Algae fun!

[SCMurphy]

I'm not guessing because we discussed this at the meeting. It is nice to see a picture of what you were saying though. See you Saturday.

[Cristy Keister]

Well, they look almost equally dead except for the one hiding on the right.

I agree with jcali10.
A: 50%
B: 25%
C: 100%
D: 200%
E: 0%

[Aaron]

I'm guessing that E represents a higher concentration of excel and C and D represent the lowest and absent concentrations of excel.

In other words, the excel is feeding the algae. Now, if this is the case this doesn't help me because I have this same algae and don't dose excel.

[chris_todd]

I'm guessing that E represents a higher concentration of excel and C and D represent the lowest and absent concentrations of excel.

In other words, the excel is feeding the algae. Now, if this is the case this doesn't help me because I have this same algae and don't dose excel.

Since Aaron thinks it too, maybe I'm not crazy - that was my hypothesis as well.

To be honest, I always wondered about why Excel was supposed to kill algae...

[B Considine]

E = 0%
B = 25
A = 50
C = 100
D = 200

Or, E = 200%, so don't do it!

Blaise

[DelawareJim]

To be honest, I always wondered about why Excel was supposed to kill algae...

Excel may act like 2, 4-D. 2, 4-D, which is the active ingredient in most lawn weed killers, is a plant hormone that essentially causes broadleaf plants to grow themselves to death. Along that principle, Excel may cause the plant to react as though there are toxic levels of CO2 in the water column?

Unfortunatley, I can't see the pictures because of the filters here, but I'm assuming from the chatter the algae isn't showing the normal reaction to increasing concentrations of Excel? 200 percent might not be strong enough to adversely affect it?

Cheers.
Jim

[gmccreedy]

To be honest, I always wondered about why Excel was supposed to kill algae...

Seachem Excel lists Glutaraldehyde as one of the principal ingredients. Glutaraldehyde has many uses, but sone of which are a disinfectant and antimicrobial product as well as a sterilant. It does work to a degree, but not sure if this alage is really being knocked out by the excel or a combination of the use and the testing condition.

Just my two cents. I am curious as to the sudden influx of this algae lately.

I wonder if turning off filters could help during the treatment of this. This way spore (if this is how it propogates) become stagnant and any treatment meds will have maximum impact and contact time.

May not be to nice on fish and critters though.

If you still have this around at the end of the month, would you mind parsing me out a sample for me to play around with?

[DelawareJim]

To be honest, I always wondered about why Excel was supposed to kill algae...

Seachem Excel lists Glutaraldehyde as one of the principal ingredients. Glutaraldehyde has many uses, but sone of which are a disinfectant and antimicrobial product as well as a sterilant. It does work to a degree, but not sure if this alage is really being knocked out by the excel or a combination of the use and the testing condition.

Just my two cents. I am curious as to the sudden influx of this algae lately.

I wonder if turning off filters could help during the treatment of this. This way spore (if this is how it propogates) become stagnant and any treatment meds will have maximum impact and contact time.

May not be to nice on fish and critters though.

If you still have this around at the end of the month, would you mind parsing me out a sample for me to play around with?

Good point. Ghazanfar may have to go back to a UV sterilizer for a while.

Cheers.
Jim

[krisw]

As purely anecdotal evidence, Ghazanfar's plants infected my 50G with this same algae, and I've been trying to eradicate it for the past few months. For me, "consistent normalcy" (if I may coin a term) has proved to slowly but surely cause it to decline. That consisted of:

1. 40 Amano Shrimp
2. 20 Yellow Shrimp
3. 3 Garra sp. (who don't seem to eat it)
4. Auto-doser for N/P + 50mL Excel per 2L solution = consistent daily dosing of macros and excel.
5. Daily dosing of 5mL Flourish + 5mL Iron.
6. Manual removal at first. Infected plants should be tossed, they're generally not curable.
7. Water changes 2X a week for the first month.

Right now, I only have it left on some Rotala sp. Araguaia which I do not want to toss, so I'm monitoring it. I probably ought to pull the stems out, rinse in a H202/Excel bath, and put back in. Lights and CO2 have remained constant throughout.

[Ghazanfar Ghori]

As purely anecdotal evidence, Ghazanfar's plants infected my 50G with this same algae,

A claim that I will vehemently deny!