Is it possible to eliminate algae by sterilization

[zozo]

many aquarists use algaecide more often than they admit.

Might be, especially when it concerns showpieces when you need to be in top-notch condition on a specific date. I'm not saying it's cheating either...
I'm just not a fan and don't mind a few algae in my tanks and my tanks are only for me the show, all that visit my place now and then don't see the difference between algae and plants and rarely look longer than 20 seconds to the aquariums.

Tho me too as many others experimented with glut and peroxide in the past and it works... Regarding glut, some plants hate it others thrive on it that will not grow in low energy otherwise. Personally, I'm just sitting on my pennies and I see no value added to spending money on plants and glut if I can also grow plants that don't need it. Plants are plants I find them all equally beautiful and equally fun to grow in their own right. Thus for me the question mark about why should I is bigger than why should I not use chemicals for fun. I once did have my share of fun with both and like it without better and less hassle, rather lazy than tired running from one bottle to the other so to say... 🙂

So for me not being a fan is more of an opinion and not at all judgemental.

 

[John q]

Glut has low toxicity that dosing as much as 5X as recommended by SeaChem will not harm life stock

I beg to differ. Glutaraldehyde kills fish, anybody dosing 5x standard dose is playing Russian roulette with there livestock.
Maybe a close up photo of fish subjected to 5ppm~ 10ppm long term of glutaraldehyde will sway my judgment, I suspect we won't get photos.

 

[Guest]

Isn't it better to concentrate on growing healthy plants than eradicating algae...?

 

[tiger15]

I beg to differ. Glutaraldehyde kills fish, anybody dosing 5x standard dose is playing Russian roulette with there livestock.
Maybe a close up photo of fish of fish subjected to 5ppm~ 10ppm long term of glutaraldehyde will sway my judgment, I suspect we won't get photos.
View attachment 189503

I have compiled the toxicity data of Glut from various sources below, and you can judge how toxic Glut is. For reference, Seacam recommends 2 ppm initial dosage after water change, and 0.4 ppm Glut daily thereafter. The initial dosage is 5x the daily regular dosage. Seachem Paraguard ick remedy calls for dosing 4 ppm Gut, 10x daily dosage.

Toxicity of glutaraldehyde
96h acute Bluegill sunfish LC50 = 11.2 mg/L
Bluegill sunfish NOEC = 10 mg/L
48h acute Oyster larvae LC50 = 2.1 mg/L
96h acute Green crabs LC50 = 465 mg/L
96h acute Grass shrimp LC50 = 41 mg/L
48h acute Daphnia magna LC50 = 0.35 mg/L
Daphnia magna NOEC = 0.32 mg/L
96h algal growth inhibition Selenastrum capricornutum ILm = 3.9 mg/L
Algal inhibition Selenastrum subcapitata IC50=1 to 1.8 mg/L
96h algal growth inhibition Scenedesmus subspicatus EC50 = 0.9 mg/L
Bacterial inhibition Sewage microbes IC50 = 25-34 mg/L
96h O. mykiss (Trout hatch rate) IC50 = 1.82 mg/L
96h C. dubia (Daphnia reproduction) IC50 = 4.7 mg/L

*EC=Effective concentration; IC=Inhibition concentration; LC=Lethal concentration;
NOEC=No observed effect concentration

 

[John q]

Toxicity of glutaraldehyde
96h acute Bluegill sunfish LC50 = 11.2 mg/L
Bluegill sunfish NOEC = 10 mg/L

So... 11.2 ppm kills hardy fish in 96hr, And you feel comfortable dosing 2ppm in your aquarium, 👍 seems like a safe bet..

 

[John q]

Isn't it better to concentrate on growing healthy plants than eradicating algae...?

😀

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Isn't it better to concentrate on growing healthy plants than eradicating algae...?

Yes.

I don't think there is anything wrong dosing chemicals prophylactically to aquatic garden as homeowners regularly dose herbicides to their lawn.

And that is morally wrong <"on so many levels..............">,

cheers Darrel

 

[tiger15]

Isn't it better to concentrate on growing healthy plants than eradicating algae...?

Yes, the focus should be to grow healthy plants rather than to eradicate algae. Same with lawn maintenance in that growing healthy grass will crowd out weed, and you I’ll not win the war on weed by focusing on weed eradication.

Hi all,

Yes.

