# Using H202 as an algicide?



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I don't know if I"m simply too tired to figure this out, or if I"m completely brain dead, but I am having problems wrapping my head around this.

I am having a horrible algae outbreak (BBA and Nasty Staghorn, and a touch of BGA). I let my nutrient balance get WAY outta whack and algae took over in the space of a week. I have upped my nitrates and cranked the CO2 up, but I am having minimal affect on the staghorn.

I have been reading about treating algae with Hydrogen Peroxide, but seem to be getting mixed reviews on the amount of a standard 3% solution (standard pharmacy grade stuff) to use per gallon.

The tank in question is a 45 gallon, but with only about 35 gallons of water (the rest being used up by rockwork and substrate).

I understand that to be most effective, it should be applied by syringe directly to the affected area, but I don't know how much is "safe" to add to the tank.

Can anyone help me out on this? I'm at my wits end.. and it would be a royal pain to tear out all my plants, wood and tear down the slate wall to dip everything in a bleach solution.

Ideally I would like to spot dose the affected areas and add a few SAE's later to help maintain the tank, along with a balanced nutrient reginment and high CO2. I jsut need something to knock back whats there, pruning is having problems keeping up with the stuff


----------



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Physically remove the algae...

I've read about H2O2 as well. I've used as a dip to sterilize my plants of BGA.. and other nasties. It seems to work. If the solution is too strong or you dip it too long, the plant might melt though.

I've never used it as a spot treatment in the tank itself.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I am removing it as much as I can while preserving the plants as much as I can... but there are some really stubborn spots in the glossostigma and java ferns I cant simply remove... This is why I was hoping to spot treat these areas.. very frustrating


----------



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I've dosed 2mL/gallon without any problems before....do you have inverts in the tank?

Turn off your filter. Load up the syringe with 50-60mL (just to be safe) and then spot treat the affected areas. Do a 30% WC 30-40 minutes after letting it sit, then turn your filter back on.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I have several species of shrimp in this tank, many varieties of snails, otto's, cardinal tetras and Platties.

I have read conflicting reports, some saying do water changes, some saying do not.. some saying that re-treating after an hour is possible... some people even talk about dosing the entire tank.

Will the treatment affect the inverts adversly?


----------



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

The first time I treated my tank, I didn't do a WC. A day later, ALL of my anacharis melted. I wouldn't dose more than 2mL/gallon in the beginning.

My shrimp didn't seem so happy when I spot-treated areas lower to the substrate where they were hanging out. They all made it though.


----------



## bigstick120 (May 23, 2005)

Here is a good link
Eliminating Algae with H2O2

I have used it successfully with 1ml per gallon, turn off all filter and anything that will cause the water to move. Squirt the affected areas and then let sit for about 20 minutes, 50% water change I didnt have shrimp at the time so I cant help there. I did this for maybe 2-3 weeks weekly and it was gone.


----------



## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Gareth, not sure on the Staghorn, but the old Excel direct squirt method will work perfectly on any BBA.


----------



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Also, if you have BGA, consider giving them a nice Antibiotics treatise. It will cost a few bucks for a 45gal tank, but it might give your plants the needed boost to get over the algae competition.

My newly redone 100gal is going through a similar algae, and I just got rid of the cyanos, and it's amazing how plants started to grow with record speed after a few weeks of stagnation.


----------



## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

Betowess said:


> Gareth, not sure on the Staghorn, but the old Excel direct squirt method will work perfectly on any BBA.


Gareth/Bob, Excel spot treatments kill off staghorn algae as well. It even works on Cladaphora, but takes a lot more treatments.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Wasserpest said:


> Also, if you have BGA, consider giving them a nice Antibiotics treatise. It will cost a few bucks for a 45gal tank, but it might give your plants the needed boost to get over the algae competition.
> 
> My newly redone 100gal is going through a similar algae, and I just got rid of the cyanos, and it's amazing how plants started to grow with record speed after a few weeks of stagnation.


I"m not too worried about the BGA, its barely noticable and is only really growing on the surface where the moss is coming out of the water. I'll nuke it pretty easily.

Its the staghorn thats worrying me.. its exploding in the right side of the tank.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Ok so when using excel to treat the algae... its best to use 2-3 times to recomended dose for the total water volume of the tank, and spot treat? I've never done this so I"m just trying to get all the info.


----------



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

There's two doses. X and Y. X is a large dose after the WC. Y is the daily dosage. Only double/triple Y and use that amount to spot treat. 

People have doubled X and killed off plants.


----------



## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

This isn't something I recommend doing for too long of a period of time. The H2O2 does work great for spot treatments, but regular use could also harm the plants tissues and fauna.


----------



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Are you guys talking about a 100% solution or a 3% solution you get from the pharmacy?


----------



## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

GDominy said:


> Ok so when using excel to treat the algae... its best to use 2-3 times to recomended dose for the total water volume of the tank, and spot treat? I've never done this so I"m just trying to get all the info.


Gareth, there is a lot of info on the Excel sticky toward the middle back of the thread. But in a nutshell, kill the filter for a few minutes and leave off for five to ten minutes to stop current in the tank while performing the chem warfare. Use straight Excel not diluted... Then with a dosing syringe spray a few mils per affected area directly on the BBA. You can get three or four squirts out of a 12 ml dosing syringe. The BBA will turn red then white within 12-24 hours and its dead. And the other plants will benefit from the Excel too. On a 40 gallon I wouldn't put over 20 mls at a time. Give it a day or so before treating any BBA you missed. Works like a charm.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

ok... well I'm experimenting.

I have spot treated certain parts of the tank with Excel, and others with H202. H202 certainly had a more vigorous result, but we'll see over the next couple of days. I'm curious to see which method will be more effective.

If the H202 proves to be as good as the Excel treatment I will probably stick with that route, as it's considerably cheaper.

I'll post reports of hte progess in a couple of days.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

interesting.... While the H202 had a more vigorous initial reaction.. it seems that even after just a few hours the Excel has made a more noticable change.

The BBA and staghorn that was blasted with excel has already turned red, while the algae treated with H202 is more of a brown colour.


----------



## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

mistergreen said:


> Are you guys talking about a 100% solution or a 3% solution you get from the pharmacy?


Definitely the 3% solution.


----------



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

AaronT said:


> Definitely the 3% solution.




LOL. A 100% solution would go...BOOM!


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

So far the results are intersting.

This first picture is the glossostigma that I treated with H202 about 6 hours ago. Results are promising, the algae is turning redish brown.










This second picture is from the badly infested portion of the tank. The algae was hidden from view in a bunch of plants up untill a couple of days ago and I didnt realize how bad it had gotten. This alage I hit with Excel, and as you can see, the damage to the algae is far more pronounced then the H202 treated area's. The algae here has turned bright red in just under 6 hours (from its previous dark grey/green colour)










This last image is taken about 8 inches to the right of the second picture, so its also in the problem area. This stuff was hit with H202 and seem sto be dying pretty quickly too.


----------



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

that's really interesting. But make sure to fix the problem that caused the algae in the first place.


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Already have. I was using a bum nitrate testing kit and my nitrates were next to nothing... plants were sucking it dry (not a heavy fish load).


----------



## Color Me Blue (Nov 10, 2005)

How are your inverts doing?


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Inverts are doing fine so far! In fact I spotted a baby shrimp about 2 hours after I dosed initially (first one I've seen in the tank)


----------



## sfcallen (Dec 13, 2006)

Very nice, much less expensive than the excel method.


----------

