AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae

[mayjong]

i have seen some of the chaeto "rules" (no more than 10 doses)
does anyone have any experience with AF and any of the other macro algeas?
i have flame algea in my DT, would AF harm/kill it?

thanks!

[miatawnt2b]

would someone please post teh recommended dosage on the label as well as what you have found successful? I got the last bottle at a local store, but the label is unreadable.

THanks,
-J

[newsalt]

Going to try AFM. I'm currently dosing vodka daily and using MircoBacter7 once a week. I'm running carbon too. Should I stop the vodka, carbon and MircoBacter7 while dosing AFM?

[bertoni]

I don't see any reason to stop the vodka or MicroBacter. Do the instructions say anything about discontinuing carbon? If not, I'd leave the carbon running.

[HighlandReefer]

Originally Posted by miatawnt2b

would someone please post teh recommended dosage on the label as well as what you have found successful? I got the last bottle at a local store, but the label is unreadable.

THanks,
-J

"Benefits: AlgaeFix marine effectively controls these types of saltwater algae: Green algae (Cladaphora), "Red Loine" (Oscillatoria/Spirulina major), "Brown algae" (Cyclotela) in marine aquarium containing live corals, invertebrates and fish. When used in salt water will not harm snails, clams,scallops, shrimp, anemones, sea cucumbers, feather dusters, coralline algae, soft corals, hard corals and other invertebrates. Does not discolor the water or cause foaming.

Directions for use: It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Add 1 ml (1/5 tsp. for each 10 US gallons (38 L) or 5 ml (1 tsp.) for each 50 US gallons (190 L) or 50 ml. (10 tsp.) for each 500 US gallons (1,890 L) of aquarium water. Repeat dose every 3 days until algae is controlled. Siphon or scrape any dead algae from aquarium. Once algae growth is under control, add one dose per week. Weekly doses of AlgaeFix Marine will control Alger growth and reduce aquarium maintenance.

Precautionary Statement
Hazards to humans & domestic animals.

Caution: Harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling. Note: This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer.

First Aid: If on skin, thoroughly wash with soap and water and remove contaminated clothing. If in eyes, hold eye open and gently flush with water for 15 minutes. If Swallowed, call a Poison Control Center or doctor immediately for treatment advice.

Storage and Disposal: Do not contaminate water or feed. Do not reuse empty bottle. Rinse throughly before discarding in trash."

[HighlandReefer]

Originally Posted by mayjong

i have seen some of the chaeto "rules" (no more than 10 doses)
does anyone have any experience with AF and any of the other macro algeas?
i have flame algea in my DT, would AF harm/kill it?

thanks!

I'm not familiar with AF use with Flame algae. If you decide to try it, let us know your results.

[HighlandReefer]

Originally Posted by newsalt

Going to try AFM. I'm currently dosing vodka daily and using MircoBacter7 once a week. I'm running carbon too. Should I stop the vodka, carbon and MircoBacter7 while dosing AFM?

I don't see a need to stop dosing any of these things.

Carbon will help remove the dead algae bi-products formed once AF kills the algae.

[newsalt]

I added my 3rd dose of AF Marine today. I have been doing a water change before adding each dose. I notice that the edges of the algae get a grayish-white color and I try to siphon as much as I can with each water change, but it's still very "rooted" in the LR. Does the grayish-white edge, indicate that the AF is working?

[bertoni]

I haven't used that product, but your description does sound like algae that's dying back.

[terri_ann]

Originally Posted by newsalt

I added my 3rd dose of AF Marine today. I have been doing a water change before adding each dose. I notice that the edges of the algae get a grayish-white color and I try to siphon as much as I can with each water change, but it's still very "rooted" in the LR. Does the grayish-white edge, indicate that the AF is working?

Sure does Most people see it working by the 4th dose so you are ahead of the curve. I dosed according to directions, continued my regular WC's and continued to run GAC and GFO. No problems and the algae died. Then I had to tackle the cyano

[newsalt]

Added the 8th dose of AF Marine today. Algea has greatly reduced, but still some stubborn spots. How many doses should I add? I thought I read somewhere in this thread that I should stop after 10 doses.

[bee144]

I have a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp bonded pair and three electric blue hermit crabs. If I turn off my skimmer and UV light for 24 hours and follow dosing directions will the inverts listed above be harmed?

Hope I'm not beating a dead horse but I love my shrimp.

[bertoni]

That depends on how much oxygen gets into the water column without the skimmer running. Most likely, the tank will be okay, but it's hard to be sure.

[nysbadmk8]

I used this product for two doses, It harmed Nothing ( fish, inverts, sps, zoo's ) In just two doses all the algae in my tank was gone and consumed.

[padova335i]

this product did work great for me... i decided to use it again after i had my skimmer pump break and i didnt buy a new pump on time....

