Newsalt,

I dosed AF for quite a long period of time. Much longer then 13 doses. My chaeto turned to mush from this. So if you have any macroalgae I would watch it. Other then that, it did not effect my coral and fish and it did not eradicate the algae species I have (Derbesia).

I don't have macro algea, and I don't know what type of algea I have in my display tank. I'll try to take a picture and post it.

Old light bulbs are other factors that come into play. Old bulbs can have considerably less output which can cause a shift between nutrient uptake in the zooxanthellae of corals versus nuisance algae. Whenever there's big changes in your tank, the organisms competing for limited resources will change in the order of their dominance.

Some weeks ago I reported that the product was doing nothing after many weeks of applying according to instructions.

I stopped dosing it and went back to just scrapping the rocks with a toothbrush. The algae stopped growing and I no longer need to use any product.

When the green algae stopped growing I had a cyano bloom that lasted for a few weeks. It's almost gone too now.

:thumbsup:

I'm sure the reason you finally achieved control was the combined effects of all your efforts and perhaps the AF too. ;)

It feels good when you win a battle. :lol:

Yes it does :), it makes a great difference in the way I enjoy the tank. I spend much more time near it now.

i just ordered some AlgaeFix From DFS....hopefully this stuff works for me i have been battling hair algae for about 2 years

should i take out the chaeto in my fuge?

I found that my chaeto was not effected until around the 12-13 dose. So, it will kill it if you dose to long. Perhaps removing it may be best.

Before you dose the AF, it is very important to remove as much algae from your tank as possible. As the algae dies, it will brake down and release phosphates and other waste products back into your water column.

Highland... was that 12-13 doses at every 3 days? I just started this 3 days ago and on the 2nd 3 day does. Its already having a noticeable effect on my HA but my problem wasnt too severe. I would like to start adding this to my normal weekly dosing but not at the expense of my chaeto...

Thanks,

Mark

It was at dosing per the label, every three days.

Ok because label says to does 1x weekly once algae is under control. It looks like I will need between 3-5 doses to finish off what I have. I wonder if dosing 1x per week will have the same ill effects on the chaeto.

Mark

Whether 1X dosing a week will have effects on chaeto and possibly other macroalgae, is a good question. If you decide to try it, I would watch your chaeto for negative signs and stop if they appear.

Thanks. I will definitely post back on my experience.

:thumbsup:

just did my first dose....do i still run the skimmer?

I would continue skimming, starve that algae of any nutrients you can. I've used this stuff as well, in much stronger doses than on the label, every other day(I'm not advocating it, just telling you what I did). After a week, I would routinely pluck algae out that came off in clumps very easily until there was very little visible. Now that I have nutrients under control also, you'd be hard pressed to find a strand of Hair Algae in my DT's:thumbsup:

ive been dosing MAF for about two weeks now! i just dosed the magical 5th dose today! i noticed a diff after the 2nd dose! the HA has completely stopped growing and is very very limp and sickly looking. no more cyano to! my question is this... my case of HA was pretty bad. i scrubbed off all that i saw before dosing. now that im at the point where its stopped growing. what do i do now? should i do a water change and try to remove what i can? or will the HA just wither away to nothing???

I would continue dosing and remove as much algae as you can just before the dose. AF will brake down within 24 hrs.

what about the HA i cant get out!!! is it dead??? or will it grow back??? and at what point do i only dose once a week?

The hair algae you can't get to will hopefully die and wil brake down in your tank, releasing nitrate, phosphate & other organics. If you can't get to it, then you will want to watch your phosphate and nitrate levels. Running GFO for phosphate with an algae problem is a good idea anyway.

I would continue dosing until your algae is gone unless it does not seem to be working at all. Once the algae is gone, then cutting back to once per week may be good for a reasonable period of time to make sure you got this pest.

While dosing I would watch for any negative signs in your tank. Stop if something seems to be going wrong.

are you guys dosing every other day in the beginning?

I would stick to the labeled directions, every three days. I would also keep running your skimmer, since it will be important in pulling out the algae as it brakes down. If your running GAC & GFO, I would keep running them as well since they too will pull the waste products out of your water as the algae dies.

"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."

i didn't follow the label instructions... well, at first i did, for maybe 2 weeks, then i stopped dosing cuz it worked! i now dose here and there. my macro (cheato) thinned out a bit and turned a light green but it survived the dosing. i no longer have GHA but i did get a cyano spike a little after a month. my fish and inverts seemed unaffected.

when i looked at my dosage i factored in the rock displacement. so on a 90 gallon display and 20 sump 1-4 filled i recon thats 105 gallons, but with like 120 lbs of rock thats like 85-80 gallons... thought youd like to know.

