Reef2Reef Pest algae challenge thread hydrogen peroxide

[brandon429]

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Friend on nr.com showed me that meme it's a fav



This is a *great* read, worth the time, well backed up thanks ChefPaul for showing this

http://packedhead.net/2014/skeptical-reefkeeping-ix-test-kits-chasing-numbers-and-phosphate/

 

[Maxxingout]

Good read Brandon, thanks for sharing that link. I and many others can attest that low nutrients will not win the battle in our closed systems. I for 1 have tried MANY of natural methods at removing bryopsis. Multi types of snails, crabs, urchin, nudibranch, yellow tang, bristle tang, nada. the battle continues but man it's def tough some days.

 

[Ryengoth]

Just as a teaser in my hair algae testing, I've had a few large collections of fibers in a clean 10G QT for over a week and a half now. No nutrients apart from what's in Red Sea salt. Full-spectrum Aqueon T8. It looks the same as it did when I put the blobs in as far as color and mass. There is 1 Penguin HOT running filtering out with carbon and providing aeration. I introduced 2tbsp of GFO, on low flow, in a small reactor last night. Waiting a few days to see if there is any change in the mass color or size. So we have abundant light for chloroplasts and CO2 introduction for fuel conversion. I suspect the iron is going to boost the color and possibly cause additional growth.

 

[brandon429]

From friend criSpS on nano-reef.com peroxide thread linked 1st page here, a recent fix thanks for letting us see your work here too criSps! excellent before and after pics.


this was his shot of a single rock, when used as a pre-test before full tank work we can chart what the whole tank will do typically off of what only one rock does.

I like how there are no major nutrient sinks in that shot above his regrowth potential should be very low given good source water and lighting balance.

 

[Ryengoth]

Was this underwater treatment or external dip/drip?

 

[brandon429]

lemme find out real quick! ill ask over there and post back tonite.

Here we are:

I did an external treatment for each rock using a syringe to spread the peroxide directly on the roots of the algae, i let it stand for 2 or 3 minutes and then rinse the rock in saltwater and hop! back in the tank. At first i was a bit worried because I knew that lystamas could suffer from the H2O2 so I decided to treat on several days in case treating all the rocks at the same time could entail some kind of instability. By the way, I treated a rock with a bubble anemone on it and the peroxide didn't harm it or anything so I am very happy. Plus I had a few valonias lurking around and they disapeared too thanks to the H2O2.

Here is link
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/2687...nk-with-pics-to-prove-it/page-64#entry5280584


D3monic's update pics are continuing there as well these are two helpful recent tank works to add to our pic and treatment caches

 

[Maxxingout]

I've taken some of my rock out twice to hit it with peroxide. I now have this stuff growing back again on rocks,that have been done twice. The rock that got it only once has bryopsis coming back strong! This stuff is wearing me out....

 

[brandon429]

That's understandable for sure, we've got to get a test rock to comply (grow back stopped) before we can expect the whole tank to stay under control

I like the challenges posted along with the easy fixes here we want the reality of variables documented. Adds to the art and challenge of this thread. Soon Ryengoth will have some slurry that kills it and probiotically cleanses the whole reef I'm sure lol but until then we trudge along with our little amplifiers. I really like his development threads on green algae wars.

Bryopsis is wily agreed in many cases so consider these alternates:
3% and 35% ran as external applications are night and day difference. 88 ping down the road low octane vs top fuel drag, that difference. We aren't using the tip of the iceberg in peroxide power. 35 cured my red gelidium invasion not the 3

Combo approaches
Try using tech m and peroxide, or algaefix marine and peroxide as external treatments beyond just 3%
Let sit, rinse after 4 mins rinse well and put back in to trace it's regrowth.

Re introduce your current lighting intensity as a ramp up

Full on whites all algae loves, blue it up for a while. Lower intensity and feed corals a bit better to compensate along with good water changes so we fuel the regrowth less. It's a tall order for 3 % sometimes to take care of a deep rooted invader while the rest of the reef runs full bright production mode. For testy growbacks we need to change up some stuff but one thing is sure, if you hadn't acted you'd have a forest by now. 3 retreats for a months set in invader isn't out of norm, lets amplify this work you do as a change up test.

 

[Maxxingout]

Unfortunately I can'tell find the 35% locally. I need ro,do more research on possible locations for it. Until then I have no choice but to draw it back with external 3% treatment.

 

[brandon429]

Also consider the paste easy binder with peroxide and banking soda

This is alk blast and peroxide right from kitchen for sure is better than just 3pct

Increases dwell time in the tufts and at the base, I'm always trying to brainstorm an amp to boost return on investment


Consider the ultimate tank cleaning act of relocating all rocks to dark buckets for five day black out plus direct hit, that's an amp. All detachable corals frags fish etc stay in the tank for normal lighting just minus rock while it sits time out lol

Some don't want that level of work just running ideas that are nutrient lowering.