To make a long story short it worked great,, I decided to use it weekley to keep the tank "clean" since it worked so well..

Well.. I started to see red slim algae this week and i did have several pieces of sps turn brown on me.. sux!!!!!!!!

I will not use it again unless necessary

[redcable]

Thank god for this thread. After reading through this looooooooong thread, I decided to try AF. On the 2nd dose at the moment to get rid my brown HA. Skimmer, GAC, GFO, carbon dosing, WC still continue as usual. :-)

[rishma]

I am using AF and my stubborn hair algea is dying off.

Why is cyano beginning to appear in a fewplaces? Seems to be a common side affect. I do think I have seen cyano in more than 5 years, even when dosing vodka.

[mrabolli]

any bad effects from people using the freshwater version of the Algaefix?

Has anyone experienced a breakout of green film algae on rocks and sand?

[westridge]

I've been using Algaefix for about 6 weeks now with very little of it working. My tank is about 3 months old, 120 Gallon with green hair algae all over it. It seems to kill it down some...but within a day after I have scrubbed the crap out of it...it's right back...if not more. I just ordered about 150 algae eating snails, 2 sea urchins, and other clean up crew. For me, the algaefix is not working.

[rtecanoe]

Try to see what's making ur phosphates too high and get yourself a kole yellow eye tang - they love eating algae!

[txfatcat]

Westridge,

Ther are many things that can impact your algae issue. Water quality is number one in my book.

Please be mindful that there typically is no one chemical that is a " fix all". Please give us a little more details about your system.

Things that impact this are for example: light cycle, water quality(like if your using a ro/di) and what the TDS value is. Is this a new system or been running for some time. Feed cycle. Physical appliances in your life support system like a UV filter or media reacters.

Water quality values like amonia, nitrate, phosphate and nitrite levels. How often and volume of water changes. Physical cleaning of system.

The more info you can provide, the better everyone here can assist.

I stopped using Algae fix some time ago. It worked pretty good for me then but does kill off the good stuff also in my experience.

[bertoni]

What did it kill in your system besides the algae?

[Reeferz412]

It caused a minor cyano outbreak due to the die off in mine. I used the freshwater algaefix with no problem btw. I dosed more than it said with no ill effects... But now im getting to the root of the problem here so I dont have to dose this stuff anymore.

[ampemployee1]

Thanks for this thread. I've read it cover to cover over the last month, and finally decided to deploy AF Marine to combat some nuisance HA.

I have a 57 gallon rimless SPS and Zoa system. My params have been stable - salinity at 1.026, nitrates 0, phosphates, 0.4, Alk 9.0 Ca 430 Mag 1300, PH 8.3. I have a reasonably well stocked tank with 3 different types of Anthias (dispar, resplendent, lyretail). I've been struggling to eliminate some nuisance HA. I run TLF reactor with GFO and run my cone skimmer full time. I have a 48x3W cree LED fixture ramping up to 100% for about 4 hours and ramping down for a total photoperiod of 12 hours. I have an Eheim 1262 return pump and 2 MP10's, one running Nutrient transport mode and the other running reef crest mode. I have a DIY ATO with Kalk in the reservoir. I do 5% water changes weekly, but despite what I considered reasonable husbandry practice, I ended up with HA. I believe that some of the rocks that I had from my prior system started to leach phosphate, which despite having reasonable params, encouraged HA to get a hold. My system has been up for about two years.

Before I started dosing AF Marine, I took most of the rock and treated with 3% peroxide outside the system. There's a thread in RC about the procedure. This seemed to breakdown most of the holdfasts, and, got the majority of the algae exported from the system, but the algae started to slowly com back. The peroxide did fry my coralline algae, but it started coming back almost immediately. So I did one more peroxide treatment before I started dosing AF. It was about 3 weeks after I had treated with peroxide that I started dosing the AF.

I'm at 3 doses of AF Marine. I dose 5ml every 3 days. I figured my actual water volume including my sump is more like 70 gallons, but I decided to start with 5mls instead of 7mls as directed. Most of the algae is receding and getting thinner every day. Prior to each dose, I put my filter socks in place, blow detritus off all the rocks with a spare powerhead, vacuum my shallow sand bed (1") and once the water clears, do a 5% water change, then remove the filter socks.

Seems like my CUC are more active and consuming the algae off the rocks that they ignored previously. I'm running the skimmer wet, and continue to keep the GFO reactor online. All my livestock looks great, full PE on all my SPS, and the zoas have never looked better. I'm optimistic that with a few extra doses that I can ramp AF down to a weekly maintenance dose.

How long are people running their maintenance doses before discontinuing the use of AF altogether? Based on what I've read here, its important to keep running the AF in maintenance doses for a while until the algae spores have run their entire lifecycle.

[mos90]

amp... your phosphates are much too high at .4 and most definitely causing your problem. i would have used the algae fix until phos was lowered to under .1