Hair Algae Experiment - Successful

[Islandoftiki]

Kent Tech M is the tool of choice for bryposis, IMO. Did it in my tank. Aside from two frags of zoas bleaching, nothing else in the tank was affected. I'm not a big fan of zoas anyhow, so no big loss... and they're still alive, and getting their color back.

 

I've heard of people spot dosing with peroxide followed by Tech M and having some level of success with that. Not sure how long term.

[metrokat]

Well poophole. The spots that have undergone chemotherapy have stayed in remission for 2 weeks so far. You're telling me that relapse is just around the corner ?

 

I hate bryopsis.

2 weeks? your bryopsis stayed away 2 weeks so far? That's very good but ....

[metrokat]

Sacrificial frag. It has bryopsis.

 

Juice

 

Smothered

 

LPS frag in the tank bubbling

[xiaoxiy]

That frag of zoas probably won't even be phased by the jooce.

[metrokat]

yesh zoas do okay with peroxide. so let's see how these turn out.

[Rollermonkey]

Ooh! Neat!

[metrokat]

Update: the frags and areas I had poured the goo on is clean of algae of every kind including bryopsis. Now to wait and watch to see if it re-appears.

[tibbsy07]

I wonder if using the peroxide paste as a "toothpaste" would work even better? Put some on the frag, let it sit/soak, then use an extra soft child's (because of the size of the head) toothbrush to scrub some of it off? That might help remove it from the base of the frag as well? I sort of think of this like hand-washing... The soap (even antibacterial [side note: don't even get me started on antibacterial soap]) really only loosens the bacteria/dirt. It's largely the physical action of drying your hands with a paper towel that removes the bacteria.

[brandon429]

it could help with further movement of the peroxide into the holdfast base yes Im for it if the area is accessible like that

 

that specific activity could lessen or stop grow back, its a more thorough form of removal. physical removal alone without the biocide isnt very helpful, but as a team there seems to be something beyond just simply applying the peroxide with no form of friction removal as well

 

nice thread

[metrokat]

I wonder if using the peroxide paste as a "toothpaste" would work even better? Put some on the frag, let it sit/soak, then use an extra soft child's (because of the size of the head) toothbrush to scrub some of it off? That might help remove it from the base of the frag as well? I sort of think of this like hand-washing... The soap (even antibacterial [side note: don't even get me started on antibacterial soap]) really only loosens the bacteria/dirt. It's largely the physical action of drying your hands with a paper towel that removes the bacteria.

it does not work instantly. takes a few days. scrubbing will not do anything till it is white and dying.

[tibbsy07]

it does not work instantly. takes a few days. scrubbing will not do anything till it is white and dying.

Right, but if it dies and then you scrub it off, it's probably better than just leaving it alone at that point.

 

I wonder if one could increase the H₂O₂ concentration and see a better effect?

[xiaoxiy]

Right, but if it dies and then you scrub it off, it's probably better than just leaving it alone at that point.

 

I wonder if one could increase the H₂O₂ concentration and see a better effect?

Out of curiosity, I tried baking soda with H₂O₂ again, instead of H₂O₂ alone​. This time, I noticed that something about the baking soda seemed to catalyze the rate at which peroxide reacted/broke down, releasing 10x more bubbles than pure H₂O₂ in-tank spot treating did. The algae also turns white a lot faster than pure H₂O₂ alone too.

 

However, I also had some sort of worm in the vicinity and a ton of pods die too.

 

I dosed 1ml of the sludge.

[tibbsy07]

Out of curiosity, I tried baking soda with H₂O₂ again, instead of H₂O₂ alone​. This time, I noticed that something about the baking soda seemed to catalyze the rate at which peroxide reacted/broke down, releasing 10x more bubbles than pure H₂O₂ in-tank spot treating did. The algae also turns white a lot faster than pure H₂O₂ alone too.

 

However, I also had some sort of worm in the vicinity and a ton of pods die too.

 

I dosed 1ml of the sludge.

That makes sense as the baking soda keeps the contact of the H2O2 with the target and probably decreases the level of dilution. I would expect a sludge of H2O2 to be more effective at target treatment than just liquid H2O2. Also makes sense that those inverts in the area would die.

[xiaoxiy]

3 Hours Post Treatment:

 

Hair algae in different parts of the tank (i.e untreated parts) are now also beginning to turn white.

