# "RUST" on plants



## cornhusker (Jan 26, 2005)

*"rust" on plants*

Zenfish,could just be diatom algae.its kinda hard to believe you have that in a press.co2 tank.but you may try the h202 treatment,2ml per gal for about 45 min.then 50 to 60 % water change.or 3 caps of excell per day for a week.regards,cornhusker


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## SueOB1 (Mar 5, 2006)

*Rust*

Hi when I saw this thread I recognised instantly what you had because my hygro had the same brown deposit over some of its old and it's top leaves. I treated with 1ml per gallon of 3% H2O2 and within 24hrs it was almost completely gone. I left the lights off for 30 mins when I added the H2O2, but left my filter running and didn't do a water change. All plants and fish seem perfectly happy and I am planning to repeat the process in a weeks time.
Good luck
Sue


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## kamla (Feb 17, 2005)

I have similar problem, brown stuff on the plants..
My tank is over a year old. So I don’t think it Diatoms..

Also where do you guys get Hydrogen Peroxide..
And how much would I use in a 72 gal tank..
Thanks for you help


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## SueOB1 (Mar 5, 2006)

*H2o2*

I got mine by asking over the counter in a pharmacy. In the Uk you can get it as a 6% mouthwash fluid - but that also had phosphoric acid + a few other chemicals on the label. So I settled on a wound disinfectant solution which was 9% - I diluted it 1/3 with water before use (in case a fish swam into a concentrated cloud when I was adding it). Both preparations were in "brown bottles" rather than a modern branded product. I had some algae on my small foreground plants so I put drinking glasses over the plants and squirted it under the rim using a medicine syringe with a bit of bendy airline tube attached. I left the glasses in place for 5mins and then removed them. The algae on the small plants has gone and the brown deposit on the hygro has almost completely disappeared. I plan to use it again with the syringe aimed at some staghorn algae on my crypts - not sure if this will work but it's worth a try!
Sue


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## SueOB1 (Mar 5, 2006)

*H2o2*

Forgot to mention - I used 1ml of 3% H2O2 solution per gallon of tank water. Some advice I saw was for 2ml per gallon but they advised a 50% water change after about an hour. I think that as H2O2 breaks down to O2 and 
H2O quite quickly especially with light, I was safe enough useing 1ml per gallon and leaving it in the tank.
Sue


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## kamla (Feb 17, 2005)

Thanks Sue..

does anybody in the Us know if we can just pick p some place..


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## VITARTE (Jan 28, 2005)

Just go to any well stocked pharmacy and ask for peroxide.
It is pretty cheap also. 1/2L for $1.50 around here.
Rafo.


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## florafan (Jan 21, 2006)

H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide, used as an antiseptic to clean wounds and can be found in any drug store (ie. CVS, Duane Reade, etc). It is usually in the same aisle where they keep the rubbing alcohol.

I also have these ugly brown deposits on the leaves of the plants in my tank as well as hair algae growing all over. I am going to pick up a big bottle of the peroxide and give it a try!


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## koicrazy (Mar 27, 2006)

I too have that brown stuff on my plants that won't come off. I'm new to problems of a planted tank; haven't had any until recently. How much hydrogen peroxide would I need to use for 125 gal tank? Do I need to turn lights off or not?

Thanks
Tamara


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## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

Diatoms usually disappear after a while, just keep nutrient levels in check. I'm assuming these are all recently setup aquariums? That's when diatoms seem to flourish, when things are just starting out.


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## koicrazy (Mar 27, 2006)

Mine isn't; it's about a year old. I did have the diatom in the early stages and nothing has been the same since.


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## kamla (Feb 17, 2005)

Same here.. My tank is over a year old.. i dont think i have diatoms because i cannot rub them off the leaves.
I have beaten back all sort of alage problems now this rust alage..
it cannot be rubbed of th eleaves or the driftwood, But when i scrap it with my nail it comes off..

I will try hydrogen peroxide and then do 3 x30% WC over 2 days.. 

Also is there a silica test for FW just to check if my tap water has a lot od silica in it..