And that is morally wrong <"on so many levels..............">,

cheers Darrel

I love unmowed European lawns that mix in flowers, prairie and weeds that are ecologically friendly to insect and wildlife. But in US, not mowing down your urban lawn is illegal, yet it is legal to own machine guns to mow down people.

 

[jaypeecee]

Most if not all truly aquatic plants will not take chemicals like glut and peroxide very well their tissue is too soft and gets damaged.

Hi @zozo

Occasionally, I have had cause to use H2O2 in my tanks at 2mg/l with no adverse effects. Tanks have had Java Ferns in them. No livestock. What would you recommend as a maximum H2O2 concentration with Java Fern?

TIA.

JPC

 

[sparkyweasel]

But in US, not mowing down your urban lawn is illegal,

ah yes, 'the land of the free'. 🙂
I wonder what would happen if you told City Hall it's not a lawn. it's a wildflower meadow?

 

[jaypeecee]

I wonder what would happen if you told City Hall it's not a lawn. it's a wildflower meadow?

Hi @sparkyweasel



JPC

 

[tiger15]

ah yes, 'the land of the free'. 🙂
I wonder what would happen if you told City Hall it's not a lawn. it's a wildflower meadow?

Yes, this has happened before, and was on TV news. The neighbors complained. Turning the lawn into a meadow is no excuse for not mowing the lawn the township ordinance prohibits. The concern is not just neighbor complaint but invitation of thief to break in apparently unoccupied house.

 

[PARAGUAY]

I could hardly get my head round this the government in UK have just given the green light for another year for the use of pesticide Thiamethoxam?.despite objections from Health and Safety experts this chemical theoretically one teaspoon is enough to eradicate 1.2 billion bees. Source the Wildlife Trust

 

[zozo]

Hi @zozo

Occasionally, I have had cause to use H2O2 in my tanks at 2mg/l with no adverse effects. Tanks have had Java Ferns in them. No livestock. What would you recommend as a maximum H2O2 concentration with Java Fern?

TIA.

JPC

Sorry I have no idea, last time I did use peroxide in a tank with Java fern is in my High Tech years and that was years ago and only did spot treatment with 1ml 3% peroxide per spot. Never experienced any damage to the Java ferns. I always waited for it to stop reacting before treating another spot. Afaik, once it's no longer reacting it turns into water and oxygen and is no longer peroxide.

A few years ago I once did treat a complete small fishless planted tank with peroxide that was infested with Clado. Followed by blackout for 5 days, I remember it worked a treat and about all Clado was killed off for a while. But actually don't remember the dosage and don't even remember if it had any Java ferns.

Also used peroxide in a spray bottle to mist plants with peroxide during a water change when all has emerged.

It all works, but always only temporary... Proverbially like, putting sticky plaster on a wooden leg? ( In my language we say, mopping the floor with an open tap). In other words, a waste of energy, a wild goose chase, a snake oil that works but isn't the solution. 🙂

So I stopped using peroxide for that purpose years ago and have to agree with and stand by @Guest 's rhetorical question.

"Isn't it better to concentrate on growing healthy plants than eradicating algae...?"

 

[jaypeecee]

In my language we say, mopping the floor with an open tap...

Hi @zozo

Excellent! And thanks very much for your reply.

So I stopped using peroxide for that purpose years ago and have to agree with and stand by @Guest 's rhetorical question.

"Isn't it better to concentrate on growing healthy plants than eradicating algae...?"

It is undoubtedly the best option to concentrate on growing healthy plants. But, with the best will in the world, things don't always go as intended. That's when Plan B comes into operation.

JPC

 

[tiger15]

Hi @zozo
It is undoubtedly the best option to concentrate on growing healthy plants. But, with the best will in the world, things don't always go as intended. That's when Plan B comes into operation.

JPC

True, things don’t always go as intended. Among the fundamental rules to grow healthy plants without algae are high plant mass, low organic load, adequate CO2, and no excessive light.

When I started my first planted 75 gal tank, it’s too costly to fill up a big tank with high plant mass to begin with. I keep messy cichlid with plants and don’t want to give up cichlid for shrimp for the sake of minimizing bio load. I also have a 1 gal planted shrimp bowl by the window that receives afternoon sunlight which I cannot dial down the intensity, nor do I want to place a shade behind it that affects the visual. CO2 is depleted due to intense sunlight and photosynthesis, but I have no plan to inject CO2 into a 1 gal bowl.

Each of the above situations inevitably violates the fundamentals. Glut and peroxide are helpful when the fundamentals cannot be fixed.