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?