# Algaefix... Could it be the answer?



## the4x4hoss (Sep 5, 2011)

I have had a hair algae outbreak for the last couple weeks on a newly planted tank. I remove the majority of the the algae daily by vacuuming and mechanical means followed by approximately 80 gallon water changes. My nitrates are running in the 40-80 ppm range and I was hoping that the water changes and the addition of a bunch of hygrophilla difformis would bring these numbers down and aide in the algae eradication but it hasn't helped. CO2 is running fine and the drop checker is yellow by the end of the light cycle(2.4wpg for 6 hours, 1 hour break). 

I read something earlier today about Algaefix being effective at killing hair algae but it was harmful to invertebrates... If I were to remove my nerites for a week or so and dose the hell out of the tank would Algaefix kill the hair algae and the damn pond snails that got into my tank? Is there any other fauna that should be removed prior to dosing?


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## nanobettaman (Sep 5, 2007)

It's completely deadly to shrimp. It doesn't phase my ramshorns, and my nerites just went and hid in a corner. YMMV.

The manufacturer states that it dissipates in about 24 hours, but some people claim that their tank remained deadly to shrimp for far far longer. My own experience is that after a week and a 50% water change I haven't lost any shrimp after re-introduction. Again, your mileage may vary...


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

I had a bad outbreak of spirogyra. Nothing was getting rid of it. On the advice of Tom Barr I just got done with a 5 day dose of it after removing my inverts. I lost no fish. Spirogyra turned white and died so I am very happy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

It doesnt kill every algae either. And it is possible that it in higher dosages can kill ur plants while trying to remove tougher algaes


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

Apparently kills clado, spiro, GSA, green water and GDA. If it kills BBA or stag, I have missed that. I only have experience with it killing spiro, I did not have any other algaes present. It can kill your plants and fish, however. It had no effect on my oto cats, espei rasboras or my dwarf gourami. Also had no adverse affect on my blyxa or staurgoyne repens. This was at the recommended dosage of 1ml per 10 gallons, but I did 5 days instead of 3. Big WC before and after treatment.

Like anything else, it's a good tool but will not solve the cause of the algae if you have something out of whack, which you did if you have algae. For me, I had an ammonia spike from adding a handful of Amazonia to a tank to level out a hill. Coupled with a trim, this brought on the spiro immediately and it spread from there.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Sounds like you have excess of either light or mineral content in the water column.

What is your photo period and dosing regiment?


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## the4x4hoss (Sep 5, 2011)

acitydweller said:


> Sounds like you have excess of either light or mineral content in the water column.
> 
> What is your photo period and dosing regiment?



135gal with 40 gallon sump powered by a mag 9.5, pressurized CO2

Lighting is 320W T5HO (approximately 2.4wpg)on for 3 hours, off for an hour, and then on for 3 hours.

As far as the mineral content of the the water, I could not tell you my TDS but the water around here is kinda neutral. Soft enough for soap to lather well and hard enough rinse soap cleanly away.

PH : 7.2
Ammonia : 0.0 ppm
Nitrite : 0.0 ppm
Nitrate : 40 ppm

I haven't been dosing for the past 3 weeks.


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

How heavily planted are you? If your nitrates are staying at 40ppm, you are either overstocked/overfeeding or underplanted. Also, keep on dosing ferts - even if your nitrates are up there. They still need stuff like potassium, phosphate, micros, etc. Just don't bother with dosing nitrates until you see consumption increase.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> It doesnt kill every algae either. And it is possible that it in higher dosages can kill ur plants while trying to remove tougher algaes


Did not harm a single species of plant in4 test I've run so far.

If you are using it and not following the label and adding more, well............

Works on Green algae only near as I can determine IME.
GDA(tentatively). Hair algae: Cladphora, Pithophora, Spirogyra, Rhizoclonium, Vaucheria etc), have not tried it on GW.

Will NOT work on BBA, BGA etc.
Does NOT solve underlying problem/s.

Here's an example: but it was used mostly to kill off low grade fire shrimps, it did not accomplish that.
Hair algae was added and CO2 was reduced by raising the pH up 0.3pH units. Bloom ensued.
If I was going to kill the shrimp may as well test the stuff against these wimpy plant species also.
This way I learn more about the product.
It's an EPA registered pesticide.

Like Excel, if you overdose, you can kill fish and other things.
Same with CO2 for that matter.

This is 4 days after the initial treatment:


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## the4x4hoss (Sep 5, 2011)

TexasCichlid said:


> How heavily planted are you? If your nitrates are staying at 40ppm, you are either overstocked/overfeeding or underplanted. Also, keep on dosing ferts - even if your nitrates are up there. They still need stuff like potassium, phosphate, micros, etc. Just don't bother with dosing nitrates until you see consumption increase.



I know I am under planted and have been trying to get my hands on some more plants.

The fauna includes:

11 Neons
13 Harlequin Rasboras
4 Ghost Catfish
7 Corys
4 Otos
8 Nerites
3 Dwarf African Frogs

I feed one cube of either brine shrimp or daphinia, an 1/8 tsp of flake, and 7 shrimp pellets once a day and every third day I feed an API algae wafer for the otos. Everything is gone in less than 5 min with the exception of the algae wafer that lasts about 2 days.

I have been holding out on the dosing because it seems like a waste do me since I am doing daily 60% water changes but will resume if yall think it will help.


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## Trickerie (May 10, 2012)

Whats your CO2 concentration? Post KH and PH values tested simultaneously please.


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## cjp999 (Nov 18, 2008)

Old thread, but I thought my experience would be useful for anyone that stumbles here. One of my tanks may have been exposed to hair/thread algae. The tank has RCS, Amanos, and nerites. Only two fish: a Khuli loach and an oto.

Rather than risk having the hair algae turn up and having to yank all the inverts out to treat the tank, I decided to try a very reduced dose, hoping the inverts would tolerate it, and it would be enough to knock down any minute amounts of hair algae that may have started.

The tank is a 46g, so probably about 40g of water in it. Instructions say to dose 1ml per 10g ever 3 days. I put a total of 1ml in the tank, so that's 1/4 of a full dose. I checked on the tank at least every hour. Everything seemed fine until about 3 hours later. Dead RCS! The other shrimp seemed fine and were still feeding like nothing was wrong. I looked around a bit more and noticed far fewer baby RCS than I had seen a couple hours previous. Also noticed my Khuli loach was hanging out in the open. He normally panics when I come in the room and seeks shelter. Even a tap on the glass a couple of inches away did not get a reaction. I'm doing a 50% water change now. Will follow up with at least one more. I already found 1 more dead RCS during this first change.

Tom Barr has has a thread on this where in his experience RCS were much more tolerant than what I'm seeing. I wondering if I'm having issues because I also 2x dose Excel.


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