so do we now know its safe to use the freshwater version? id like to pick up the fw version locally since they dont stock the saltwater one

FWIW Nathan, I have called your support number you have listed above in this thread many times and the persons who answered could not answer most of the questions I asked. :lol:

Feel free to answer the questions that the hobbyists ask here in this thread. I think this will benefit the over 30,000 hobbyists who have viewed this thread. ;)

I was able to pick up the AlgaeFix from Petsmart. I am going to give it a try and see how it works. I will try to post some picks and update everyone on my progress.

Thanks HighlandReefer and iFisch for all the great information. After sifting through all the pages in this thread i decided to cross my fingers and take the AlgaeFix plunge. Hopefully i'll get some nice before and after pictures.

actually ro water and mixed salt water can go through a cycle by contamination from you getting any live material into it . it has been found that prolonged use of the same container does have micro bacteria in it and can actually pollute your tank or give an ammonia spike so you may want to test both to be sure your okay in that respect .many of us mix in the basement and store there too there are spiders bugs and flies that can get into you holding tanks and create a mini cycle.an added airline can help slow ro water and salt water from stagnating

also be sure to remove as much dying algae daily as it will fuel itself as it dies and decays thus putting the po4 and nutrients back into the water . same thing with a sea hair they eat the algae but excrete po4 and nutrient back into the water column

Yes, I love pictures of results whether negative or positive. ;)

The pictures will help in determining what algae you are having problems with & the extent of infestation. Close-ups, well focused are really nice. :)

Providing additional information about your system such as water parameters, occupants, using carbon sources, GFO & skimmer information is also helpful, should negative results occur.

I have plenty of hair algae in both my tanks and it's been a losing battle for a while now. So I decided to try this stuff. I've done 3 doses in my 90 gal and 1 dose in my 30, so far I've seen no change. Is this normal, should I continue to dose?

Results seem to appear around the 5th dose, so it is early yet. ;)

Christine,

You should see results by the 10th dose and if you don't I would think about quiting shortly after that. The AlgaeFix does not work on all species of algae. Good quality pics and results you find are very helpful to other hobbyists who decide to try the AlgaeFix. :)

yes a bit more time and a couple more doses and you should start to see a change .

Thanks, I'll check back in with my results!

From my pops who's a retired chemical engineer who worked in the horticulture industry.


"It sounds like a quat but one that is specialized. Quats generally kill things by binding to the negative charges on the surface of membranes and within them rendering them coated and otherwise disrupted - most microbes have negative surfaces due to carboxylic acid residues on their surfaces. In those cases things like the alkyl benzyl ammonium chlorides are like a non specific hammer, this one may be somewhat more gentle. It does have more than one positive site which may give it some specificity."

I haven't tried it yet, but it does intrigue me, great info in this thread!

started my first dose friday. so far no SPS affected when using algaefix marine

from what i understand it binds the sugar cycle or impedes it to the point where the algae dies ,and the stuff certainly works as i have had great results with it .

the skimmer can stay on, correct? or is it removing what i'm adding?

Personally, I would leave your skimmer on. Most hobbyists do and it does not seem to reduce the effectiveness of AF.

From the manufacturers site regarding the fresh water version of AF, and we have been told it is the same:

"Pond Care AlgaeFix controls algae in two ways. Many algae, like Chlorella, consist of a single cell. Pond Care AlgaeFix causes the algae cell wall to leak. The algae respond much like a deflating balloon. Other algae, such as Oedogonium, form filaments made up of many cells. Pond Care AlgaeFix binds to protein in the cell membrane, disrupting the flow of nutrients and ions across the cell membrane. Filamentous algae respond to Pond Care AlgaeFix by gradually disintegrating over time. AlgaeFix can be used with aquatic plants."

Since the siphoning algae can repair their cell membrane so easily compared to many algae, I assume that this may be the reaon that AF does not work well on many algae.

yes i have always left mine on and it has worked great for me .

added a second dose today. so by the 5th dose I should start noticing changes? I used to dose vodka for months, but there were many patches of hair algae on the live rock that would just never die.

AF usually starts to show signs of killing the algae around dose 5. If it has no effect by dose 10-12, I would think carefully about quiting dosing it. ;)

After a long battle with HA, I'm considering trying AlgaeFix. I'm dosing the following, and want to know if I can continue while I'm dosing AlgaeFix:

Brightwell MB7 : 10 drops/day
Zeo AAHC: 3 drops/day
Zeo Coral Vitalizer: 8 drops/day
Brightwell BioFuel: 8ml/day
Zeo Sponge Power: 8 drops/day
Zeo Pohl's Xtra: 4ml/day
Brightwell's Potassium: 2ml/day
Lugol's Solution: 1drop/day

Do you have to remove carbon. I can't seem to find the dosing instructions online. Can someone post them?

Thanks

newsalt, I dose the same thing you do and had no problems at all. All my HA is gone and has not returned...(I dose vodka instead of biofuel)

I am not a chemist. I would not think that any of the items you are dosing would cause a problem when using AF.

You do not have to remove carbon.

I typed the information from the label as best as I can. I am not responsible if I did not type it correctly. :)

"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 Algae 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."

I did my 4th dose today, since I have FOWLR I dose every 2 days and little higher dose. I just removed all the HA by hand, and it is still growing as right now. I used this product year ago with great result. But I do not see any result at the moment.
When I used this product year ago, it made my water cloudy, but now it doesn't.

PS: my tank is 210g with 50g sump with no clean up crew

fish list : Blueface angel, Blonde nasotang, purpletang, bluetang, 2 golden butterfly

I would stick with the label regarding dosing. There is normally good reasons for the recommendations they make and these have to be approved in this case by EPA.