I dosed for the second time this morning..... i haven't noticed anything yet...... I have been dosing heavy to aprox 25ml 165 gallon Display (100 LR) 45 gallon sump

I just added 45ml for my 165.... i haven't noticed anything yet..... i also added another skimmer

It usually takes about 5-6 doses at the every three day interval to see results. You have to be careful about dosing more often or with larger amounts then in noted on the label. We have had some hobbyists in this thread who have noted problems from overdosing. :)

what kind of problems?

IIRC, the one hobbyst that tried to dose 2x the recommeded amount started see problems with his coral. It was back a distance in this thread.

I had talked to the tech support for AF and they had stated that one double dose would not hurt anything, but more than that could cause problems.

FWIW, the active ingredient in AF is considered a biocide, which means it will kill most living organisms in water at perhaps 10x times the dose on the AF label. This does not give you a lot of play room with the dosing. :)

Dear Cliff !

Unfortunately I tried the algae fix marine to kill the hair algae in my tank without success. My tank was fully infected with this pest. I killed the HA by manual removal , changing water weekly, stop feeding the corals (overfeeding of corals caused the growth of the HA) and finally hired a good cleaning team (crabs, sea hares, urchins) and a lot lot of patience. This product do not affect the corals, fishes, invertebrates.

Regards
Fernando Chang
Panama

Fernando,

Thanks for the post. :)

Unfortunately, AF does not work on all algae species. :(

I'm glad you got control of your pest by using the standard recommended procedures. ;)

how species of hair algae is there. Also doesn't it control hair algae that's the reason why i got it

They probably will never truly identify all the algae species in the ocean. :lol:

There are thousands of algae species in the ocean.

The term hair algae usually refers to the green Chlorophyta algae that have a hairy appearance. There are a large number of algae species that fit this description. Hobbyists are buying coral and live rock from all over the world and each region can have specific algae present.

Algae Fix seems to work on the simpler green algae, which are not siphoning in character. This means their cells are small. The siphoning algae have cells that are very large, some species have a cell that can be a complete leaf like appendage or more. Siphoning algae include Derbesia and Bryopsis, for example, which are hard to kill since they can heal the brakes in the cell membrane that AF causes. To tell the difference between a simple algae and a siphoning algae it may take a look in the microscope to look at their cells structure.

In simple terms, AF makes holes in the outer shell of algae, which causes their fluids to leak out and the algae die. Siphoning algae repair these holes quickly. Also a small fragement of siphoing algae can grow quickly whereas the simpler algae can only have larger fragments make it when broken off the main plant.

Transient existence of life without a cell membrane: a novel strategy of siphonous seaweed for survival and propagation
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/j...TRY=1&SRETRY=0

From it:

Abstract
Siphonous seaweeds, which constitute a vital component of coral reefs, are structurally simple, single-celled coenocytic macroscopic green algae. Kim et al.[1] have recently shown the extraordinary wound-repair and propagation mechanism of one such siphonous green alga - Bryopsis plumosa. Nucleocytoplasmic aggregates, which are released after injury to this plant, are membraneless structures that can survive in seawater for 10-20 minutes, before they are surrounded by a gelatinous envelope. Subsequently, a cell membrane and cell wall are synthesized around each of these aggregates and the resulting individual cells, so formed, develop into new plants. This report represents a significant advance in our understanding of wound response and, more significantly, is probably the first example of transient survival of life without a cell membrane! BioEssays 24:588-590, 2002. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

cliff
i had just started useing AF for some gha.but i had noticed in a picture i think on page 5 a algea sorta looks like what i have it seems to grow in a sorta little clumps and is very coarse and has plumose branching is green from base up.what kind of algea is this and will AF take care of it.let me add too this stuff is tough i just dosnt pull off thats for sure.thats why im wondering about AF.with this type

Thanks Cliff, most probably that was the reason why I could not kill the HA. Now I am controlling the growing of the algae by not feeding the corals any more for the moment.
Maybe I am wrong as I understand that the some SPS and soft corals need to be feed.
Appreciate any comments abt this matter.

Regards
Fernando Chang
Panama

Plumose branching and tough texture sounds like Bryopsis, but this is a guess. AF does not control Bryopsis much. Many hobbyists get control of Bryopsis by elevating their mag level using Tech M (seems to work the best) around 200 - 300 ppm.

There are some species of coral that do need to be fed, from my understanding. Most can get by with what is fed to fish & maintaining calcium, alk and mag. You want to keep your phosphate level below 0.03.

Fernando,

This is a statement I put together for controlling algae which you may find helpful:


There are a lot of hobbyists in your same position. Reducing your nitrate and phosphate levels to a zero reading will help in getting rid of many type of algae pests. IME, reducing nitrate and phosphate levels too low can kill or cause problems for many types of coral. Running GAC & GFO will all help in reducing the growth of these type of pests. In many cases they will not eradicate the pest. Vodka dosing will help reduce the nitrate and phosphate levels also, but will not necessarily eradicate the pest either.

