pico reef pest algae problem challenge

[drtechno]

There's like 8 RBTAs (came from one, thing keeps splitting) which will be very very tricky since I saw you mention they are sensitive.

Another idea I have is to soak a sponge thing that I have in H2O2, wring it out, and use that to agitate the algae on the glass, possibly delivering a 'direct dose'. The entire tank dose (from the squeezed out H2O2) should be pretty minimal.

I also have a particular rock that has a favia and hair algae on it. Before we proceed with tackling the tank wide issue, let me dip and spot treat that rock. I want to see it first on that. Ill take pix

[brandon429]

Good that will be a fast start on its decline for the test rock
Try to spot apply the peroxide on the algae vs dipping if possible

thanks for pics!

[mdenigris]

Originally Posted by mdenigris

Worked great. Treated three rocks with a 5:1 (SW/H2O2 3%) solution for 10 minutes each.

Update, no sign of the dinos after five days.

[drtechno]

Quick update.. I will post a series of pics after I collect a couple days worth.

I absolutely BATHED the acanthastrea lord. in 50/50 3% and it is doing fine (I saw someone post they lost their acan, but mine is doing better than ever right now without GHA irritating its polyps). Same thing with the favia. Zoas are already reported safe but here is one more report of safety. Anyway, the neometris that was on the favia rock?? TOAST.. in 24 hrs. The GHA is still there but I expect it to recede over the coming days. I bathed 2 pumps that were coated in GHA and will post those up once I have a couple days worth but the GHA is receding.

So far so good, but I still have all that GHA on the acrylic to deal with.. Let you guys know what happens after I see results with the GHA on the favia rock.

[drtechno]

double post.. delete this msg.

[brandon429]

How great
Truly we see it kill every pest known to reefkeeping...when I first came across reefmisers thread I was worried about losing my bowl to red brush algae but not any more!

[brandon429]

I'm a little sad in the last week not to have got follow up pics based on the pm's and emails for tanks we were dosing...when the tank is cleaned we need post treatment pics lol


We have a couple detractors for our method. Igreen and HecticDialectics from nano reef.com have been against peroxide use and volunteered to fix any tank without it. The next problem tank posted we should refer to them for a week or two first

We can get you to post over there or I will link your thread to them, they are certain each one of the tanks in this thread took a wrong path.

[goldmaniac]

Originally Posted by brandon429

I'm a little sad in the last week not to have got follow up pics based on the pm's and emails for tanks we were dosing...when the tank is cleaned we need post treatment pics lol


We have a couple detractors for our method. Igreen and HecticDialectics from nano reef.com have been against peroxide use and volunteered to fix any tank without it. The next problem tank posted we should refer to them for a week or two first

We can get you to post over there or I will link your thread to them, they are certain each one of the tanks in this thread took a wrong path.

what are their credentials to be qualified to say that our husbandry is insufficient?

[mkbtank]

Originally Posted by brandon429

I'm a little sad in the last week not to have got follow up pics based on the pm's and emails for tanks we were dosing...when the tank is cleaned we need post treatment pics lol


We have a couple detractors for our method. Igreen and HecticDialectics from nano reef.com have been against peroxide use and volunteered to fix any tank without it. The next problem tank posted we should refer to them for a week or two first

We can get you to post over there or I will link your thread to them, they are certain each one of the tanks in this thread took a wrong path.

Seems a bit ridiculous.

Never once have you, or anyone on this thread suggested that this is a cure-all. Only a quick method of manual (chemical) removal to help give a jump start to the normal, natural methods of keeping our tanks algae free which has always been promoted here. Unless they are saying that peroxide is damaging somehow. If that is true, I would like to learn more.

Until then, this method has been fantastic thus far imo. It's now a few months later and my valonia plague has not returned on a single rock that I treated.

[reefknight]

+1 Here...I know that I had tried several methods before as had Mysterybox to no avail. Spent a lot of money on treatments and inverts that haven't worked. This is the first thing that actually eradicated the problem algae.

I haven't updated as I haven't been able to do much work on it lately. The side I treated has had no new algae growth. I do have a few rocks that were heavily infested and will need to be retreated. I'm actually in the process of setting up a new frag tank so that I may move most of my corals out of the display for a week or so. I'd like to be able to go in hit all of the rock, let it set to make sure it doesn't require another treatment and then aquascape and add the corals back. I've way too many corals to attempt moving side to side. Most are not encrusted so this would make it a little easier, just have to be careful with the few that are. Left side remains untouched to this point. Maybe next week for the other island.

[brandon429]

Rather than just bash em i'm really wanting to get a problem tank and get their input, they may have something we don't

Truth is, they are saying what allot of people are thinking, I just want to know if peroxide is the bees knees or not

Getting to the heart of pest management is the real goal testing null hypotheses is a heck of a way to get there. If we can get their input, silent skeptics might be swayed

[reefknight]

I don't wish to bash them, but would like to hear their opinions as well. I'm trying to find the thread on Nano Reef currently. Just realized that I haven't logged on over there since 2006, lol. It's when I began my 30gal cube that lead to several other larger systems.

