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[APD] Re: algae fix



"Yes yes, I know I shouldn't use chems to fight algae but
I got fed up and tried Algae Fix. May as well post my results
up here. "

Well I think everyone tries it at some point but it doesn't grow plants, and that's why you have algae, not good consistent conditions for the plants.

FWIW, I have never found a need or ever found a tank that I could not clean up with nothing else than elbow grease, good nutrients and CO2. 2-3 weeks max time to clean up any infestation to date.

Getting fed up is good but you should be motivated to get in there and trim, prune and scrub it off etc, Neglect and then using an algaicide is not a good method.

"1) It didn't hurt the plants - I had over 25 species in there including
Tonina fluvatilis, stargrass, Bacopa myriophyllum (sp?), Blyxa japonica.
The only plant that didn't like the treatment was the stargrass - got
a little blackening of the leaf edges, but it didn't die.
2) Fish didn't seem to notice it...
3) It killed the algae. I had three forms of algae in there -
	- green dust 
	- black film (a form of red algae)
	- BBA
The green dust and black film were gone within a week. The BBA
definitly didn't like the treatment but is now going away slowly.
Its turned gray - white in some areas and I can simply wipe it off
in most areas. I suspect that with another dose I may kill it all
together
but I probably won't dose again - I have the upper hand now."

So your plants are now growing better? That's the only way you will have the upper hand. 
It's not about algae, it's about plants.

Folks always tell me, "Well if I could just get ahead of the algae alittle, then everything would be fine." 
Or "I have a little bit of algae I cannot seem to get rid of". 
But you can easily by pruning and picking the algae off. Then the big water change and nutrients. 
Harass the algae, they hate water changes, they hate being scrubbed off, lights out etc. 
Your water conditions with the algae you mention tell me a few things about likely nutrient/CO2 issues.
Perhaps maintenance.

"It will kill snails and inverts.
Use the product at your own risk."

Basic premise is does it grow plants? Ain't growing plants the goal? 

Honestly though, elbow grease, old fashion keeping up on the tank and dosing routinely, pruning, good levels and water changes will go a very very very long way.

This is what it takes to produce winning tanks, dynaqmic plant growth and nice looking set ups. 

There is/are no trick/s to that. The effects of any algaicide/cables/magic "crystals" water reactors etc are subtle at best, you might get lucky and tip the tide but I could kill your algae in a week or less also with nothing but taking care of the plant's needs and maintenance.

I am not so subtle. Nor are my methods and my methods are always cheaper and address the long term needs/effect. If folks want to gain the upper hand, they perhaps may want to read general algae cleaning methods I did and talked about in the past. 

I need a nasty algae ridden tank and do a focus group on this next time. It's not brain surgery.
FWIW you can add light amounts of CuSO4, H2O2 etc to kill algae too. But these don't grow plants either. 
Cyano's, BBA's, and Green dust I have discussed on how to deal with and get rid of. The methods take a week or so/or less and they address the plant needs.   

I'm not picking on you personally here, just another general reminder which seems to happen every few months.
 
Tom Barr
-
Ghazanfar Khan Ghori

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