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can i take plants out and dip them in something

2K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  m00se 
#1 ·
ok ive read the excell and hydrogen peroxide posts killing alge.

my 40b is in new stages nothing has really rooted too much yet so i can easyily take all plants out of tank

my alge is almost brown and stringy but not fluffy almost looks like moss

1)if i take all plants out is there something i can let them sit in for a couple hrs or day to kill any alge and put them back in fresh start ?
 
#2 ·
If using peroxide, I believe the recommended dose is around 75 mg/L, but you may want to verify that if you decide to go that route. There are some algaecides you can use, but you may need to id the algae that you're dealing with for the best treatment. I've never had to deal with algae so sorry I couldn't be of more help. Try posting a pic and that may help others advise you on the best method.
 
#9 ·
H2O2 and Excel (as well as bleach and potassium permanganate) dips work well, assuming you get the right concentration and time to kill the algae without substantially affecting the plant. This is a little easier said than done, and different plants respond differently, so you'll get a wide span of recommendations.

If I want a quick dip, I use H2O2 or Excel. Otherwise, I greatly prefer AlgaeFix dips, which don't harm plants at all. Perform in a bucket at the recommended dose, and leave in a dark place for three days, then remove and rinse well. The dosage is 1ml per 10G, so for a 5G bucket, that's 0.5ml.

Which is hard to measure accurately, so I make myself a bottle of a weaker solution. 3 tablespoons of distilled water, 1 teaspoon AlgaeFix. This dilutes it by a factor of 10, so the dosage for that solution is now 10ml per 10G, or 5ml for a 5G bucket. 5ml is close enough to one teaspoon. Much easier.
 
#10 ·
I have used Algaefix too, and although it will nuke hair and GSA, it won't touch BBA. I have also used the 1:19 ratio bleach method and it works, but it's awfully hard on the plants. Then we move to full strength H2O2 sprayed onto the plants and allowed to sit (in your hand not the tank!) for 30 or so seconds, then into a bucket of water with a small amount of baking soda to neutralize.

None were better than the others as far as damage to the plant. The sags melted (but came back), the other stems wilted (but came back)....

I do think that maybe the H2O2 was a tiny bit less damaging than the bleach dip. My guess it that's because the plants stayed submersed in the bleach longer than they did when I spritzed them with the H2O2.

I have a lb of potassium permanganate that I haven't used on algae yet (haven't needed to - knock on wood!) but the dip does essentially the same thing as these other two methods. Oxidizes the algae. Burns it, basically. Your job is to burn the algae before the plant. Your mileage will vary per plant and method. Good luck!
 
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