# [Wet Thumb Forum]-H2O2



## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

How does H2O2 kill algae?

Best wishes,
John Wheeler


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## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

How does H2O2 kill algae?

Best wishes,
John Wheeler


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

The same way that chlorine bleach kills algae. They oxidize it -- or at least enough of it so that the algae dies. 

Roger Miller


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## imported_Allen (Feb 14, 2003)

yep... If I'm not mistaken that how Potassium Permaganate works too...

Allen 
============
Allen's Tank Pics.
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## stewy (Mar 5, 2003)

Can some one tell me if h2o2 disapates or builds up in a tank without water changes


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## wetmanNY (Feb 1, 2003)

H2O2 dissipates rapidly. It's all dissociated with an hour or so into H2O + O. The extra O provides hydrogen peroxide's oxidizing, bleaching effect. There's nothing to accumulate.


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## BenMontana (Feb 1, 2003)

I have been using it with a turkey baster to bust the hair algae out of my lilaeopsis beds.

I am happy with the results. I inject it directly into the hair/grass tangles. I don't use massive doses, just a guestimate of how much is need to displace the water in the algae mat. It is fairly burnt out 3 days later.


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## b3dlam (Feb 1, 2003)

Wheeler,

Here is something I posted in the previous forum that explains a little about H2O2...



> quote:
> 
> Since my experiment with hydrogen peroxide to combat my BBA, I researched a little into the h2o2 phenomenon.
> 
> ...


hope you find it useful...


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## plantbrains (Mar 11, 2003)

But O2 levels by themselves are not "free radicals". 

Higher primary production rates will increase free radicals and also O2 levels which are not free radicals. 

O2 causes photorespirational increases which is different from damages caused by free radical production. This effect has larger consequences for algae than the higher plants in an aquatic environment.

I suppose if enough PR happens then you can get a backup of metabolites that may effect enzymes such superoxide dimutase and catalases ability to be regulated and thereby causing a breakdown of the algae's ability to handle radicals. But if Rubisco is messed with, not much else is going to matter as much. It's a big player. PR can waste 50% of the cell's fixed carbon/production. 
Adding free radicals like H2O2 is another matter, that will increase free radicals and can overload algae/plants/fish etc depending on dose. O2 seems to be much more specific and for a different reason. 

You can see a recent post over on the APD on this(Photorespiration).

FWIW, 
Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## b3dlam (Feb 1, 2003)

Tom,

Thanks for your response. I would like to address/question some of the remarks that you made.


> quote:
> 
> But O2 levels by themselves are not "free radicals".


I agree with you here. All I was trying to say is that: when the water column is saturated with oxygen ('normally' seen when pearling occurs), the water has a higher level of oxidants through the oxygen. This causes a higher oxidant stress of the organisms in the tank. Higher order organisms such as fish and 'plants' are able to withstand the effects much better than algae.

Excessive formation of free radicals is characteristic of oxidant stress. The saturation of the water column *promotes*this reaction....which is not tolerated by the algae as well as the other tank inhabitants.

Hope i didnt sound toooooo defensive...lol


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## plantbrains (Mar 11, 2003)

Naw, I know what you were saying









I just wanted to make clear the distinction that PR acts on RUBSICO while free radicals tend to go after the Mn water evolving enzyme denaturing it irreversibly in plant metabolism.

SOD-imutase is not effected too much by O2 levels but when the photosynthetic machinery is driven too fast(and often associated with high O2 levels from primary production) O radicals are often increasingly formed. There are limits to reductases in plants and adding lots of O2 can cause issue but the levels often need to be quite high. I'm not sure how much each particular reductase is affected by increasingly higher O2 levels. But some poor bastard has done some research(or could) to determine the enzymatic activity optimums of O2 on the reductases(of which there are many).

I'll look into it more later as I go on down this road. Thanks for the input. I have another 25 lab reports on enzymnatic barley alpha amylase optimizations at differeing pH's and temps to grade so it'll have to waitSo you might say I know exactly how to measure the activity and the effects on these enzymes on a substrate Wanna grade some reports anyone?

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## wetmanNY (Feb 1, 2003)

(no longer relevant)

[This message was edited by wetmanNY on Fri March 14 2003 at 08:38 PM.]


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