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.