barley for algae?

[SquirrelOsO]

i dont have algae, or the tank setup yet for that matter lol, but i was curious about one thing, algae in a tank that is highly lit and the use of barley to control it.
I have a pond, and one of the ways i prevent string algae is i used barley extract, and yes it DOES work. I dont use it for green water since i have a UV which prevents green water (a uv does nothing to fight off string algae)
So i was thinking, if it ever happends to me..knock on wood..how will i handle it? well easy enough to add a UV, but then i thought what about the use of barley extract in a home aquarium to fight algae?..would it work?? why wouldnt it since it works in ponds and battles the suns powerful rays?
Ive also used in my pond, Tetra barley with peat extract, now this one gives the water a brownish tint, which is kinda cool for a pond, not sure how it would look in the aquarium, maybe it would give it that "black water" look
any thoughts on the use of barley extract in the planted aquarium?

 

[Dr. Awkward]

It sounds like it's worth a try. I'd be interested to read anyone's results from testing it.

 

[SquirrelOsO]

It sounds like it's worth a try. I'd be interested to read anyone's results from testing it.

I figure i would try it out before algae hits as a preventative, and possibly dosing once a month.
Ive safely used it in ponds with fish, frogs, tadpoles and plants with no ill effects to the inhabitants
im crazy enough to try it in the aquarium lol

 

[Dr. Awkward]

I bet the plants would really take off with all the extra carbon. I'd like to try it on a plants-only tank first so I could watch the levels but I don't think I can sneak another tank into the house without anyone noticing. I'd also like to see how it works in a tank where you leave the light on way too long. That's always when I get the worst filamentous algae.

 

[SquirrelOsO]

I bet the plants would really take off with all the extra carbon. I'd like to try it on a plants-only tank first so I could watch the levels but I don't think I can sneak another tank into the house without anyone noticing. I'd also like to see how it works in a tank where you leave the light on way too long. That's always when I get the worst filamentous algae.

which is probably the situation i'll be in, leaving the lights on for too long. typically on my tanks run the lights for 12-15 hours, i doubt i can do that with a planted tank without having algae issues.
i also have to figure out the correct dosage for a small tank.
well im gonna start out planted first before i add fish, i wont be adding fish for at least a month after planting, so i will try the barley out early on
if it works so well for ponds im surprised there isnt a market for barley in the aquarium..i just hope theres not a reason why

 

[dundadundun]

the way i see it curiosity killed the cat. the cat killed the fish. why not just skip the middle man and see if curiosity will kill the fish?

ok, ok... what i mean is i am also curious. sounds like an idea worth knowing the outcome on. just like saving bunches of money by getting root tabs for ponds instead of for aquariums.

 

[Cluunox]

Funny I was looking over the barley in the lfs the other day then nephews gf told me they use it in ponds and it works real well. So naturally I have been wondring about the same question. Will be interested in the answer.

 

[SquirrelOsO]

the way i see it curiosity killed the cat. the cat killed the fish. why not just skip the middle man and see if curiosity will kill the fish?

ok, ok... what i mean is i am also curious. sounds like an idea worth knowing the outcome on. just like saving bunches of money by getting root tabs for ponds instead of for aquariums.

barley is 100% safe, it just breaks down to hydrogen peroxide, seems a bit gentler if you ask me since i have used straight hydrogen peroxide in my pond directly on string algae and it is alot stronger than barley, i stopped using it because it started bleaching my pumps, so i wouldnt dose straight HP in my tank.
But liquid barely...so gentle..if it didnt harm a frogs delicate skin i dont see it harming anything in the aquarium.
how effective will it be? it may not be strong enough, and it doesnt kill algae it just prevents it, a good algae killer if used with caution is algaefix...but that can be deadly if used incorrectly, i have had success with algaefix in my pond BUT i dose half of what the label says and used a ton of aeration

 

[jackiomy]

The one thing that I know about it is that it will lower the oxygen content in the water. So you would want to make sure there is plenty of water movement and surface agitation.

 

[SquirrelOsO]

The one thing that I know about it is that it will lower the oxygen content in the water. So you would want to make sure there is plenty of water movement and surface agitation.

yeah? i thought hydrogen peroxide adds oxygen