polyp extension on those branches but I figured I'd take the chance to save the known good section of SPS from algae encroachment. Since I was applying directly on the rock structure in the tank the excess peroxide mixed with the fresh saltwater that was added back in. All told I applied about 6mL of peroxide.
After
Took these pictures April 8 (three days after treatment).
The bryopsis rock cleaned up a lot! It's much better though there are still some tenacious areas on the backside. Also there is still some bryopsis clinging onto the topmost branches of the birdsnest though it's hard to see in this picture.
I siphoned away some of the RBA as well as hitting it with peroxide...I honestly can't tell if there's a huge difference. It looks like some of the darker red that indicates RBA pre-bubble is receding but I'm not sure. Has there been success treating this infection with peroxide before?
Now this one is highly aggravating as I know I treated this rock with direct application of peroxide after a quarantine and before placing it in the tank. This one isn't bryopsis at least. I'll hit it again the next time I do a water change.
Ongoing...
So far so good but I'm concerned that even with direct application I won't be able to get all the areas that the creeping crud has spread because I simply can't reach it. I know for a fact that I can't get at all the bubble locations without dismantling the entire tank and I'm just not ready to do that again unless I know for certain that the problem can and will be solved. Brandon what do you think? Continue with direct application on the spots I can see, and what of the spots I can't? Thank you!
Have also been wondering if the tissue recession on the seri was stopped or did it get worse. A compromised sps specimen is fine feedback to see how well seated in the list of tolerants they should be.
csammis
Mental Institution
The birdnest is doing pretty well! There was not very much polyp extension on the algae-infested branches to begin with but now that it has cleared up some the polyps are begining to extend again. I'll get pictures tonight.
-- sent from my iPhone, please forgive typos
-- sent from my iPhone, please forgive typos
martinserrano
New member
Caulerpa Verticillata
Caulerpa Verticillata
Got a yellow tang to clean up the little buggers that kept growing back after three direct applications of Hydrogen Peroxide. He has gone to town on the Caulerpa and keeps eating it as it grows...NICE! Kept an eye on him in the LFS for a week to insure no disease prior to purchase now three days in the tank and little white spots on him. Is it just stress or ich....UGH one thing after another? Here is a pic!
Caulerpa Verticillata
Got a yellow tang to clean up the little buggers that kept growing back after three direct applications of Hydrogen Peroxide. He has gone to town on the Caulerpa and keeps eating it as it grows...NICE! Kept an eye on him in the LFS for a week to insure no disease prior to purchase now three days in the tank and little white spots on him. Is it just stress or ich....UGH one thing after another? Here is a pic!
Attachments
![20130414_222829[1].jpg](https://reefcentral-data.xenforo.cloud/attachments/119/119867-09a1031d1267bf89945ecc1db54efec8.jpg?hash=CaEDHRJnv4)
brandon429
Active member
Hi Martin I hope we get your fish treated early before it spreads and becomes a recurring issue in the tank...Im not a good fish guy but I searched and would refer this option for research
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2041951&highlight=curing+ich
I bet if we can get him healed up he will be a great steward in your tank to keep this stuff gone! Prepare to quarantine him...copper treatment etc
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2041951&highlight=curing+ich
I bet if we can get him healed up he will be a great steward in your tank to keep this stuff gone! Prepare to quarantine him...copper treatment etc
brandon429
Active member
We have no feedback on that here or at nr.com that I can recall
sure hope you snap pics of any attempts though/
what is reliable is the lists we recapped a few pages back that tell whats tolerant of trying and whats not, hopefully that will help. Are yours so bad you have to try and get em out>? mine are just a few spots and look kinda wierd but haven't hurt anything. thanks for posting though and mentioning something new~
sure hope you snap pics of any attempts though/
what is reliable is the lists we recapped a few pages back that tell whats tolerant of trying and whats not, hopefully that will help. Are yours so bad you have to try and get em out>? mine are just a few spots and look kinda wierd but haven't hurt anything. thanks for posting though and mentioning something new~
sammyhero2003
New member
MY tank with red algea
MY tank with red algea
this is my 60*60*60 cm fish only tank that have red algea
Iwant to use H2O2 and need your helps
Now the live rock is in another tank in dark place,today i brush all the rock :deadhorse1:
help me to kill all of the red algea
MY tank with red algea
this is my 60*60*60 cm fish only tank that have red algea
Iwant to use H2O2 and need your helps
Now the live rock is in another tank in dark place,today i brush all the rock :deadhorse1:
help me to kill all of the red algea
Attachments
Last edited:
brandon429
Active member
Sammy
Thank you for posting these great pics your tank is a prime candidate for success with this method. You have no sensitive-listed animals in the tank (cleaner shrimp I can see) and the rocks are very very easy to remove.
Your problem has been removing the top layer of the algae and leaving the holdfasts in the rock to regrow. peroxide is a safe biocidal kill that will usually wipe the whole body out even if you apply it to the superficial layers.