 

Well, I hope I didn't also accidentally kill my nitrifying bacteria too.

 

I have to say, previous H₂O₂ treatments, whether with baking soda or without have never yielded such extreme results... I swear I used the same amount as before too. Wtf.

 

EDIT:

 

Here's a full disclosure of what I did.

 

1) H2O2 Treatment with Baking Soda Sludge

2) 40% Water Change

3) Added Purigen into my tank

4) I might remove my shitty skimmer later today and replace it with a bag of Chemi-Pure or some form of activated carbon.

[DLANDINO]

I am so glad that everyone is finding this useful and am thankful for all of the feedback! Keep up the testing and good work!

[Dark_ice]

I'm so late to this but im finding this amazing! going to try it tonight.

[brandon429]

wanted to add that Ive never seen even a peroxide overdose of 3% cause any ammonia spike and inferred bacterial loss. what once was assumed to be the sole reason not to add peroxide to a living tank was completely leveled as not the case in our two big threads

 

and, at the cost of some 12 year memberships on certain boards, there are still chem mods who disagree

 

 

but the fact remains, no threat to nitrifying bacteria or we'll soon see a spate of ammonia crashed tanks

 

we've waited three years just to find one, so far.

[natalia_la_loca]

When you're treating with baking soda goop, do you find that it stays put?

 

At one point I tried weighing down the peroxide with fruit pectin. The gel was carried up in the water column by the H202 bubbles and then rained down on my corals like napalm

 

I was able to remove most of it with a turkey baster, but it was a hassle.

[DLANDINO]

When you're treating with baking soda goop, do you find that it stays put?

 

At one point I tried weighing down the peroxide with fruit pectin. The gel was carried up in the water column by the H202 bubbles and then rained down on my corals like napalm

 

I was able to remove most of it with a turkey baster, but it was a hassle.

Mine did float up on the bubbles that were being created by the reaction. It also slid down off of the algae that was on a slope. I just made sure that I blew any of the falling solution away from corals to prevent colateral damage. I like your pectin inginuity.

[tibbsy07]

wanted to add that Ive never seen even a peroxide overdose of 3% cause any ammonia spike and inferred bacterial loss. what once was assumed to be the sole reason not to add peroxide to a living tank was completely leveled as not the case in our two big threads

 

and, at the cost of some 12 year memberships on certain boards, there are still chem mods who disagree

 

 

but the fact remains, no threat to nitrifying bacteria or we'll soon see a spate of ammonia crashed tanks

 

we've waited three years just to find one, so far.

A ton of bacteria have ways of coping with peroxide, oxygen free radicals, etc. I'd be willing to be that most marine microbes can, as they have to be able to cope with fluctuating conditions, including chemical reactions. I didn't see any major issues when I dosed lab-grade peroxide (30% concentration). Cyano didn't like it, but eventually came back.

[xiaoxiy]

Update:

Without a doubt, mixing the peroxide with baking soda catalyzes/speeds up breakdown of peroxide, or increases the speed at which peroxide reacts in our tanks.

 

Today, I mixed baking soda with peroxide, and only sucked up the peroxide in a pipet to spot treat my algae. I still got massive amounts of bubbles, as opposed to not mixing the peroxide.

[vegasgundog]

Ok, going to try it on my algae I festations. First it was just the dictyota macro taking over, now its gha. Ive reduced feeding, increased ramp time for leds to cut down on lighting. Manual removal of the dictoya hasnt helped. On a side note, gha is pushing out dictyota in some places. Planning on baiting cleaner shrimp (bribing) with pieces of frozen shrimp to stay away. Lord help me.

[DLANDINO]

Good luck with this and please do let us know how it goes.

[brandon429]

the shrimp need to be qt or have a 95% chance of loss

 

its cleaner shrimp that w likely die as most other shrimp are tolerant. Im even finding now that n. caridina freshwater multicolored shrimp are peroxide resistant as well.

[xiaoxiy]

the shrimp need to be qt or have a 95% chance of loss

 

its cleaner shrimp that w likely die as most other shrimp are tolerant. Im even finding now that n. caridina freshwater multicolored shrimp are peroxide resistant as well.

I suspect that peroxide treatment over a span of 1 month ended up killing my cleaner shrimp.

 

PSA: Please quarantine your cleaner shrimps during this treatment.