Api Algaefix Marine And Hydrogen Peroxide Dosing

[Janice]

Does anyone use this product? Do you like it and find it effective? Does anyone know whether it is really just GFO? Their website does not disclose what is in it.

 

[Pistol]

It has been rebranded as DinoX but doesn't work for dinos either, I wouldn't use it because it can destroy the micro fauna in the aquarium which can have devastating affects.

 

[TORX]

To add to what @Pistol said, it is a liquid algaeside, it will kill of red or brown algae, but does come with its own side effects. It does not do anything for hair or bubble algae. I know a few people who have used it successfully, but it is not a replacement for GFO or a phosphate reducer.

 

[Janice]

Thanks. I don't have any brown or red algae. I was only interested in what, if anything, it might do for green algae, but I would not use anything in our tank without knowing what is in it.

 

[Nick James]

Peroxide dosing with manual removal worked wonders for me when I had a GHA outbreak.. I began dosing vinegar as I wound down on the peroxide and I can't grow algae if I try.. (also use bacto reef balls)

 

[Janice]

@NickJames thanks for your suggestion. I spent the last hour reading up on hydrogen peroxide dosing, and it seems that everyone has a different protocol. For example, see what the guy does at this link:
https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/268706-peroxide-saves-my-tank-with-pics-to-prove-it/

Can you share your exact method with me, as I have decided to try it. What grade hydrogen peroxide are you using? Some articles say it should be 35% food grade;whereas others seem to be using standard 3%. How often are you doing it. Are you target dosing the algae with a syringe? Any other helpful tips? How long did you do it for, and why did you switch to vinegar?
@AdInfinitum do you have any suggestions?
@TORX?
Any other of you senior members dosing with hydrogen peroxide?

 

[TORX]

I looked into peroxide dosing at one point and stayed away. I can not recall why now though. Lots of people have had success with it. When I had HA issues last, I just stuck to careful manual removal, Mexican turbo snails along with reducing PO4 and lighting. I have not had the issue again and it has been years.

 

[AdInfinitum]

The vinegar dosing is for nutrient control and ultimately that is always the only real answer. Peroxide can help to break the cycle of algae growth but it will just keep retuning until nutrients are under control. As @Nick James said then you won't be able to grow algae if you try....

My system has every type of algae around in it but it's a little tuft of one here...a couple of bubbles up under the rim at the water line a bit of film in a back corner...that you can find it you look for them. They all add to the biodiversity and compete with each other for the small amounts of nutrients available. If/when I have the time to maintain the tank at the level for SPS, even these traces will disappear.
Hair algae (not Bryopsis) is really very delicate all things considered, more like grass rather than weeds since it has such high nutrient demands... As you truly get a handle on your nutrient situation, it will be the first specie to diminish to traces.

Additionally, once you have a solid growing culture of coraline algae and/or huge growing colonies of SPS they will be giving off such a volume of algicidal compounds that even if nutrients rise, the algae will not be able to grow. That is the actual secret behind the thriving high nutrient established reefs you may read about online.

 

[Janice]

Interesting, so you do not use peroxide @AdInfinitum? We have a thriving coraline algae community, with 40% of the tank back all covered, and it on rocks, etc. I am surprised, based on your comments, that we still have algae-although it does not appear to be growing or getting worse.

 

[AdInfinitum]

I have use peroxide to dip frag plugs with undesirable growth and have experimented with it mostly on Bryopsis and just to experiment... IMO great for dipping or cleaning rocks. I'm not as big on full tank dosing as most full system issues should be solved at the root cause level rather than treating symptoms...

 

[Janice]

Understood, thanks.