The Horrific Side Effects of Algaecide

PrestoChang

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 14, 2021
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
oswego
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am writing to you all because I would like to discuss what I believe algaecide has done to my tank and figuring what to do now.

Let me first begin by explaining my hypothesis as to the reason that drove me to use API Algaecide in the first place.

The Algae Bloom

1. I introduced ~15 Mexican turbo snails and ~ 15 Margareta snails in the past year
2. Strangely none of these ever lived and I neglected to collect any shells out of the tank (I believe the reason is due to aluminum leaching from my marine pure block)(I know I can't know for certain unless I do an icp test
3. This excess of deteriorating biomass caused a hair algae bloom that I couldn't manage by nutrient export, manual removal, or light deprivation

The Algaecide Experience

1. I began to dose the measured dose every few days
2. As I began to witness the algae weakening I would siphon it off the rocks
3. Instead of maintaining the same thing consistently I would begin to just pour a little bit in by eye
4. I was running about 4 types of nutrient export to get rid of the phosphates that I knew the algae would release when killed (GFO, Purigen, Skimmer, Refugium)
5. Bottomed out Po4 & No3
6. Dinoflagelate explosion
7. I have now been dealing with extreme dinoflagellates that clump together and formed a new monster on par with hair algea
8. for the past few weeks I have been dosing Brightwell Nitrogen and Phosphorus, once again eyeballing the recommended dose every day
9. still no results...
10. My conclusion after research is that the chemical used within algaecides binds to the surfaces within the water... because of my likely overdosage of API Algaecide I believe that it is not allowing green algae to outcompete and by proxy eliminate the dinoflagellates, as there are just a few patches where I can see short tuffy hair algae that I hope is not bryopsis...

The Plan?
Well I hope somebody can help me find a solution by spitballing.

I am about to do a 20% water change and try to manually remove as much as I can (I have been laying off water changes because I was trying to raise nutrients to combat the Dinos)
maybe I should do a 3 day blackout?

Pictures Earliest to Latest

JULY

September (towards the end of algaecide process)




October/Present




Sorry for the low context clips, one normally doesn't like taking pics of their tank when its at its lowest haha...

However, after treating for algae in august or so, September yielded an exceptionally clean tank before dinoflagellates slowly overtook. And still, suck them all up and clean the glass it looks good but only for a day or two.
 
OP
OP
PrestoChang

PrestoChang

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 14, 2021
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
oswego
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
as an additional note, I have removed two tangs from the display, however I have been dosing a lot of nitrogen to compensate.

In regard to the invertebrates getting poisoned from my "suspected" aluminum leaching, I have had a fighting conch, urchin, couple shrimp, crabs, etc that have all been fine, only the rock dwelling snails haven't made it, like literally I have zero.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,235
Reaction score
69,908
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
When you say API Algaecide, I presume you mean API Algaefix?

It does stick to surfaces. You may have read this long thread on that ingredient, which includes discussions of what happens to it and how to get rid of it:

 

Mickey

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
481
Reaction score
312
Location
Cheshire, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Randy Holmes-Farley I know this is an older thread, but can you reiterate how to "get rid of" the algaecide. I did read the thread you referenced originally, and I'll start rereading (or skimming rather) again to try to find it, but I'm hoping you can help point me in the right direction.

I think I need it after struggling for quite a while with problems in my reef that I think all stem back to my use of Vibrant several years ago. I'm at my wits end but really hate to give up on a 19 year old reef. Tank is a mess.
 

piranhaman00

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
5,027
Reaction score
5,002
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Years ago is not still having effect. Run carbon and water change but you will have to wait it out
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
30,224
Reaction score
24,068
Location
tejas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Additives won’t save a 19 year old reef and they’re not worth the risk frankly

Curious to see a pic of the tank, let’s see if it matches any before pics from correction jobs we’ve done via manual fixes/not additives
 

Mickey

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
481
Reaction score
312
Location
Cheshire, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Years ago is not still having effect. Run carbon and water change but you will have to wait it out
I do run carbon and also do water changes. Though to be honest I slowed down on the water changes for a while when dinos were prevalent, but stepping them up again now.

Additives won’t save a 19 year old reef and they’re not worth the risk frankly

Curious to see a pic of the tank, let’s see if it matches any before pics from correction jobs we’ve done via manual fixes/not additives
I'd rather not use additives but haven't found the right "manual" fix yet. Currently working on repeated removal and blowing off or rocks, and increasing CUC. Plus building a DE filter (per Paul B.) to help with that. I don't really want to move this thread too far afield so may end up making a new thread if I don't start seeing some improvement soon. Only improvement so far is reduction in dinos - almost gone. So I guess that's some progress. Need my corals to recover before I start feeling better about things though.
 

Reefer718

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 26, 2021
Messages
7
Reaction score
2
Location
Nyc
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am writing to you all because I would like to discuss what I believe algaecide has done to my tank and figuring what to do now.

