Algaefix Marine

Good to hear!!!!

 

you have never heard of high alk burning corals????????

 

Update Day 4

Well I added the second dose yesterday, and when I got home tonite, I noticed some of the algae on some of the rocks was taking on a grayish appearance on the ends of the hair. I do my maintenance on Wed and Sat. I went in with a toothbrush, and the algae that looked ill, came off the rocks alot easier than normal! I scrubbed as much as I could off, and will hit it again Sat. Now for the biggest change. I went to change out my filter sock, and it was almost overflowing. It is never more than about an inch or two above the water line. I am hoping it is because pieces of the algae are falling off and being trapped in the bag. No problems yet with fish, inverts, or corals. I will keep updating!!!

 

No, I never heard of raising alk to battle hair algae. Also never knew it would burn corals---thanks for the info!

 

ok I have never heard of raising alk to battle hair algae. i have heard of raising mag to battle it and that works pretty well but I wouldn't do it long term. High alk will certainly cause tissue necrosis in stony corals and I'm sure it would have negative effect on all other corals too.

 

Update Day 8 Dose 3

Well here is the latest. I dosed Fri night (dose 3). I have to say that there is a definate improvement. I see tufts of GHA flying around the tank now and then, and the filter sock is still collecting more than normal. I did water testing yesterday and found PH at 7.8. I have never seen my PH this low. Dont know if it is because of the traetment, or just coincidence. I buffed my make-up water, so no biggie there. My Chaeto thusfar seems unaffected, as well as the fish, inverts, and corals. I have been manually scrubbing the rocks as well. I am starting to believe that this stuff will greatly reduce, but not eliminate all of the hair algae. It is a great tool as far as making it release from the rocks when you scrub it off. None has re-grown where I removed it. I still suggest you eliminate the source (Nitrates, Phosphates, Overfeeding etc.)
All in all this has worked far better than expected so far. I will keep updating.

 

thats good i have the same gh problem but i learned that my ph and alkalinity were outa wack also a good way to remove manually was with a tooth brush taht way snails/other algae eaters can eat the small stuff also dont get an algae blenny they eat small algae but over all they dont make a big impact on the amount of algae in the tank. ive also heard mixed results on this chemical product but mainly good but be careful this chemical has something in it that can cause cancer so wash hands after touching water of product

 

Not to burst the bubble but I work part time for my LFS and we will not carry this product the pond version pulls oxygen from the water so use caution when used. Most the threads dont explain this. I have had customers come in with dead inverts after using the product they bought some place else. But as we all know in this hobby we learn something new everyday. So maybe it will work maybe not but good luck.

 

I've had good luck with Algaefix Marine. My 58-gallon reef tank developed some GHA problems after it had been running 5-6 years. I battled it with conventional methods off and on for another 2 years, scrubbing rocks (even quarantining infested rocks), installing a refugium, cutting lights, getting phosphates down, and so forth. Never could pin down the problem and did not really get control of it until I dosed with Algaefix Marine. Took only 3 doses to clear up my problem. I've been using it as directed once a week for a couple of months now with no ill effects (that I can see). For a 58-gallon tank, I use a teaspoonful, slightly less than the recommended amount. It's not a miracle cure. I still change water religiously (10% a week at least), control phosphates, keep the lights maintained (T5s), test weekly, keep the alkalinity and pH up and employ a lawnmower blenny as a biological check. Bottom line: If algae gets ahead of you, try this stuff, but use it as directed and continue with conventional controls. As always, there's no substitute for regular maintenance and upkeep. But Algaefix Marine is another arrow in your quiver.

In the words of Buffalo Springfield, "For What It's Worth...."

 

3 week update with pics

Well here we are 3 weeks into this little venture. I have been absolutely stunned on how well this stuff has worked, and how little effect it has had on the corals and other inhabitants. I reduced the dosage after dose 5. I went to every 5th day instead of every 3rd. The algae keeps reducing and is all but gone. There are a few stubborn spots on certain rocks, but even they are starting to fade. I started using the Sonic Scrubber to knock off the dead stuff. It is like round-up in the garden. It kills, but you still have to remove the dead weed. About the only negative effect I have had is my Chaeto is not going as crazy as it normally does, but is still green and healthy. My Candy Cane is not as open as it used to be, but definately not dying. That is about it. Anyway here are some pics...remember these were my worst 2 rocks, so you can imagine that the rest of the tank is virtually clean and clear.

Before



After



Before



After



You be the judge--I still keep my GFO and Charcoal running--Skimmer ran the whole time. This is just my experience--I hope this post has helped someone thinking about the use of this product. It brought me back from the brink of a complete teardown and nuke! I will keep updating this thread.