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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Oh sure burned again!!! Algae
 So as my plants are growing and the algae lessons....an un-named family member decided to get me some Tetra Algae Cure....or something like that to help rid the small greenish film that forms occasionallly on the glass.
So Mr. No Chemicals here...reads the instructs and treats the tank. Says to use only on established tanks...that sounds safe to me. Well that is because it slightly un-establishes your tank!!!!...lol I guess on a new tank it would be certain death.
DO NOT USE THIS IN YOUR TANKS!!! as Ive said before.
No fish deaths or anything like that...but 2 days of hiding nervous fish!!! So changing water etc and all appears to be fine...what a scare!!!!
So I explained to Mrs Un-named Person, We need to let the tank balance itself....natures way.... and please don't tempt in that way again, you know I am weak.....lol Really as a lesson to all...myself included...dont just add stuff to your tanks to speed up what you want....if your tank is cycled and balanced...make natural adjustments. | 
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Wonderful and Valid point you're making, Ted. Nature has her way and she has safe ways of handling things that our chemicals just can't match.
The way you told that story was hilarious, though. | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| thank you....I had to use it....she honestly meant well and to help me!!! But the warning was clear...why could it only be recommended for established tanks  I'm the fish guy...she watches from afar!!! and I guess now she might watch it from afarther!!!...lol | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| You're too funny 
I am SSSOOO glad I'm the only person in my house that messes with the tanks. My daughter will help feed and help with water changes, but if there's a problem, she waits for me to go on Fishlore to find the solution or waits for me to discover the solution, but she won't mess with anything. | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| great post and a very nice reminder! tooooo many jump to meds thinking for a quick fix to something that could be fixed in more natural ways..or the biggest is misdiagnosing and thinking the LFS knows what they are talking about when the recommend the meds constantly! .....im glad you had no deaths or illness's and im glad things are back on track! | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Patsy loves my tanks, and was trying to help. Usually her only comments are "It costs what "...but she loves the results!! , to her they are living ornaments, ever changing. | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| GREAT MESSAGE!!. and funny story..lol..Glad it turned out ok. | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by TedsTank  Patsy loves my tanks, and was trying to help. Usually her only comments are "It costs what "...but she loves the results!! , to her they are living ornaments, ever changing. | I wish my other half would love my tank ! LOL and he is the same with costs...my comment wasnt for patsy  it was for members reading this great thread that so should be brought up constantly unfortunately .... | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| oh i understand..Patsy is my silent enthusiast.
We have been getting a lot of new members...we are their last resort for help. Too bad they cant get the facts here first before they have "treated". This forum is soooo full of excellent advice.
And of course folks like me that just want to try it!!!....I'm soooo lucky this time....it was my tank with the baby discus!!!....by tomorrow they will eat out of my hand again. | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I'm glad it turned out OK! For anyone searching on Tetra algae control in the future...
The official product page can be found here: http://tetrafish.com/sites/tetrafish...d=1276&cid=817.
The active ingredient is Polixetonium chloride, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
According to some sites that mention this chemical, it is a biocide (which means it is capable of killing living organisms), and one site even says it's a biocide/algaecide of "high efficiency and broad spectrum". Quote:
As a kind of non-oxidable foamless biocide-algaecide of high efficiency and broad spectrum, nontoxic and nonirritant, with excellent killing and control effect to kinds of microbe, bacteria and algae, it is usually used as disinfector for swimming pool, SPA and biocide-Algaecide for colling water system.
| So depending on what type of bacteria it "controls" (i.e. kills), it may very well have an adverse effect on the nitrogen cycle.
The quote that strikes me as funniest, however, was from a moderator on Tetra's own forums: Quote:
Actually, I am more interested in finding out the effect on the beneficial bacteria. Polixetonium chloride is used as a disinfectant for contact lenses and a preservative for food. Although I cannot find what it does specifically, some of the articles indicate that it acts as a preservative against microorganisms that cause spoilage. That implies that it can impact the nitrogen cycle in the tank. This would be consistent with the warning to not use it with a newly established tank of less than 3 months. The "spike" you mentioned has less to do with the dead algae and more to do with the impact of the product on the nitrogen cycle. Green water - by the way - is not a true algae. I don't remember the exact class it belongs in, but it is not really an algae. However, that is a technicality and not really important in this discussion.
I also found a listing that said it is only partially soluble - which could be what the fish are reacting to - the particles in the water.
I would use this product as seldom as possible. And when the algae is gone, do water changes to remove the irritant so the fish are less impacted.
| If moderators at the site that manufacture the product say to use it as seldom as possible and then get it out, it makes you wonder if a little nuisance algae was really all that bad to begin with 
Last edited by mathas; September 29th, 2009 at 06:16 PM.
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
|  Thanks for the site info!!!
Yea, the algae for me wasn't a worry at all, part of just cleaning the glass now and then.  I can't believe it is even on the market. I even used a little less than the instructions!! The fish certainly reacted negatively to the treatment...like nerve disorder....they were hiding and very sensative to movement around the tank!!! Headline News for somewhere on this FORUM = DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT!!! TETRA ALGAE TREATMENT OF ANY KIND. | |
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September 29th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Hey Ted you know that that happen to me on my 10 gal planted tank trying to treat for BBA OMG I lost 1 cory, 1 clown pleco, and 9 neons. Sucks. I did water changes like crazy 2 times a day to get that stuff out of the tank. It melted my anacharis and my water sprite I had before you send me the moss and Swilkins gave me all the new plants. | |
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September 30th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Great thread Ted! lol Glad everyone is ok in the tank. I'm like you, I prefer to do all the work myself and let others enjoy from "afar". 
Have a good day today!
Ken | |
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September 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Great post~! Algaefix is another to add to the list of do not use. | |
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September 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Good reminder Ted, 95% of peoples problems can be fixed without and meds/chemicals.
Brian | |
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