# API Algaefix thoughts/experience?



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

This subject has been a subject of great debate in the past. You will hear a variety of different people stating that it killed their fish, others use it to no dismay at all. I have used it, and continue to use it if I need to. I will admit that I use it at half dose. At full dose my fish seem to kind of start shaking/vibrating or just freaking out in general (for only a short amount of time.) What I will do is add a bit to the water after a water change, like half dose what is recommended. I have never lost a fish, but I can say that it is not invertebrate safe. I have only used it with a community tank with tetras, rainbows and hatchets. I bought the bottle a year ago and it is only about 1 inch from the top of the bottle if that tells you how much I have used it. I got green water once, put some in there without a water change, like 10 minutes later it was 100% better to my surprise. 

Some people will probably call me cruel bc when I do use it I can see that my fish are unhappy, but after about 10 minutes of swimming fast/darting they are always fine.

I guess you could say I use it more as a precaution on my corner tank that gets direct sunlight. I will add like one drop per gallon of water that I change. (not every water change though)


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## rininger85 (Jun 30, 2013)

that seemed to be the same precaution on that reef forum that some people have had issues with certain fish and freshwater inverts, they said they had saltwater inverts in the SPS reef tank they were treating which seemed to be OK with it though. The only inverts I have in my FW tank are hitchhiker snails, so I'm not worried about them dying (already killed them all off once when my tank crashed but apparently their eggs still hatch after everything else dies off from ammonia/nitrite being through the roof...) they are already back to plague proportions in just a couple of months (and still not keeping up with my algae!)

The guy on the reef forum that was posting about it was running a skimmer that he said put out a lot of green skimmate while using the algaefix, so that might be beneficial as well I guess, that the skimmer is actively removing the algaefix as its doing its job...

My biggest concern is just the plants... if I kill off my plants I'm going to scrap my planted tank and go with a bigger SW tank, so hoping to get my algae under control so I can have a nice planted tank for a while since I've already invested so much money in to converting it to a planted tank...


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## Brian_Cali77 (Mar 19, 2010)

I've used algaefix to cure some nasty spiro algae that just wouldn't go away by any other means. I dosed it conservatively. It will kill shrimp and had some effect on O2, so you should run an airstone, remove carbon, do a blackout, while in treatment. 

I researched it heavily and found some threads where Dr. Tom Barr recommended it in some cases because it's a "selective" killer. It truly is because it knocked out the spiro algae and didn't even harm my flame moss or HC. 

I've also used it against rhizo. It's not effective against BBA, GSA, and other forms of algae (names escape me..so research). The latter problems should be corrected by safer means anyways by addressing root causes (ie. CO2, lighting, PWC's, etc.).

Check out post #305 by Tom Barr... I hate using chemicals myself to solve any aquarium related issue but I'm a believer after using it sparingly. It's just another tool. 

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/9553-120-gallon-Dutch-Planted-something-or-another/page31

Especially where he states, "So far this product [algaefix] was effective killing the most troublesome hair algae species(Rhizo, Spirogyra, Vaucheria, Cladophora)."


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I have used it with no ill effects. I actually used to use it all the time, before I educated myself on any of this, just thinking algae happens and this stuff kills it. Now that I have read up more, I am much more careful if I use it. I make sure it is a last resort type of thing. If I can, I do remove my fish as well, even though I have never had negative consequence with fish. I did kill 2 ghost shrimp with this product way back and it didn't take much to do so. I guess my point is, even though I have had success, I still use it as a last resort. I usually stick a HOB on since I don't have an air pump.


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## rininger85 (Jun 30, 2013)

I've done two doses on my tank so far with no ill effects. I do watch the fish pretty closely to make sure they aren't having troubles breathing, so far so good. I also keep my HOB running, and I noticed that I had to clean my filter pretty fast (within a day, vs. usually once a week) after treating algaefix, so not sure if its starting to work on the algae already which might be causing the filter to clog faster or if its just the treatment gunking up the filter... but I'll probably do a 3rd treatment tonight...


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## jfynyson (Apr 15, 2013)

Algaefix was the only thing I found to get rid of my green beard / fuzz algae. Worked great and I've never had any ill fish. Also, I have a few tiny snails that came along with a RAOK I received from some stems that I didn't perform my H2O2 dip on and they seem fine with the Algaefix. I guess they are too small for my clown loach to bother with otherwise he's usually good and taking out snails.


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## UDGags (Sep 13, 2009)

Worked great for me but I wouldn't use it with shrimp.


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## rininger85 (Jun 30, 2013)

when I first dosed algaefix I had a couple of snails that were at the top of the tank that randomly fell to the bottom, not sure if it was a reaction to the algaefix or not... but I added a clown loach last week too, hes fun to watch because he flips them over and sucks the snails out... last night I watched him as he was eating snail eggs and they looked like they tasted good with his reactions =)


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