The cloudy water was probably a result of bacterial blooms due to the alge braking down as it dies. The decaying algae will provide additional nutrients to bacteria and/or algae which can lead to blooms. ;)

Usually hobbyists begin to see results around the 5th or 6th dose.

Thanks folks for the information. My local Petco did not have the "Marine" version, so I just picked up AlgaeFix. What what I've read here it the same thing. Is that right, or should I return it and try to find AlgeaFix Marine?

Is it recommended to do normal water changes while dosing?

Has anyone noticed a decline in euphyllid (frogspawn/torch/hammer) health from AF Marine? They seem to be VERY sensitive to my maintenance doses. I may have killed my frogspawn, so I'm stopping any maintenance dosing of AF. :( :( :(

thats alot of stuff going into that tank ,best wishes !

Per a hobbyist who works for the same company, the marine and fresh water version are the same. ;)

AF will brake down in less than 24 hrs, I would time your normal water changes after the 24 hr period has elasped.

IMHO, maintenance dosing may not be necessary, unless you start to see a comeback with your algae. Personally, I don't like the idea of maintenance dosing of AF or for that matter any pesticide (especially in a reef aquarium). I would watch for returned growth and dose if necessary.

Instead, I would dose the AF to either control your algae problem or eliminate it. Watch the algae after that. If you see a slight come back, perhaps dosing it every three days for a short period of time would be appropriate. If you still have problems after this approach, I would look at other factors which should be worked on, such as reduced feeding, running more GFO, better skimming, perhaps using ozone......etc. AF is a tool to control algae problems, but should not be used to replace good husbandry practices. ;)

I'm on my fourth dose, no real change in anything. Ill see tomorrow on the 5th dose. I'm dosing 6 ml for my 75g

unbreakable,

You may have previously posted pictures, if not if you could provide the best quality pictures possible would help see what you got there. :)

even though you see no difference try to pull some off and you will should notice that its falling apart or at least ready to .the fourth dose should be beating it up pretty well but it may take a bit longer . it will get to a point where it will disintegrate it your fingers or just with water flow .

Im on my 6th dose. I did do a water change 24hrs after and had hair algae come out easily. Some of them look like theyre loose, and others look like theyre still holding strong-- they also retained their dark green color

7th dose will be added in the next couple of days.. should i increase the amount im adding, or just keep going by the amount im adding?

I would continue your dosing per the label.

It will help by removing any algae possible. ;)

Just want to be cerrtain about the dosing days. It says to dose every 3 days. So, does that mean if I does on a Tuesday, I wouldn't dose again until Friday?

Added my first dose of AlgaeFix Marine today. 2nd dose on Wednesday.

yes i would do it that way and it has worked very well for me .

Don't recall if I read this on this thread, but should I take the bag of carbon out of my sump while dosing?

Many of the hobbyists have run GAC while dosing AF with no problems. ;)

Skimmer ? while dosing
 

How long should I turn the skimmer off while dosing? I am thinking 24 hours then back on and then off again for 24 hours while you dose the second dose and so on. I started dosing today and want to be certain on the skimmer. My new skimmer will be here tomorrow and dont want to have to start over with the dosing. Also I am using the non-marine Algeafix. Do I need to do a water change after every dose or just one at the end of the dosing cycle.

the longer the skimmer is left off the better as they instruct you to turn it off . i usually skim the third day and then dose that night myself .

im sure im already at the 10th dose or past it, but i still have a lot of hair algae that hasnt come lose. some did though. i didnt want to try vodka again because it was the same thing, plus zoanthids were dying off from carbon dosing

I'm not sure what you do at this point (after 10 doses). Several hobbyists reported that AF killed their macroalgae after 10-12 doses. My chaeto died around that point. Most hobbyists that found themselves dosing to around 10 doses had achieved close to 100% control. It is possible that the specie of algae you have is not affected by AF enough to control it. I would watch your coral......etc closely if you decide to continue.

One other possibility that comes to mind would be to try elevating your magnesium level 300-400 ppm using Tech M. Some hobbyists have reported success with various species of algae using this method.

Just wanted to make a post of my experience. I treated my 180g tank with Algae Fix Marine at the recommended dose for about a month. During the first week, my midnight blenny disappeared. I have had this healthy blenny for well over a year. I also noticed that my pair of engineer gobies were nowhere to be found either. I thought maybe the blenny jumped or something but I could not find him anywhere. I continued to dose the tank and after a month of nothing much happening, I stopped dosing. I bought a BRS Reactor and set that up. Within 24 hours of running, my blenny was out sitting on the rocks. He was very weak and very skinny. His entire body was all sunken in. Put him in the refugium but he ended up dying that night. Same night, I noticed how my engineer gobies starting spitting sand out from under the rocks again. Fortunately, the two gobies started eating and have been healthy ever since. The ONLY thing that I did was add the Algae Fix Marine. I just find it very strange that they all disappeared after I started the Algae Fix Treatment and as soon as I started up the reactor to remove the Algae fix, they all came back out. I have heard other stories of it killing blennies and such but I also read all of the positive stories. Just be careful if you have any blennies because they seem to really affect them for some reason.

FreakSRT,

Thanks for posting your results. Sorry to hear you lost your fish. :(

Is it possible to post a picture of your tank?

listing your tank water parameters would be helpful too: salinity, alk, calcium, nitrate, ammonia, phoshpate & magnesium. :)

I've tried 2 separate treatments per the directions, hair algae laughed. I was pulling out clumps every w/c, all params good. Then I got a seahare - problem solved.

Do you still have your seahare?

wow it really worked miracles for me but i do understand that it is somewhat specific on the types of algae that it kills off . i also got a new ro/di unit from the filter guys and after a couple of weeks that seemed to make a huge difference .clean topoff water is also a key as i think i just stumbled on my cause for my HA .