I think I'm on to something. Am I crazy?

esther

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So, I've been reading about a bunch of you dosing H2O2 to combat algae and the successes you've been having so I decided to give something a try...

We've been having to clean our glass because of algae like every day and a half. It's been driving me nuts. We normally just clean the glass with a magic eraser (because I'm paranoid about scratching the glass with a Flipper... That's a whole other conversation). So, about 5 days ago I decided to pour a little H2O2 on my magic eraser before I clean the glass panel. I put 3 drops for each side panel and I treat the front panel like it's three sections.

Goes like this... Pour three drops on magic eraser and clean one side, pour 3 drops on magic eraser and clean ⅓ of front glass, etc. I did this 4 days ago and I still don't have to clean the glass.

Am I nuts? Is this a coincidence? Either way, I'm gonna clean the glass without the H202 next time and see how long the glass stays clean. I think that this may all be in my head, but who knows.

I LOVE THIS HOBBY! :)

#Algae
 
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Victor_C3

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I’m going to say you’re crazy, but you must be doing something right as it seems to be working. I wonder how it might impact the long term health .of the system, but I don’t think it would have much adverse impact - especially at the low amounts your introducing
 
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esther

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esther

esther

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Try cleaning half the glass With your peroxide method and the other half without, Id be curious to hear the results. Interesting observation.

Good idea. I’ll do that this weekend.
 

JasonK84

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I’d bet it just the addition of the peroxide itself that is slowing the algae and not so much the cleaning method. Just clean the glass as you normally would and after it’s clean just dose 15 drops into the tank and I think you’ll have the same outcome.
 

MattR

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I’m going to say you’re crazy for putting a magic eraser into your tank. Chemical cleaners and fish tanks generally don’t mix. Has it not killed everything in your tank???
Melamine reacts with H202 naturally in the body and doesn't form radicals or destabilization of either compound. Totally safe, sorry for the science.... college research lol
 

Victor_C3

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If you really want something that will clean good and destroy organics, mix 30% H2O2 (not the .2-.5% stuff you get at the store) with equally concentrated H2SO4 (sulfuric acid). It’s commonly called “ pirhana solution” and it’s such a good oxidizer that if you through a Kleenex into it, it’ll burst into flames!

It’d probably melt your fish though....

3289C271-82D9-479A-8F9A-60E8B1D7F31A.jpeg
 

dbowman5

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If you really want something that will clean good and destroy organics, mix 30% H2O2 (not the .2-.5% stuff you get at the store) with equally concentrated H2SO4 (sulfuric acid). It’s commonly called “ pirhana solution” and it’s such a good oxidizer that if you through a Kleenex into it, it’ll burst into flames!

It’d probably melt your fish though....

3289C271-82D9-479A-8F9A-60E8B1D7F31A.jpeg
i used to work in metal plating/surface finishing and we made solutions like that to use. My fav was hydrochloric sulfuric and nitric.
 

Victor_C3

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i used to work in metal plating/surface finishing and we made solutions like that to use. My fav was hydrochloric sulfuric and nitric.

I used to be a chemist for the government and worked mostly with precious metal at the US Mint. It was an awesome job, on so many different levels.

Incidentally, no acid by itself will eat away at gold or platinum. I used to mix nitric and hydrochloric, put a little piece of metal in it, then stick it in a microwave for and hour or so to get it to dissolve.

Oh well, I’m a total science nerd
 

dbowman5

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I used to be a chemist for the government and worked mostly with precious metal at the US Mint. It was an awesome job, on so many different levels.

Incidentally, no acid by itself will eat away at gold or platinum. I used to mix nitric and hydrochloric, put a little piece of metal in it, then stick it in a microwave for and hour or so to get it to dissolve.

Oh well, I’m a total science nerd
my job concerned lab control of processes surrounding plating and stripping all sorts of metals on all sorts of objects. from vapor deposition of lubricating metal on the main engine bearings on the space shuttle to gold plating Wrestling championship belt buckles. From anodizing aluminum pizza pans to electroless nickel plating of condom forms. so titrating water samples, getting accurate results, correcting conditions, and recording data are a blast from the past.
 

Daniel@R2R

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Cool! Following! For those asking about magic eraser, yes! It can and often is used in reef tanks. It works really well!
 

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esther

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radiata

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Is there a particular seller you buy from and trust?

No. The ones I got were a while back and I had to have them shipped from China. I don't see any reason to not trust the offers on eBay now. I'll bet most or all of them originated in China.
 
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