# H2O2 trial for cladophora



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

So I have finally beaten (or at least established a temporary cease-fire) with BBA,GSA, green dust, and staghorn algae. Now, I'm noticing what I think is cladophora. It is a green thread-type algae and the strands are incredibly strong.

I was starting to get a very nice bunch of Christmas moss going when the clado moved in & set up shop. It's also taking over my little patch of HC which was growing in slowly but surely. When I try to pull out the algae it unroots large sections of HC - Arrrrrrrrghhhhhh!

I was ready to toss the whole mass of moss which is bigger than a softball, but I decided to pull it out of the garbage and do a little experiment. I have it in a container with about 1/2 gallon of water. I'm planning to add about 10 cc of 3% H2O2 and letting it sit for maybe 5 or 10 minutes.

If the moss gets nuked, then I'm no worse off than I was before.

Any thoughts? I'll post results in a day or two.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Guaiac,

I had moderate success knocking down a slight clado presence with Excel od'ing. It was especially effective when I spot treated the clado. The spot treatment resulted in it turning white within 48 hrs. You might want to divide your moss portion into two and see how it responds to an Excel od.

I hate clado! I have been known to go into the tank with my planting forceps and pull up small (I am talking about one or two small strands) bits of clado in the substrate.


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

I just bleached my aquarium and re-scaped b/c of clado. I first used peroxide, but it didn't knock it out of the gravel. It works for spot treatment similarly to Excel.

Of course, you have to remove all animals.


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

Moss seems to do OK with a peroxide nuke but HC will succumb very easily. It bounces back fast enough but you kill lots of leaves.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

For one of my non CO2 tanks I played the surrender requiem and removed all plants.

Now the Cladophora is reigning supreme in that tank and I hope to have a very original tank  Joke aside this algae doesn't look bad at all covering the stones. My only concern is that it will act bad and try to cover the gravel and other areas too.

--Nikolay


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

So, the moss and clado look as good as ever -- in the trash. I did the H2O2 thing twice. The second time was with 20cc of 3% peroxide in 1/2 gallon of water for about 10 minutes. It had absolutely no effect at all. I think the clado could live just fine in the peroxide bottle.

Anyone know what favors the growth of this stuff? I've tried all the usual things like CO2 and keeping close tabs on the ferts. My tank is bordering on overstocked with fish - maybe this isn't helping any. I did an Excel o/d a few weeks ago without noticable effect.


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

Remove the animals and bleach. Really.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

John P. said:


> Remove the animals and bleach. Really.


It doesn't bother me that much. Besides I'm moving in a few months and will have a good opportunity to start everything over at that time. I just thought this might be worth trying - evidently not......


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## RuslanJamil (Oct 30, 2005)

John P. said:


> Remove the animals and bleach. Really.


OK that solves the immediate problem although a less disruptive method of eradication will hopefully be found. However, if the conditions are suitable, it will be a matter of time before another infestation comes along from spores (I presume) in the next batch of plants etc.

I would like to know how I can prevent it from being a problem again in the future.

BTW, the only tank where I have a problem has a high fish load... significant mulm build up in certain locations.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Cladophora has a lot of side branches and an unpleasant smell. The strands are not long, and it tends to grow in clumps. A related hair algae, Rhizoclonium, lacks the side branches and has long strands which are also very strong. It does not have an odor as Cladophora does. You can forget about dark treatments to get rid of Cladophora. I get stem plants free of it by treating them with 5% bleach for four minutes if they look robust or growing them emersed if they look delicate. Crown plants, fortunately, can take 4 minutes of 5% bleach, which is necessary to kill Cladophora. The leaves of crown plants or rhizome plants, such as crypts, may be killed but the rhizome is more durable and will sprout new leaves. Treated plants are moved to a recovery tank which is free of Cladophora. Fortunately, Cladophora does not spread rapidly by means of swimming zoospores. Delicate stem plants that can't be grown emersed can be freed of Cladophora by cutting off the recently grown tips, which will not have any Cladophora attached.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Like a weed, I get in a clean it out.

