How to remove hair algae from clove polyps?

muzikalmatt

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
2,552
Location
Roanoke, VA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I have a nice frag of firecracker clove polyps that have some hair algae growing on their stalks. I'm wondering the best way to try and remove it without harming the corals too much. I was considering removing them and trying peroxide, either applied with a Q-tip or dipping just the base of the corals. Anyone had a similar issue or have any thoughts on how best to tackle this? Below is a picture of how they look.

0120221908a.jpg
 
OP
OP
muzikalmatt

muzikalmatt

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
2,552
Location
Roanoke, VA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Peroxide spray. I have found if u try to manually remove the algae, more likely to just damage the sensitive stalk and polyps.
Gotcha. I'll try the peroxide first. It's mainly on 2-3 polyp stalks so even if I lose them it's not a huge deal as long as the healthy ones without algae survive.
 
OP
OP
muzikalmatt

muzikalmatt

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
2,552
Location
Roanoke, VA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Bumping to ask another question. When treating the algae on these polyps, I plan on using a Q-tip with peroxide to gently apply it to the affected areas. Should I dilute the peroxide (it's 3%) at all or just use full strength? I know most corals don't take kindly to peroxide so I want to be careful not to kill it. Thanks in advance for any advice!
 

Sean Clark

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
8,055
Reaction score
31,574
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The standard 3% hydrogen peroxide will knock it right out. I would just dip the entire frag for 2 minutes and put it back in the tank. 48 hours later that plug will be glowing white. The clove polyps won't skip a beat.
 
OP
OP
muzikalmatt

muzikalmatt

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
2,552
Location
Roanoke, VA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The standard 3% hydrogen peroxide will knock it right out. I would just dip the entire frag for 2 minutes and put it back in the tank. 48 hours later that plug will be glowing white. The clove polyps won't skip a beat.
Awesome! Thank you for the advice! I figured clove polyps were hardier than most, but I wasn't sure if it was safe to fully dip them in peroxide or not. I'll give them a dip tonight and follow up with progress pics in a few days. Thanks again!
 

Sean Clark

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
8,055
Reaction score
31,574
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Awesome! Thank you for the advice! I figured clove polyps were hardier than most, but I wasn't sure if it was safe to fully dip them in peroxide or not. I'll give them a dip tonight and follow up with progress pics in a few days. Thanks again!
I will go out on a limb here and go as far to say that I think zoas, palythoa, and cloves like a nice H2O2 dip because they always perk up and look great afterwards.
 

moz71

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 25, 2018
Messages
1,354
Reaction score
1,293
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
WARNING! Don't go too long with the peroxide dip!!!! I did it for 4 minutes and melted the polyps pretty good. I thought it would be safe for polyps. I dipped zoas and the polyps at same time and zoas were completely unaffected but the polyps melted away. It did recover and eventually grew them backs. I went more like 4 to 5 minutes so i think the 2 minutes mentioned above is a safe zone.
 

TnFishwater98

Drink more fishwater there! And I still want more!
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Messages
6,544
Reaction score
8,452
Location
Nashville TN
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
WARNING! Don't go too long with the peroxide dip!!!! I did it for 4 minutes and melted the polyps pretty good. I thought it would be safe for polyps. I dipped zoas and the polyps at same time and zoas were completely unaffected but the polyps melted away. It did recover and eventually grew them backs. I went more like 4 to 5 minutes so i think the 2 minutes mentioned above is a safe zone.
Did you dilute ?
 

moz71

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 25, 2018
Messages
1,354
Reaction score
1,293
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Did you dilute ?
I did dilute but I did a 1 part to 3 part water instead of the 1 part to 4 part water! probably a combination of slightly stronger and longer time that caused the issue. I even found someone on youtube afterwards that same thing happened but mine did recover and his just died. In end, I am just suggesting go slower and easier at first and all should be fine. Funny how those zoas just didn't care, fully opened in minutes when back in tank!! lol
 

Kraig

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
545
Reaction score
1,670
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have the exact same issue right now. I dipped for 2 minutes in a 2:1 water(tank)/hydrogen peroxide mixture and it didn't really do anything for the algae growing on the stalks. The clove polyps were pretty mad for a few days but came back and looked great after a few day. Still had the algae though. 2 weeks later I tried just using straight 3% peroxide and applying directly to the stalks (as much as I could fearing I was damaging them). That was this past Saturday. The polyps are just now starting to come back from that. I can still see some algae on some of the stalks still.

I did add fluconazole after that. I'm going to add another dose this weekend. These are in a QT tank and I'm trying my best to get rid of this algae before I move them to the DT.
 

TnFishwater98

Drink more fishwater there! And I still want more!
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Messages
6,544
Reaction score
8,452
Location
Nashville TN
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did dilute but I did a 1 part to 3 part water instead of the 1 part to 4 part water! probably a combination of slightly stronger and longer time that caused the issue. I even found someone on youtube afterwards that same thing happened but mine did recover and his just died. In end, I am just suggesting go slower and easier at first and all should be fine. Funny how those zoas just didn't care, fully opened in minutes when back in tank!! lol
I’ve never dip cloves that’s why I asked
 

Sean Clark

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
8,055
Reaction score
31,574
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did dilute but I did a 1 part to 3 part water instead of the 1 part to 4 part water! probably a combination of slightly stronger and longer time that caused the issue. I even found someone on youtube afterwards that same thing happened but mine did recover and his just died. In end, I am just suggesting go slower and easier at first and all should be fine. Funny how those zoas just didn't care, fully opened in minutes when back in tank!! lol
Zoas b like
I Dont Care GIF by NETFLIX
 

Kraig

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
545
Reaction score
1,670
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This was my clove polyps about 2 weeks after the 2:1 2 minute peroxide dip. Its a little hard to tell feom this pic but you can see the algae still on the stalks

6E892A73-9DA5-45A8-8C65-EA4830FD134F.jpeg
 

Sean Clark

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
8,055
Reaction score
31,574
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This was my clove polyps about 2 weeks after the 2:1 2 minute peroxide dip. Its a little hard to tell feom this pic but you can see the algae still on the stalks

6E892A73-9DA5-45A8-8C65-EA4830FD134F.jpeg
And it's dropping babies.
 

Kraig

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
545
Reaction score
1,670
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
And it's dropping babies.
Yeah, that little one on the rack was from a dead polyp that had gotten stuck. When I removed the frag last time, that piece stayed behind and within the week started growing a new head. I'd say they are pretty dang hardy.
 

Sean Clark

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
8,055
Reaction score
31,574
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This was my clove polyps about 2 weeks after the 2:1 2 minute peroxide dip. Its a little hard to tell feom this pic but you can see the algae still on the stalks

6E892A73-9DA5-45A8-8C65-EA4830FD134F.jpeg
I have never seen fluconazole used for algae on stalks before but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Fluconazole takes a while sometimes weeks. Personally I would only do one method at a time fluconazole or h2o2.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.0%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
Back
Top