Hydrogen Peroxide to kill algae?
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Topic: Hydrogen Peroxide to kill algae?
Posted By: Trevor40
Subject: Hydrogen Peroxide to kill algae?
Date Posted: May 27 2012 at 4:28pm
I've been reading about dosing 1ml per 10 gallons to kill off dinos. Also I read it works great for a coral dip for any type of algae even bubble. Have any of you tried this? I'm going to use it this week and I'll let you know if my dinos die off.
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Replies:
Posted By: builderofdreams
Date Posted: May 27 2012 at 4:55pm
From what i have read Prior to your post. IMO i think its a crap shoot. Good Luck. Keep us posted.
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Posted By: Nails12
Date Posted: May 27 2012 at 5:44pm
I havent heard of that... Hmmm. . . I experiemented with vodka when my biocube went through the uglies. I dosed 5 ml per 10 gallons. Two days later no more dino's. I dont know the side effects though...
Just a thought...
------------- This is more than a hobby; its a lifestyle.
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Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: May 27 2012 at 7:43pm
Hydrogen peroxide can be nasty stuff to corals. I've been experimenting on its mortality rate with SPS, and even diluted to 1/10th strength, it still kills Montipora and Pocillopora as a dip (those are the only two SPS I have in a large quantity.) It also inhibits calcification. Corals after a dip have grown slower than the controls (dipped only in plain saltwater) when kept under the same conditions. Based on what I've seen with a dip, I won't use it for dosing. I had what I suspected were dinos, and I didn't do anything to get rid of them except continue maintenance and dose Prodibio BioClean (I swear by the stuff...might be snake oil for all I know though...but I can't explain its benefits otherwise.) Anyway, I'm writing up my hydrogen peroxide experiment...I'll publish when I am done with the first part.
------------- www.reefdup.com Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water
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Posted By: Trevor40
Date Posted: May 29 2012 at 11:59am
I added some yesterday and today and it's cleaning everything up:) I also dipped some Zoas yesterday that were covered in algae and they look great:) I will let you guys know if it ends up killing all the donos. At this rate it looks like it will. All the corals including about 20 acros all look the same as they did before the HP.
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Posted By: Trevor40
Date Posted: May 29 2012 at 12:02pm
builderofdreams wrote:
From what i have read Prior to your post. IMO i think its a crap shoot.Good Luck. Keep us posted. |
Sounds like you have been reading in the wrong places as every place I've looked had nothing but pisitive about the topic. I don't doubt there is negative but my tank looks like its killing the bad without any ill effects. Your smart to doubt though as I did at first. The HP may not kill all algae but i would bet it kills most.
------------- Call or Text (801)834-3119
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Posted By: Jeremyw
Date Posted: May 29 2012 at 1:14pm
Sorry didnt read anybody responses.
At the first MWRF they spoke about this, even showed how to do it and examples of what it did. Great stuff.
------------- Next meeting:
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Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: May 29 2012 at 1:20pm
What hobbyists post is much different than what scientific studies are showing. I suggest reading scientific publications before touting the benefits too loud. Like i said, it damages the corals and reduces further calcification.
Trevor40- if you have ONLY read positive things, then it is you who needs to read more. I'm on my phone, but I can send enough articles later to scare you.
------------- www.reefdup.com Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water
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Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: May 29 2012 at 3:46pm
One of the problems (IME) is that a dino problem looks alot like a cyano problem and either of those can be combined with an algae problem...
I tried dosing the 1 per 10 ratio in my 93 and it did nothing to eradicate what I thought was a dino problem (ended up being a combo diatom / algae problem casued by excess silicates). I did not see any visual adverse effects to any of my corals, including probably a half-dozen SPS types. The only visual 'symptom" I noted was that all of my anenomes tentacles retracted greatly, and their disks swelled greatly, for about 10 minutes after the H2O2 was added to the system.
I did note that water clarity seemed to be improved while dosing.
Now dosing at 1 per 10 is alot different than a full-strength (or even siluted) dip... I did not try that.