[goldmaniac]

double post

[goldmaniac]

I've had tanks since 1999, and this hair algae problem has only been with me in the past year or two. I believe that I let the water quality lapse during the 3-4 months when we were trying to sell our house Summer-Fall 2010 (no time available to devote to tank, I put tank on auto-pilot) and that's when hair algae appeared.

So.. yes, there was a period of time when the hair algae had conditions favorable to grasp hold, poor water quality, but my water quality has been good since about Nov 2010, right after we moved and I moved the tank to the new house. The hair algae has never magically disappeared with better water, and better lights, and replacement rock (eco-friendly dry rock from BRS), and new cleanup crew, and a new GFO reactor, and 1/3rd of the fish load. Didn't happen.

there are two issues - keeping good water parameters, and fighting existing hair algae plagues. these are two different issues. when someone posts a new thread on how to treat hair algae, there's always comments of "you need to find the source of the problem", which is true, but doesn't address the problem of eliminating the existing plague.

[brandon429]

Here it it is

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/inde...8&st=0&start=0

I hate for petty jabbing to take away from the simple focus of tank cures but the fact is I read the stickied threads in their disease and pest forum and they aren't as helpful as reefmisers original peroxide thread that started this huge momentum.

These guys aren't likely to accept the challenge, but if we can get them to talk we may uncover common hesitations among those not willing to speak up.I wanted the peroxide threads to encompass all positive and negatives involved, a true evaluation.

[KafudaFish]

Link doesn't work Brandon.

Also I understand what you are trying to do but all you can do is present the situation and the actions taken to addressing that situation.

If they choose not to accept the results it is their loss.

[brandon429]

Yep ur right it would be very neat to run alternate methods though to see what works better in comparison

Posted link from my Droid seems to work here maybe something is off who knows, you aren't missing out much lol

[KafudaFish]

As you have said before:

1. H2O2 works.
2. It will continue to be used until something better if found.
3. No one is standing on a soapbox yelling at others demanding they use it.


If HD really believes that a tank with an invader is a failed tank that would mean that every tank on here and every other website would be a failure. Does that mean every TOTM tank is a failure or all the ones in the best from around the world are? I don't think I have ever seen a tank set up for any period of time not have an issue that needed to be addressed.

Anyone can set up a reef tank. People do it everyday on here and at home but what sets one reefer apart from another is his or her ability to identify issues that come up and how he or she deals with those issues.

Think about Paul B's tank. That tank is older than I am and has algae growing all over it. By his definition that would mean Paul's tank is a failure.

Just between you, me and this fence post I would take his advice over their's any day.

[brandon429]

Nice point

I wanted to show you an amazing comparative post from randys chem forum, it boggled me!

Chemicals that were advocated over peroxide:
Drain cleaner (whoa)
Bleach

Its an older thread but full of amazing biocidal comparisons

[brandon429]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...bleach+vs+acid


Peroxide wasnt even covered, drain cleaner had first reco? Wow
in case link is bad search for bleach vs acid, chem forum neat reading

[KafudaFish]

Thanks.

Also I remember that Paul use to use pennies to treat his tank when they were made of copper.

[brandon429]

Does anyone know if i'm allowed to mail a custom 18% solution to a friend? When I received some lipo batteries today there was a safety flyer taped to box, alerting of caution/fire hazard...wonder if id need one of those but maybe for caustics

[imclownfish]

hi there,
ive just finished reading through the whole thread, but it doesnt seem like anyone has tried using H202 on cyano? Would it work? What would be the approach if it was contained on the sandbed?
Thanks

[brandon429]

hi! thanks for contributing to our data. It will kill it, peroxide can kill every known reef pest except for a few anemone types

For cyano, some opt for non chemical options, they remove it via siphon, increase flow etc

but its totally ok to burn it out with peroxide if you want to, I would. it kills the whole biomass rather than waiting for natural decline which can take a while and have some resurgence in the meantime.

the nano reef.com forum had two people who killed cyano with it.

one dosed the whole tank at 1:10 dilution we've discussed cuz his cycling tank had no livestock and it was an easy kill. the other had it on the sandbed too, he drained tank down to substrate, sprayed peroxide out of a spray bottle a few pumps right on the wet but drained substrate, let sit for two minutes, refill and it died same day and never came back.

any of these options are fine, please take before and after pics if you do those are the heart of the thread!
thanks
B

[drtechno]

Ok guys, so let's get down to business. What are we doing about the GHA on the front of my glass?

Draining the tank 50% is not going to work since I can't make and store 45 g of fresh saltwater for a fill up afterwards. At most, I can drain 10-15 g which won't really address the issue since I would only be able to treat maybe the top 4" of the tank.

I am thinking of doing the full tank dose route. Does it make sense to do a 1 week trial at half the tank dose (0.5ml per gal vs 1 ml per gal) ?

Any other idea? The 'soak a sponge in h202 and wipe glass underwater' is going to end up just dosing the tank anyway as the h202 gets squeezed out.