It would not be unpredictable if a few spots escape treatment and grow back, but in one more follow up round I think you will kill it off. This invader has to hitchhike in on live rock, it doesnt come from the air so after its truly killed thats the last you'll see of it unless it slips in again. The kill time to like-new rocks is about six days after treatment.
Can you get medical grade 3% peroxide, a new unopened bottle? From a grocery store or pharmacy preferably, the kind meant for human wound treatment. pure stuff.
do about 5 rocks first and resist the temptation to treat all the rocks at once, this will work so we are in no hurry. Good after pics is what we want
take the few top rocks with the growth out of the tank and pour peroxide from that bottle 3% right across them, let sit outside the tank for one minute, rinse off and put back in. thats it... dont even scrub off the algae we can watch it die in pics.
please post follow ups!! many times on our thread the keeper is happy with the results and doesnt follow up w pics but thats the heart of our thread so we really need them. it takes just about a week for it to die, so if in two days they dont look different dont worry. If you have the one type of algae that wont respond to treatment, we'll soon be able to tell, and you won't have wasted time treating every single rock. just the top ones.
If you start to see death of the algae soon after a few days and it looks receptive, go ahead and treat some more.
The filter bacteria aren't just on the outer layer of your rocks, and peroxide diluted to this degree isn't harmful anyway. they are encased in biofilm layers, tons of documentation on the web shows this, and they are also buried in the deep porosity of the rocks. This peroxide coating is wicked up by the algae matting and held rather spongily in place...its not even contacting the largest reserve of your filter bacteria in the method described above. This is why it doesnt sterilize the rock. some coralline will lighten but it will regrow, this is an easy tank to fix.
Thank you for posting these great pics your tank is a prime candidate for success with this method. You have no sensitive-listed animals in the tank (cleaner shrimp I can see) and the rocks are very very easy to remove.
Your problem has been removing the top layer of the algae and leaving the holdfasts in the rock to regrow. peroxide is a safe biocidal kill that will usually wipe the whole body out even if you apply it to the superficial layers.
It would not be unpredictable if a few spots escape treatment and grow back, but in one more follow up round I think you will kill it off. This invader has to hitchhike in on live rock, it doesnt come from the air so after its truly killed thats the last you'll see of it unless it slips in again. The kill time to like-new rocks is about six days after treatment.
Can you get medical grade 3% peroxide, a new unopened bottle? From a grocery store or pharmacy preferably, the kind meant for human wound treatment. pure stuff.
do about 5 rocks first and resist the temptation to treat all the rocks at once, this will work so we are in no hurry. Good after pics is what we want
take the few top rocks with the growth out of the tank and pour peroxide from that bottle 3% right across them, let sit outside the tank for one minute, rinse off and put back in. thats it... dont even scrub off the algae we can watch it die in pics.
please post follow ups!! many times on our thread the keeper is happy with the results and doesnt follow up w pics but thats the heart of our thread so we really need them. it takes just about a week for it to die, so if in two days they dont look different dont worry. If you have the one type of algae that wont respond to treatment, we'll soon be able to tell, and you won't have wasted time treating every single rock. just the top ones.
If you start to see death of the algae soon after a few days and it looks receptive, go ahead and treat some more.
The filter bacteria aren't just on the outer layer of your rocks, and peroxide diluted to this degree isn't harmful anyway. they are encased in biofilm layers, tons of documentation on the web shows this, and they are also buried in the deep porosity of the rocks. This peroxide coating is wicked up by the algae matting and held rather spongily in place...its not even contacting the largest reserve of your filter bacteria in the method described above. This is why it doesnt sterilize the rock. some coralline will lighten but it will regrow, this is an easy tank to fix.
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brandon429
Active member
if you have time and someone to help you take pics, have someone take pics of you actually applying the peroxide and document it, people will look to your pics and technique in follow up approaches for sure. You could directly dose the tank since you have only fish, but that is not the best method. its the slowest kill method, what we discussed above is the fastest kill method and the one you want even though it involved removing rock again, the extra work is worth it. The tank will look new in a week. repeat every few months on selected rocks until its gone, thats it...but you'll never have a whole tank takeover again.
martinserrano
New member
No more Caulerpa Verticillata!!! Peroxide Treatment along with awesome Yellow Tang and its gone!!!
brandon429
Active member
Martin thanks for the update man
Hey did i tell you I'm from nm, lived in playas/animas for 8 years
Hey did i tell you I'm from nm, lived in playas/animas for 8 years
rgnbull1227
New member
Well. Do I use Peroxide here?
sammyhero2003
New member
Tomorrow I buy 3%proxide and update the pictures
brandon can i spray the proxide on the live?or must be float in 3% proxide for 1 minute?
brandon can i spray the proxide on the live?or must be float in 3% proxide for 1 minute?