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Posted By: Fatman
Date Posted: May 29 2012 at 11:34pm
What strength hydrogen peroxide are you talking about? I assume the over the counter drug store type, then 1 part peroxide to 10 parts RO water? Or are you using mixed salt water for the dilution dip?
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Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: May 30 2012 at 8:23am
It's 1 ml of peroxide per 10 gallons of water volume
My 93 system has approx 100 gal of water volume, so I dosed 10 ml of peroxide
Regular OTC peroxide that you can buy in any drug store / WalMart, etc
As far as for the dip - not sure, I never used it as a dip
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Posted By: Fatman
Date Posted: May 30 2012 at 9:06am
Posted By: Trevor40
Date Posted: May 30 2012 at 9:28am
BobC63 wrote:
One of the problems (IME) is that a dino problem looks alot like a cyano problem and either of those can be combined with an algae problem...
I tried dosing the 1 per 10 ratio in my 93 and it did nothing to eradicate what I thought was a dino problem (ended up being a combo diatom / algae problem casued by excess silicates). I did not see any visual adverse effects to any of my corals, including probably a half-dozen SPS types. The only visual 'symptom" I noted was that all of my anenomes tentacles retracted greatly, and their disks swelled greatly, for about 10 minutes after the H2O2 was added to the system.
I did note that water clarity seemed to be improved while dosing.
Now dosing at 1 per 10 is alot different than a full-strength (or even siluted) dip... I did not try that.
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I'm happy to see that you have tried this too. It's fun to squirt cyano in my sump when I dose and see it fizzle away into the water column for my skimmer to suck up. How long ago did you dose and for how long? Did any come back when you stopped doseing?
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Posted By: bfessler
Date Posted: May 30 2012 at 2:40pm
I don't dose Hydrogen Peroxide to the tank as it oxidizes very fast in the aquarium becoming ineffective. I have had great success using it as a dip for Zoanthids and other soft corals like mushrooms and other polyps.
Used straight over the counter strength (3%)kills all algae. Zoanthids can be dipped for 1 to 5 minutes and returned to the tank. They will look all bubbly and retracted for about an hour then will open right back up. More sensitive corals like Acros, Montipora and other SPS should not be dipped in Hydrogen Peroxide but if you can remove their rock and use a pipette (eye dropper) and treat the plug or rock, let it sit in the open air for 3 to 5 minutes then replace in the tank. The next day the algae will be gone and you shouldn't see any ill affects on the corals.
I've treated rocks with Digi, Acros, Chalice, Zoanthids, Leathers, Candy Canes and others with no ill affects as long as you treat the rock and not the SPS. I always use straight 3% over the counter Hydrogen Peroxide. Once you place the piece back in the tank you will see bubbles rise off the rock for a few minutes while the HP oxidizes. When the bubbles stop the HP is virtually gone in the tank.
------------- Burt
An equal opportunity reefer,
I support all hobbyists and organizations involved in Marine Aquarium Keeping.
[email protected]
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Posted By: kellerexpress
Date Posted: May 31 2012 at 12:42am
I used it to help rid my tank of hair algae, worked wonders! I dipped about 80% of my rocks in hydrogen peroxide mixed with tank water and it killed all hair algae, never to return. You do have to be careful with sps though as others have mentioned.
------------- IM 30L Kessil A160we x2
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Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: May 31 2012 at 10:15am
I dip new corals that are infested with algae on the plugs...I ususally do about 20-30% peroxide and rest salt water for 2-3 minutes....never lost an SPS, zoa, lps, etc...works great for me, within a day or two all the algae is usually gone. When using it on zoanthids, you'll see microbubbles form on the coral, but no worries, all my corals always recover within the day. The reason for the dip is that the algae on the plugs severely hinder growth and sps encrusting, performing this dip has drastically improved encrusting speed on frag plugs, thus improved growth. No experience dosing a whole tank though...
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Posted By: herrera
Date Posted: June 03 2012 at 10:44pm
I would like to try this on my tank which has a pretty bad algae outbreak. so i just add 1ml per 10g of water? and how do you use it as a dip?