You want to approach it from that prespective.
There will be limited slectivity since this one is very much like a plant in many respects, or an infestation of Riccia, Bladderwort etc.

Rotating it under the gravel
Scrubbing
Cleaning equipment etc.

Remove the plants and trim and pick off any.

Replant afterwards.

It takes awhile to build up and grow, but if you just leave things........then you will have some troubles.

If you stop fertilizing for a week, it'll(the algae) do well and take over. 

Packs of shrimp are good, so are Rosy barbs etc.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## holocron (May 29, 2005)

John P. said:


> Remove the animals and bleach. Really.


Do you leave the plants in there? Would be interested to know your treatment, because this damn clado just won't leave my tank.


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

holocron said:


> Do you leave the plants in there? Would be interested to know your treatment, because this damn clado just won't leave my tank.


Tom's method didn't work for me.

I started a holding tank in a big Rubbermaid storage container, complete with sponge filter and heater. I took some sintered glass from my Eheim, and placed it in a cup by the sponge filter (added it to the Eheim at the end of the whole process).

I first removed all plants that I wanted to keep. I screened them very, very carefully to ensure none had Clado on them. In the holding tank they went.

Then I removed as many shrimp as possible, and the fish. The shrimp were a real pain.

Then I removed as much of the plant and algae matter that I could.

I first tried H2O2 (peroxide)--as soon as I put my first bottle in, a bunch of shrimp emerged--I sccoped them out as well.

All told, I used 4 big bottles of peroxide. The Cladophora in the Eco-Complete seemed unscathed after 2 days (as did some moss), so I decided I'd bleach it out.

I added several cups into my 26-g and ran it for 2 days, filter on (full to the top of the tank). I then drained the tank down to just above the substrate, added another couple of cups of bleach, and mixed it up really well.

The next day I performed several total water changes. After these, I added copious amounts of dechlorinator and ran the tank for another day, mixing the substrate, etc.

After another water change and more dechlor, I was ready to start fresh. Adding the plants, I was VERY careful to screen and wash them. I made sure the pH (no CO2 added yet) and temp were identical, and added the fish without any water from the holding bucket.

Not a job for the faint of heart, but Clado gives you very few options.


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## holocron (May 29, 2005)

man, that sounds like quite the endeavour. Where the results good? any loss of life?

I am guessing your filter had to be cycled again?


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

It was, but it seems to have been worth it.

It's been about 1 week since I planted. No signs of Clado whatsoever. Just started getting a little cloud in the water, as well as a bit of GSA. Typical startup stuff--should abate soon. I'll take this over Clado any day, that's for sure. It really took the fun out of the hobby!

I did preserve some of the filter media before the nuking, and added it to the post-nuke filter. It should lessen the cycle.

As far as losses--some Cherry Shrimp, but I had hundreds and still have tons.


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## RuslanJamil (Oct 30, 2005)

Has anyone tried Copper Sulfate to get rid of cladophora? I don't mind if it causes some plants to perish... at least I don't have to redo the whole tank...


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## standoyo (Aug 25, 2005)

John P. said:


> Tom's method didn't work for me.
> 
> Not a job for the faint of heart, but Clado gives you very few options.


nefarious...



HeyPK. said:


> A related hair algae, Rhizoclonium, lacks the side branches and has long strands which are also very strong. It does not have an odor as Cladophora does.


any pictures of the nasty stuff to confirm ID of algae anybody?


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## psidriven (Feb 21, 2004)

RuslanJamil said:


> Has anyone tried Copper Sulfate to get rid of cladophora? I don't mind if it causes some plants to perish... at least I don't have to redo the whole tank...


Invertebrates are very senstive to copper and to tanks treated with copper. You might not be able to keep any shrimps in the tank after using the copper sulfate.


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