Just how bad are algaecides?

red_wall

red_wall

Whoosh! feel the onomatopoeia
Jun 15, 2008
964
0
0
SE Georgia
Alright so i'm...

FED UP WITH GREENWATER. :swear: :swear: :swear: :swear: :swear:

I've done a lot of things to get rid of it, but nothings working.
So I'm either going to wait it out for a little while longer before I take a sledgehammer to my tank, or I'm going to use algaecide.

What are the detrimental effects to the tank?
One major one is that inverts can't live in there at all after you use it once.
Well...
I've used it when I had my oscar (lots, and lots of times) and I can keep shrimp and snails in my tank. Snails breed a LOT in there.

Will it kill my plants?
Will it harm my BB?
Will it kill my moss?

If the answers to those 3 questions are no, then I'm using it.

I'm just fed up with the green water
It's killing off all of my plants from lack of light
And it just looks terrible.

Any help here folks?
 
i don't use em. i do have a uv sterilizer and haven't seen green water since though. most people don't need a big one.

what have you done so far?
 
algaeciedes are slap your mama bad



algaesides kill inverts

Posted on mobile.aquariacentral.com
 
My two cents.

red_wall said:
Alright so i'm...

FED UP WITH GREENWATER. :swear: :swear: :swear: :swear: :swear:
Click to expand...

There is only one algaecide I would use, it is "Tetra Algae Control." It contains NO copper, this is good; you can get into trouble with copper, very easily, even if you know what you are doing.

Following the instruction on the label (1 drop per gallon) it has been effective for me. If you have light colored filter material, after treatment, and a day or two later, you will notice a green tinge in the filter, this is the green water being caught up. If the case isn't too bad, one treatment may do; on worse cases, you can repeat this dosage in three days, for up to three times, TOTAL. I have never seen it fail to work within those three doses.

I have never used algaecide with shrimp; snails are no problem. I have never had a problem with significant damage to any plants. You need to check this out though. Google the tetra algaecide and see if you can find any sensitive plants/tank-occupants before using.

I have seen the Tetra algaecide product in walmart stores. Again, I would NOT use a product containing copper. Tetra Algae Control contains none. But, double check the label and make sure it still does NOT contain copper. I have been years since I have used it.

UV is another avenue to go. I no longer have to use any algaecides because I run the UV. I run 1/2 watt per gallon UV. This also has the added benefit of wiping out and keeping ICK out of your tanks. There are some nice 13w UV units on ebay (I think that is good for up to 30g aquariums.) The units I am speaking of must be driven with a small power head, or the output from a canister filter.

Just my two cents ...

Regards,
TA
 
find a willow tree get some small fresh green branches it will clear that crap right up
 
bushwhacker said:
find a willow tree get some small fresh green branches it will clear that crap right up
Click to expand...

You know, I have heard you recommend that quite a few times. I am wondering, has anyone ever cut the top/soft/new-growth tips off those branches, run 'em through a food processor, meat grinder or stout blender, soaked it in luke warm water, pressed/filtered it through a clean rag, and injected it into their green water tank?

Perhaps, you have an organic algaecide there and don't know it!

If I come across some willow, I'll give it a try, at a later date ...

Regards,
TA
 
Last edited:
TechAquaria said:
You know, I have heard you recommend that quite a few times. I am wondering, has anyone ever cut the top/soft/new-growth tips off those branches, run 'em through a food processor, meat grinder or stout blender, soaked it in luke warm water, pressed/filtered it through a clean rag, and injected it into their green water tank?

Perhaps, you have an organic algaecide there and don't know it!

If I come across some willow, I'll give it a try, at a later date ...

Regards,
TA
Click to expand...

Willows are used to suck the nutrients out of the water, there's nothing special in them that clears it out. They're a very water hungry, and nutrient hungry tree, they propagate from their branches. If you put a branch in the water, you'll get a tree-ling.

bushwhacker said:
find a willow tree get some small fresh green branches it will clear that crap right up
Click to expand...

There aren't any big enough ones around me to do that with. It has to be half an inch or so thick for it to sprout.

Blown 346 said:
I agree. Get a UV sterilizer, use it until the green water clears up then shut it off. You dont need a expensive sterilzer. This one here seems to do well for everyone that has used it.
I Know you can have it ordered from petco. Just look around for pricing.
http://cgi.ebay.com/AQUARIUM-SUBMER...in_0?hash=item2c51100854&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Click to expand...

That actually looks like my best bet as of right now.
I'm still a little hesitant on using the algaecide.
My 'few years old' bottle of algae killer has no information on it at all about the ingredients other than polyethylene.



Anyone else want to put their 2 cents in?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom