Removing algae from plants

[Amartin14655]

I need to remove the algae from my plants, but I’m not sure if I should try soaking them in bleach (which sounds scary), or if I should just wipe them off with a toothbrush or something (which sounds like a lot of work and might not really help).

 

[sinned4g63]

Try simply rubbing it off with your fingers before anything else. The reason it's there to begin with should also be addressed (lights and ferts) so it doesn't come back, maybe invest in some snails or amano shrimp given tank mates and size to keep it under control. Look into spot dosing excel or using hydrogen peroxide as a last resort. Emphasis on last resort.

 

[BettaDollar]

A lot of people bleach "dip" plants to remove algae but it may be ill advised for certain plants.
"Soaking" I believe isn't recommended.
Hopefully someone with experience will say more on the subject.

 

[Kevin1962]

I had difficulty with diatoms as my tank matured. Wiping off in the tank just put the diatoms in the water to settle on other leaves.
1 part bleach to 19 parts water in a bowl. Dip plants for 30 seconds, rinse under a tap to remove dead algae and chlorine then put in a bath of tank water loaded with Prime.
Stem plants, anubis, pennywort and others had no noticeable reaction to the treatments.
Now, if I see a plant with algae I remove, rub the algae off under the tap so it's removed and replant.

 

[sinned4g63]

A lot of people bleach "dip" plants to remove algae but it may be ill advised for certain plants.
"Soaking" I believe isn't recommended.
Hopefully someone with experience will say more on the subject.

Typically bleach dip is done with new plants to prevent hitchhikers and, I suppose at the same time, algae. If the plants are already in the tank you'd want to avoid removing them so as not to stress it unless you were to dose the entire tank which I would highly recommend you don't do. I'd use hydrogen peroxide before bleach.

 

[Amartin14655]

I’m just gonna try wiping off my stem plants. But I have some hornwort that’s really bad that I wanna try dipping. How much hydrogen peroxide do you use?
also I have some java moss that’s pretty bad too... does anyone have any ideas of how I could deal with that? I’m sure if I try to wipe it off it’s going to explode java moss pieces everywhere and mess up the moss, which I have tied to some mesh. I was thinking maybe I could lightly wipe them/agitate them while holding a vaccumm right next to them?

 

[sinned4g63]

I’m just gonna try wiping off my stem plants. But I have some hornwort that’s really bad that I wanna try dipping. How much hydrogen peroxide do you use?
also I have some java moss that’s pretty bad too... does anyone have any ideas of how I could deal with that? I’m sure if I try to wipe it off it’s going to explode java moss pieces everywhere and mess up the moss, which I have tied to some mesh. I was thinking maybe I could lightly wipe them/agitate them while holding a vaccumm right next to them?

Rubbing it off near the vacuum is the best idea. Look into Excel first as an addition, it's usually safer and has algaecide in the ingredients. Ultimately will be safer and easier to use.

Hydrogen peroxide will use a mixture of itself and water based on the total tank volume and can actually cause stress if plants or fish are exposed to it directly. The only reason I know of this method was when I was trying to treat a cherry shrimp with a fungal infection that is typically fatal so I really had nothing to lose. However it causes algae to oxidize so over 3-4 days of treatment the algae will turn whiteish at which point you'll still have to remove it from the tank somehow.. Not worth the immediate risk up front if you still have some other options to try IMO.

It also might be worth mentioning that dosing H202 will kill all and any BB in your filter, thus reiterating last resort. If you have a HoB filter it's a simple as turning it off and waiting until it's safe to run again, or if you have a sponge filter you'd have to remove it all together.

 

[Amartin14655]

Yeah I’m not putting it in the tank. I was just gonna make up some diluted peroxide in a bucket to dip the worst ones in and then let them soak in another bucket of treated water before I put them back in

 

[Jack B Nimble]

H2O2 is pretty harmless I use it in all my shrimp tanks no deaths. Mixture 1.5ml per gallon minus substrate wood etc. Turn off filters use syringe on algae then mix whole tank with hand stirring up water. Wait 1 hour then turn filters back on. Start at 1ml per gallon no more and test, only reaction I ever saw was a nerite snail did not like it.

Hydrogen peroxide can easily break down, or decompose, into water and oxygen by breaking up into two very reactive parts – either 2OHs or an H and HO2: If there are no other molecules to react with, the parts will form water and oxygen gas as these are more stable than the original molecule, H2O2.