# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Anybody Have Experience With AlgaeFix?



## Tonka (Mar 20, 2004)

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals markets AlgaeFix as safe to live plants and fish. But they provide little information on their website and their MSDS says nothing about fish tox.

The active ingredient is the mouthful poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene (dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride] which a web search has yielded several cautions about fish toxicity.

I would appreciate any tips. Beard algae has taken over.


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## Tonka (Mar 20, 2004)

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals markets AlgaeFix as safe to live plants and fish. But they provide little information on their website and their MSDS says nothing about fish tox.

The active ingredient is the mouthful poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene (dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride] which a web search has yielded several cautions about fish toxicity.

I would appreciate any tips. Beard algae has taken over.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

The only thing it would hurt is shrimp. Shouldn't hurt fish at all unless you way overdose. I use it all the time. Works best on green algae.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Tonka... When I first got started in planted tanks I used AlgaeFix twice. It did work well with no harm to fish or plants; however you can not use it with any type of crustaceans. With this said I would first try to get rid of the algae first by having a balanced tank & use the Algaefix as a last resort. If you don't solve the problem that is causing the algae then the algae will just come right back. Algaefix is just a temporary solution.


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## Tonka (Mar 20, 2004)

Assuming That the chemistry is in balance, how long does it take for beard algae to go away? I've cut out dosing iron and traces and doubled up on PO4 and NO3 to try to achieve a stable 0.75 and 7.5 ppm, respectively. I have 13 otto's, 8 SAE's, 9(?) Amano shrimp, and 5(?) cherry shrimp. I question the number of shrimp as I haven't seen them since adding them to the tank. Since there is a chance that I still have shrimp, AlgaeFix is out.

Does beard algae just turn dark and fall off or do new algae-free leaves have to grow? My slower growing plants, echinodorus, alternanthera, nymphea are the most severely affected. Some plants are so covered that I doubt if they can sustain new growth.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Tonka... You will have to work at getting rid of BBA. To get started remove all you can by hand from the leaves, gravel, decor, glass and equopment. If there is to much to remove by hand then cut off those leaves and remove decor and equipment and scrub them free of the BBA. After all this do a 50% water change to remove anything that is in the water. You may have to remove BBA daily intill it comes under control. Also just make sure to keep your lighting, nutrients and C02 in balance.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Manually remove all you can and make sure you keep those nutrient levels high enough. Beard algae is a nutrient-poor algae.

Don't cut the iron or trace dosing.

Like trenac said, it may take some time to get rid of.

Are we talking about BBA or beard (_Comsopogon_) algae?


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## Tonka (Mar 20, 2004)

My algae is bright green, no more than 1.5 inches, and is partial to the outside edges of my swords. After I did a water change the color has darkened, but it is still green. I am pretty sure it is beard algae.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Growing on the edges of leaves? That kind of sounds like beard algae. Does it have distinct, unbranching strands that are coarse feeling? 

You have a UV on all the time? It's not been everyone's experience, but in mine, that can really fry iron and lead to to other problems. I don't think they're necessary for full time use.


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## Tonka (Mar 20, 2004)

Yes, unbranched and coarse. Pretty sure it is beard algae.

My UV sterilizer is on only when the water looks murky. I keep it off most of the time because I need some bacteria to feed my killifish and apsito fry before I discover them and can get them on baby brine shrimp.

In the four days since I doubled up on fleet enema and KNO3, the beard algae is no worse and in fact several sword leaves have been partially cleaned off and new leaves look algae free. PO4 is at 0.5ppm and NO3 is at something just less than 5ppm. Iron? Who knows. A standardized solution test spot on at 0.5ppm but its has never registered anything with actual aquarium water.

My plan is to keep consistent with the dosing and make a 30% water change every 7 days.


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## 5380 (Jun 16, 2005)

My A. cacatuoides and Ep. chaperi sp. eat both those types of shrimp. Sometimes they dont learn to hide quick enough, occasionally i get a resourceful shrimp that can manage to avoid mouths well.


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## Tonka (Mar 20, 2004)

That would explain the lack of shrimp and the big smiles on the 3" A. purutu male. Everybody else is too small. My female A. cacatuoides is only a little bit bigger than an inch, but has already killed her mate and is beating the crap out of the larger fish who get too close to her fry. It is very possible that she just kills the shrimp that get in her way leaving the carcasses for everybody else to suck on.

For me, never again for shrimp. If you can't see them, you're better off with SAE's.


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