High Tide Aquatics

The "Justin method" of algae removal (Hydrogen Peroxide 3%)

The red bubble algae came back on a rock with zoas in full 3% dip for 15 minutes or so. The zoas really suffered, and the bubbles resprouted within two weeks. No experience with the red cotton candy.
 
Don't use full 3%, nobody should be using full strength on any coral. Next time try using diluted stuff and a soft bristlede tooth brush to expose as much of the algae to the peroxide.
 
Sorry, maybe I missed it but what dilution do you use? Thank you oh master of aquascaping (but not necessarily master of bribery).
 
Matt_Wandell said:
Sorry, maybe I missed it but what dilution do you use? Thank you oh master of aquascaping (but not necessarily master of bribery).
Click to expand...

Roughly 6:1, more diluted in delicate situations, it's pretty fast acting and doesn't show results for a few hours so don't worry about nuking anything.
 
Just dipped my button polyps rock in 5/1 solution. Like 10 brittlestars (bristlestars?) jumped shipped, but we'll see how the polyps look tommorow.
 
tuberider said:
Matt_Wandell said:
Sorry, maybe I missed it but what dilution do you use? Thank you oh master of aquascaping (but not necessarily master of bribery).
Click to expand...

Roughly 6:1, more diluted in delicate situations, it's pretty fast acting and doesn't show results for a few hours so don't worry about nuking anything.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeremy!

I'm also wondering about Aiptasia but guessing that it chews up peroxide and spits in back into your face.
 
Matt_Wandell said:
tuberider said:
Matt_Wandell said:
Sorry, maybe I missed it but what dilution do you use? Thank you oh master of aquascaping (but not necessarily master of bribery).
Click to expand...

Roughly 6:1, more diluted in delicate situations, it's pretty fast acting and doesn't show results for a few hours so don't worry about nuking anything.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeremy!

I'm also wondering about Aiptasia but guessing that it chews up peroxide and spits in back into your face.
Click to expand...


Norman recommends freshwater dips for Aiptasia amongst Zoas, I'd imagine that would work with GSP as well.
 
Gomer said:
People inject boiling water into Aiptasia...wonder how injecting straight 3% H2O2 works!
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking, I mean what does it do when it contacts saltwater? Just goes turns into water plus a free oxygen molecule right?
 
Alright did a little experimenting with 3% on some aiptasia, no dilution at all.

Used a syringe (tiny medical grade) to inject directly into the base of an aiptasia, they fizzled and bubbled... however some time later they seemed to be fine.

Also dipped a corner of a rock into some peroxide, again, they shrivled up looked eradicated... however a short time later after being reintroduced to the tank it looks like they in fact are still alive. This however was only a few minutes. I'll try some other time with different strengths, however I would say that any length to kill aiptasia most likely will kill whatever else, and if you can remove the rock, there are other ways to nuke them. Bonus is the coraline that was on that corner now fluoresces a lovely shade of pink :D

Initial reports are a bust for aiptasia killing properties, while it looks devastating with the foamy bubbly action, I think it's basically them having gas :D However one aiptasia that was on the glass, very easily let go and was easy to scoop out of the tank. As for dipping rocks, as mentioned, if you can remove the rock there are much better ways to get rid of them (blowtorch, muratic acid, physical removal by chipping the rock).
 
tuberider said:
DurTBear said:
Thanks for posting your experiences with this method. I will give it a shot as well. There's an annoying patch of hair algae right in the middle of my setosa that just won't go away...
Click to expand...


Bear in mind that Montis do not take too well to peroxide, not to say it can't be done, but IME your best using it diluted and locally instead of a full immersion.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I think I'll just dip the single branch/nub that has the hair algae on it. Hopefully if it burns the flesh, it's only the end and not the whole piece.
 
I took the plunge and subjected 3 frags to the peroxide algae removal method. mixture was appx. 4 parts saltwater, 1 part peroxide. dip duration 3 minutes. All three are chalice, 2 of them I minimized the peroxide contact with the coral by only dipping the algae and not the corall, the other one I put the whole plug underwater. The 1 that took the plunge has a lot of slime, i'll keep my eyes on all of them and if good results, give some more the peroxide bath.
 
i just did this to over 10 pieces of coral. the way I decided to do this is, I had setup 3 small glass tanks that I bought at pet club for 10 bucks each. 1 tank had saltwater from my tank with hydrogen peroxide, the next tank had saltwater from tank and a shit load of kents tech I(iodine), and the third tank was just saltwater from tank, I took the corals one at a time and put it in the hydrogen peroxide with a small powerhead for less than a minute to 2 minutes while toothbrushing around the tissue where the algae was, whether it was red slime or hair algae, after toothbrushing it clean which doesn't take much because the hydrogen just eats away at everything. after the first dip and toothbrushing with a soft bristle toothbrush I put the coral in tank number 2 with the iodine and let it sit in there for about a minute or two, while in this tank I had another powerhead to move around the water and did not touch the coral as it sat in the tank, after that it went to tank 3 which was just saltwater and swished it around to remove all the iodine and peroxide that could be transfered to the main display then put the coral back in tank and left it alone. the next day all the coral looked so much better and no signs of algae. most of the corals opened up even more now that the algae is gone. I dipped a moseleya coral, zooanthids, open brains, acans, autrolomussa, chalice, blastomussa, and dendros. the only thing I didn't try was my SPS corals because they are all doing fine. all in all this method worked great for me. so should see the crap that is left behind in the tanks. makes you want to do all of your rocks and tank and see what happens. i will always do this before I put in a new coral as a preventative thing. any animal that enters the hydrogen peroxide jumps ship and floats to the top of the water. try it and see for yourself.
 
This is a great method. I tried it as well first on just a small zoanthid frag but later also did acans, chalices and sps. I diluted 3% H2O2 1:6 in tankwater and filled a plastic container with this mixture. Then I had two additional containers with just tankwater. I dipped the corals in the H2O2 for a couple minutes, then washed them in the two containers with just tankwater. Within a day, the algae on the coral plugs started turning white and a few days after, it was completely gone.
 
Update: Some hair algae has returned to my monti cap that received a 40 second dip in 3% solution. I noticed a trocus snail hanging upside down on it. The zoa frags have done the best with dipping and no algae has returned to them. I just dipped a walnut sized frag of ponapei birds nest in hopes to stop the hair algae at it's base. It's lost a little of it's purple tip color but seems OK. Algae is gone. I've got several chalice frag candidates who's pedestals could use a dip.
 
you can use a soft toothbrush and scrub off the algae while its in the H2O2. it makes the hair algae come right off. do a iodine dip after the H2O2 bath and watch how your corals look the next day. I am very satisfied with what I did. good luck to whoever does this. I only had the corals in each bath for a minute or less because I toothbrushed the algae off so I can get it back to the tank faster. All my corals survived what I did.
 
water pics + H202 also does wonders, just don't blast the flesh of the coral.
 
Ok, I am really intrigued by the H2O2 dip.
I may try that. I have a rock with a lot of hair algae, some bubble algae, and one tiny soft coral.

But I am a bit confused by the iodine dip, especially for a really short time.
First, I though iodine dips were not supposed to be that healthy for soft corals.
Second, I though you were supposed to dip for 10-20 minutes, not < 1 minute.

Thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top