Thanks
Kamla


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## SueOB1 (Mar 5, 2006)

No my tank isn't new either - I have been keeping fish in it for approx 14 years. I have kept an assorted range of plants often with lots of algae problems. Since reading TPT and ripping it down before Xmas, it has behaved itself perfectly except for some staghorn and this rusty brown deposit on lighter green leaves. The ottos (that I bought after reading up on diatoms) do clean over the leaves but didn't seem to remove it, but the H2O2 that I used certainly dented it! I do have a phosphate problem with my tap water (measures 7+) so I now use a resin to remove most of it (to 1) but if silicates are often raised with high phoshates that could be part of the problem. I think I need to do more reading but I will keep this thread posted if I manage to beat it or the staghorn
Sue:fish:


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## zenfish (Jan 29, 2006)

WOW,guess I am not the only one who has this algae..well I did test my tank the same day,didnt test all parameters,but here is what I did test...nitrates were 0ppm.usually is at 5 on wc day...phosphate 5..Looking back over the last 3 weks it averaged between 2-5ppm.Last I tested was iron which was 0.1..which as far as I can tell is right on..I didnt test KH,GH,or PH,as these usually run the same which is...KH 170ppm.aout 7 or so I believe on the dKH..GH runs 75ppm.and PH is usually anywhere from 6.6-7.0..a bit of bounce as I turn my co2 off at night...
I was dosing fleet 2 times a week,but I am stopping at this time as my tank has a pretty good fish load and I want to see this comeing sunday how it is reading..and will probably test all parameters again tommorrow.
I average 50% water change a week,but the 25th saturday I only did a 35%..
I have also upped my dosages of the ferts i my tank this week..everything but the fleet..
24 drops of trace,kno3/potassium..10 ml...
magnesium...24 drops..BTW 20 drops=1ml.
the main reson I am upping dosages is because recently read that stargrass is a huge eater of ferts...and while mine was doing very good,I want to (insert arnold voice here) "PUMP IT UP"
LOL..I will definetly try the peroxide wich you reccommend sue..
Also the reson I am cutting back o my fleet dosing is I want to see what affect it has on the thread algae..ANd yes have read on here that upping it will get rid of the thread algae but I want to experiment...and since I keep pretty good notes I will hopefully be able to get some sound info o what works and what doesnt.
My first gut feeling is that this rust may have something to do with lighting..I am running maybe 2 watts a gallon,and everything is growing great.and new growth looks awesome,,it is the older growth where see this rust forming..
I have abit of green spot,a bit of thread and thats it otherwise..
Hopefully we can whip this bugger and it will dissapear like so many co2 bubbles hitting the top of the water..
Peace and plenty ,
Zenfish..
(who is about to take his keyboard out and give it a good smack if it dosnt behave)..


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## kamla (Feb 17, 2005)

So i bought the hydrogen peroxide, its a 3% mix.

i have a 72 gal tank..
how much should i put in..

Thanks
Guys..


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## SueOB1 (Mar 5, 2006)

Sorry for delay in answering Kamla
I have used 1ml per gallon on 3% peroxide with no ill effects, so for your 72g tank that would be 72ml.
I have praecox rainbow fish, harlequins, ottos, SAE, lampeyes, pearl danios, upside down catfish, albino corys, snails and a molly in my tank - and all have survived the tank treatment OK.
As posted before I placed drinking glasses over algae affected plants and turned the tank lights off. I directed the 3% H2O2 under the glass rim using a medicine syringe with flexible plastic tube attached and left them in place for 5-10mins before removing them. I turned the tank lights back on after 30mins. This hit the algae on the small plants and the brown deposit on the hygro faded to a thin border on the leaves, after the second treatment a week later it disappeared. I’m sure it will reappear as I haven’t sorted out the imbalance that causes it – but if I can keep it in check at least the plants get better growth. They continue to pearl and have good general growth so I guess the H2O2 hasn’t damaged them either.
Some threads I read recommended higher doses – like 2ml per gallon but I recon it’s better to start small and see how your fish/plants react than throw in a big dose and regret it!
Good luck
Sue


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## kamla (Feb 17, 2005)

thanks Sue..
But my problem was more wide spread..
i have 2 huge peaces of drift wood..
they are cover d with brown algae..
I thought I had the same problem as you..
So I just dosed the whole tank.. 
It had no effect on the algae..
So over the weekend I removed the Driftwood and scrubbed them,,

Boy if I could taken a pics of the crap that was on them..
Now the drift wood looks totally different..

I hope this algae does not come back.. I hate to see plants covered with this Crap..

I have upped the Co2 …
Now it’s a waiting game..


Kamla


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