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Posted By: Lewy
Date Posted: June 04 2012 at 3:29am
what if you are doseing vodka? will it kill the bacteria grown by the vodka?
------------- 40 gal w/ 20 sump
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Posted By: Trevor40
Date Posted: June 04 2012 at 11:10am
herrera wrote:
I would like to try this on my tank which has a pretty bad algae outbreak. so i just add 1ml per 10g of water? and how do you use it as a dip? |
That's right. I have found it works best to take out as much algae as possible and then dose right after and it seems to stop the free floating algae from sticking to new places.
As a dip you can put your plugs in a bowl with tank water and slowly add HP until you see the algae start to fizz.
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Posted By: Nails12
Date Posted: June 04 2012 at 12:00pm
Through vodka dosing, i have found out that it rids algae problems but then can cloud your water with a bacterial bloom later... Sounds like peroxide is the best way to go.
------------- This is more than a hobby; its a lifestyle.
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Posted By: Lewy
Date Posted: June 20 2012 at 1:51am
When you treat a whole tank this way, skimmer on or off?
------------- 40 gal w/ 20 sump
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Posted By: Trevor40
Date Posted: June 20 2012 at 7:53am
Leave the skimmer on. Also, I have found it useful to put the HP in a turkey baster and squirt the algae directly with the power heads off for a few minutes. This kills it in minutes in that area and then I move on to other areas the next day that have algae. You'll know you got it if you see the algae bubbling. I have squirted the bases of acros and the polyp didn't even retract and it showed no signs of stress. They have looked much happier after because the algae isn't bothering them any more
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 20 2012 at 2:44pm
Awesome technique.
Thanks for sharing.
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Posted By: Lewy
Date Posted: June 20 2012 at 10:52pm
Do you go above the 1 ml to 10 gal ratio when doing a spot treatment like this?
------------- 40 gal w/ 20 sump
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Posted By: Soehl
Date Posted: June 21 2012 at 7:10am
I have read up on this a lot in the last few weeks. I initially read about this method as a cure for the thin film of algae that forms on some Zoas and will smother and kill them. I haven't tried it on any of my zoa yet. I thought I would first try it on a coral that was more infested. I used 3% HP from Walmart. There are different strengths of it. Several people I read about used the 7% but I didn't want to start that strong.
I did a 50/50 HP to tank water dip on a flower pot that was covered with hair algae and receding/dying back. After the dip I used an old soft tooth brush to remove the algae. Came off easy and hasn't returned. The flower pot is still in poor health and hasn't shown any improvement but the algae is gone and hasn't returned....
Very interesting...
------------- Cory 180 Gallon Mixed Reef Radion Pro LED 75 Gallon Elite Sump/Refugium
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Posted By: Trevor40
Date Posted: June 21 2012 at 8:14am
Lewy wrote:
Do you go above the 1 ml to 10 gal ratio when doing a spot treatment like this? |
When spot treating in the DT I have used as much as 1.5 ml/ 10g. It seems to effect the spots with concentrated contact much more that the tank as a whole in my experience.
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Posted By: Soehl
Date Posted: June 21 2012 at 12:23pm
Sounds like a GREAT technique to me too. I am going to try this tonight!
------------- Cory 180 Gallon Mixed Reef Radion Pro LED 75 Gallon Elite Sump/Refugium
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Posted By: Lewy
Date Posted: June 21 2012 at 10:11pm
yep turns it white quick and seems to just disappear. thanks!!!
------------- 40 gal w/ 20 sump
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Posted By: Trevor40
Date Posted: June 24 2012 at 9:50am
Lewy wrote:
yep turns it white quick and seems to just disappear. thanks!!! |
When it turns white it makes me smile and causes an evil laugh to rise from inside me
I'm happy that it's working for you guys. I'm to the point where I never dose the sump, only small places where it grows back every once in awhile. HP has helped stop many headaches and helped allow corals to grow dino free I love this stuff and it's soooo cost effective!!!
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