A common problem is being able to identify your pest to a category correctly: true algae, cyano, dino, bacteria & other assorted pests that look similar. In many cases a micro look at your pest is best to properly ID it to one of these categories.

IMHO, if you are faced with an algal type pest problem, it is best to implement an algae pest control program strategy:


1) Wet skimming with a good quality skimmer. Clean your skimmer cup at least once per week.

2) Reduce your nitrates and phosphates to a zero reading using the hobby grade test kits. See Randy's articles regarding this:

Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...t2003/chem.htm

3) Proper lighting. I find that the higher wavelength bulbs are less conducive to algae growth. I now run 20,000 K bulbs from using 10,000 K bulbs.

4) Proper day length is a good thing also. I would not run your lights for more than 12 hrs total. Keep in mind that light entering from a window nearby is added to this figure.

5) Running GAC is a good practice in my book. It will help reduce the total dissolved organic carbons in your tank water and this is a food source.

6) Proper 30% per month total water changes will help export the DOC as well as some of the pests in the water column. It will help maintain the micro-nutrients as well.

7) Physical removal of the pest by hand, scrubbing and siphoning is important as well. If the amount of pest in your aquarium is overwhelming, perhaps dealing with one section at a time is a better idea.

8) Proper water circulation in your tank to prevent dead zones. When dealing with cyanobacteria pests increasing the flow where it grows seems to help.

9) Use RODI water for all top-off, salt mixing, additive mixes... etc.

10) Dosing iron may have benefits for macro-algae, but if you are experiencing algae pest problems than I would stop dosing it as it can add to the problem in many cases.

11) If you are dosing other supplements such as vitamins, amino acids, or others that contain a mix of supplements other than the basic alk., calcium and magnesium, I would stop these until you gain control of your pest. This includes many of the store bought products with unknown ingredients. Dosing Vodka or sugar to reduce your nitrates and phosphates would be an exception in my opinion.

12) Proper feeding habits. This can be the number one problem when trying to reduce your nitrate and phosphate levels. Use low phosphate fish foods.

13) IMHO, lighted refugiums may be a problem when trying to deal with an algae type pest problem. They are wonderful when it comes to reducing nitrates and phosphates. However, the light over most refugiums is conducive to the microalgae type pests. If the refugium becomes infested with a microalgae pest, I would clean it throughly of all pests as best as possible, remove the macro and turn off the lights until you gain control of your pest. Re-using the same macroalgae later may serve as a source for re-infestation of your pest.

14) Adding fish and other creatures that will eat your algae pest will help.

15) Running a diatom filter which has been suggested by Boomer, makes a lot of sense to me. It will help remove a lot of organic material in your water column.

16) For some additional thoughts regarding switching an algae based system to a bacterial based system see this thread:
(Using a carbon source with appropriate bacterial dosing may possibly help to push your system to where you want it although this is controversial.)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1781320

17) There are other items that can be added to this list if others care too share and some of the items listed may be disputed.

cliff
is there a thread on here w/ pics of this and other types of algea.BTW 2nd dose of AFM and i allready see a difference.w/ no ill affects yet on anything.i dont shut off scimmer but do take out carbon for 24 hrs after dose.then run it again to take out any contaminates. does this sound ok or leave out carbon?

Cliff, thanks very much for yr statement for controlling the algae confirm I am doing most of yr recommendations. I will relay yr statement to my friends as we in Panama there is a lack of information abt reef tank maintenance.

Regards
Fernando Chang
Panama

Sounds good to me. :thumbsup:

Your welcome. :)

I'm glad I could be of some assitance to you and your friends in Panama.

I'm on my 4th dose of Algeafix Marine and haven't noticed any changes in my green hair algea :( Do I need to remove my carbon? I can't find a definitive answer and it doesn't say I have to on the bottle.

Hobbyists have achieved control without removing GAC. It doesn't seem to make a difference. Hopefully you will start to see the AF affecting your algae by the 6th or 7th dose. If you see no changes by 10 doses, I would consider stop using AF at that point. I would recommend removing as much algae as possible before each dose. The AF lasts less then 24 hrs, so no water changes or cleaning during that period of time.

If you can post a good pic, it may help in determining what you have as a pest, particularly if it is bryopsis.

Thanks for the quick response! Here's a pic:

This is what Bryopsis looks like when it grows out a bit. There are quite a few species of bryopsis as well. I can't quite tell from your photo, but it could be it. Notice the plumose (feather-like) branching it has. :)

http://slojmnsreef.homestead.com/fil...1704_small.jpg

A close-up of what I believe is likely Bryopsis plumosa:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/...d6227ca593.jpg

I recently bumped up my magnesium to 1350 using the Kent Tech M in case it is bryopsis. Should i go higher?