Which brings into play why we need sandbeds that have no silt component at all... when it's access time we all regret silt. I'd be curious to see full tank shot updates to look for nutrient reserves such as sandbeds or high fish bioload might have missed earlier, only brainstorming

 

[Ryengoth]

You won't eliminate it unless you dark the tank for like a month. Even then, one fiber with a few chloroplasts can cause it come back like mad. I've had my best luck with mass reduction via underwater glycerine+peroxide treatment, brushing and using floss matting to catch the fibers in the sump and grow it there with lots of 10k light. I'll upload some pics shortly of what I'm doing. I have zero hair algae now in the DT. I have to feed the tang and blenny seaweed now to keep them healthy since they prune what tiny fibers pop up on the glass, powerheads, rock, etc.

 

[djbetterly]

I have to say, I had some issues and I found that by simply shortening my lighting period to about 8 hrs and killing my moonlights completely most of my algae issues have completely subsided.

 

[brandon429]

DJ thank goodness your challenge had me a little squirmy :) they don't always fold immediately heh persistence and creativity = win eventually or at least be able to enjoy the system that has so much invested

 

[Ryengoth]

You can see the GHA growing here on the mat. I seed it when I can with fluffs of fibers from the nudibranch breeder in the refugium. The water is so still in that floating breeder that it grows like mad and I have to clean it out every few days.

Skimz internal reactor with biopellets to keep the bacteria happy in the sump and to feed the algae mat and keep the pods fed when no detritus makes it into the refugium area. The pods do a great job keeping the 3 layers of polishing media clean of nitrogen-producing material. There are live rocks and a couple of small stands of money plant that have direct light from the Hydra 52 hanging in there. I run the light 18 hours a day at around 70%. On the far right, which you can't see, is a standard-size reactor with a split layer of 2 seagel and 1 phosgard covering 3/4 of the tube.

Filter by-pass overflow for algae scrubbing cleanup. I want to pull as much of the algae material as possible into the HOT overflow so it will flow under the algae mat and grow into it or rot and feed the refugium and existing algae.

 

[Maxxingout]

Round 2 for some rocks, rock 3 for others. Funny part about bryopsis that I've noticed is It was growing on my power head. I hit that spot with 3 % peroxide while it was out of water. One month later it started growing back at teh same spot of that power head, crazy! I mean it's taking hold onto plastic and seems like it's spores stick around even though the plastic is smooth, has been 3%'ed and scrubbed.

I have tried the 3% & baking soda, but that was a under water treatment. Going dark with the rocks would mean I'd have some serious chiseling to do to remove the encrusted corals. Some are not but IF i go got that route I'm bleaching the rock. Trying my best not to be another victim of shutting down a saltwater tank. Hopefully I'll get it figured out. As of now my 300g custom tank has been put on hold until I know I can win and or contain this demon. If not I will not put the thousands of dollers into another system that will ultimately fail.




HELP! lol.

 

[Ryengoth]

Been there and am nearly free of it now. Try the 2:1 peroxide + food-grade glycerine mix with a 60ml syringe. I have a bunch of them if you want one. Just PM me your address. I also have extra new 2:1 mixing kits for 50ml 2-part epoxy guns. I never dose more than 50ml of mix per day since it causes bacterial bloom and your skimmer will run wild for a couple of days until it settles. Remove as much of the fiber mass as you can, collect it and relocate the mass to your sump, before the mechanical filter. I am growing an algae mat on that blue/white floss pad. and floating it in the refugium. You'll need to dose the mix in drops and small streams across areas where the mass is the heaviest. It'll flow downward and contact all of the surfaces below where you dose, so be mindful of it. It runs like lava so you'll need all pumps off until the bubbling has stopped or reduced substantially.

 

[Ryengoth]

I have to say, I had some issues and I found that by simply shortening my lighting period to about 8 hrs and killing my moonlights completely most of my algae issues have completely subsided.

Based on my initial algae growth and longevity trials for a week, that stuff can survive with just light and CO2 from surface exchange. If you remove the light, it can't survive at all since it relies on chloroplasts for energy production.

 

[VBMike]

Based on my initial algae growth and longevity trials for a week, that stuff can survive with just light and CO2 from surface exchange. If you remove the light, it can't survive at all since it relies on chloroplasts for energy production.

I wish that worked for me! Whatever brown hair algae I've been fighting for a year doesn't need light... it just does dormant in the dark and resumes growth the instant light hits it again. It even resumes growth quickly on frag racks that have been dried out for weeks and weeks. It most go to spore or something when stressed.

 

[Ryengoth]

I wish that worked for me! Whatever brown hair algae I've been fighting for a year doesn't need light... it just does dormant in the dark and resumes growth the instant light hits it again. It even resumes growth quickly on frag racks that have been dried out for weeks and weeks. It most go to spore or something when stressed.

I've not tested brown yet. I've not really had any of that. It's mostly been diatom bloom and green algae. If relocating and establishing it in the sump and burning the mass in the DT doesn't work then you may have to either live with a large CUC or nuke it. Did you try underwater spot treating?

 

[VBMike]

I've not tested brown yet. I've not really had any of that. It's mostly been diatom bloom and green algae. If relocating and establishing it in the sump and burning the mass in the DT doesn't work then you may have to either live with a large CUC or nuke it. Did you try underwater spot treating?

Yes. Underwater treatment was really only useful for touchup work; thick clumps laugh at it. Relocating to the sump is how I determined it goes dormant.

The diatom bloom is part of the deal... peroxide kills the bacteria film on the surface of the rock and the diatoms represent recolonization.