Let me first begin by explaining my hypothesis as to the reason that drove me to use API Algaecide in the first place.

The Algae Bloom

1. I introduced ~15 Mexican turbo snails and ~ 15 Margareta snails in the past year
2. Strangely none of these ever lived and I neglected to collect any shells out of the tank (I believe the reason is due to aluminum leaching from my marine pure block)(I know I can't know for certain unless I do an icp test
3. This excess of deteriorating biomass caused a hair algae bloom that I couldn't manage by nutrient export, manual removal, or light deprivation

The Algaecide Experience

1. I began to dose the measured dose every few days
2. As I began to witness the algae weakening I would siphon it off the rocks
3. Instead of maintaining the same thing consistently I would begin to just pour a little bit in by eye
4. I was running about 4 types of nutrient export to get rid of the phosphates that I knew the algae would release when killed (GFO, Purigen, Skimmer, Refugium)
5. Bottomed out Po4 & No3
6. Dinoflagelate explosion
7. I have now been dealing with extreme dinoflagellates that clump together and formed a new monster on par with hair algea
8. for the past few weeks I have been dosing Brightwell Nitrogen and Phosphorus, once again eyeballing the recommended dose every day
9. still no results...
10. My conclusion after research is that the chemical used within algaecides binds to the surfaces within the water... because of my likely overdosage of API Algaecide I believe that it is not allowing green algae to outcompete and by proxy eliminate the dinoflagellates, as there are just a few patches where I can see short tuffy hair algae that I hope is not bryopsis...

The Plan?
Well I hope somebody can help me find a solution by spitballing.

I am about to do a 20% water change and try to manually remove as much as I can (I have been laying off water changes because I was trying to raise nutrients to combat the Dinos)
maybe I should do a 3 day blackout?

Pictures Earliest to Latest

JULY

September (towards the end of algaecide process)




October/Present




Sorry for the low context clips, one normally doesn't like taking pics of their tank when its at its lowest haha...

However, after treating for algae in august or so, September yielded an exceptionally clean tank before dinoflagellates slowly overtook. And still, suck them all up and clean the glass it looks good but only for a day or two.
Same thing happened to me but things went wacky with hi calcium and ultra low Kh. Bottomed out phosphates and boom. Dinos. Three day blackout and about 10 filter socks but it worked. Now I have to figure out how to raise my kh. Lost a few torches and a hammer and my mushrooms are sll pulled it. Upside my very shy borbonius anthias found his courage during the blackout and is all over the tank suddenly.

Screenshot_20240322_022438_Gallery.jpg Screenshot_20240322_022424_Gallery.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20240321_180425_1.mp4
    3.9 MB

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,235
Reaction score
69,908
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Randy Holmes-Farley I know this is an older thread, but can you reiterate how to "get rid of" the algaecide. I did read the thread you referenced originally, and I'll start rereading (or skimming rather) again to try to find it, but I'm hoping you can help point me in the right direction.

I think I need it after struggling for quite a while with problems in my reef that I think all stem back to my use of Vibrant several years ago. I'm at my wits end but really hate to give up on a 19 year old reef. Tank is a mess.

Folks in the Vibrant thread showed it was removed from tank water relatively rapidly, IIRC. It presumably binds to all sorts of surfaces and detritus, etc.

Water changes, skimming, using any of the various organic binding materials (GAC, purigen, calcium carbonate powder, chemipure, etc) should speed the process.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,235
Reaction score
69,908
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Same thing happened to me but things went wacky with hi calcium and ultra low Kh. Bottomed out phosphates and boom. Dinos.

How would calcium rise from using an algaecide? Were you dosing it?
 

Mickey

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
481
Reaction score
312
Location
Cheshire, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Folks in the Vibrant thread showed it was removed from tank water relatively rapidly, IIRC. It presumably binds to all sorts of surfaces and detritus, etc.

Water changes, skimming, using any of the various organic binding materials (GAC, purigen, calcium carbonate powder, chemipure, etc) should speed the process.

Thanks, Randy. Is there a concern when it's bound to surfaces or is it inert at that point? I'm just trying to understand it all.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,235
Reaction score
69,908
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks, Randy. Is there a concern when it's bound to surfaces or is it inert at that point? I'm just trying to understand it all.

It would be inert to anything except what it is stuck to.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHICH OF THESE CREEPY REEF CRITTERS IS MOST LIKELY TO GIVE YOU NIGHTMARES? (PICTURED IN THE THREAD)

  • The Bobbit Worm

    Votes: 47 65.3%
  • The Goblin Shark

    Votes: 4 5.6%
  • The Sea Wolf

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Giant Spider Crabs

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • The Stargazer Fish

    Votes: 5 6.9%
  • The Giant Isopod

    Votes: 9 12.5%
  • The Giant Squid

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Other (Please explain!)

    Votes: 5 6.9%
Back
Top