[hoppycalif]

Here is an interesting post from Tom Barr's forum, http://www.barrreport.com/general-p...algae-killer-chemical-yes-its-very-cheap.html

I just ordered some of this stuff to try it out. If it is effective and doesn't do a lot of harm to other tank occupants it could be a staple in our chemicals cabinets.

 

[hoppycalif]

Texgal, when we get our sodium percarbonate we should start a thread covering our experiments with it. It's too bad you have to order at least 4 pounds of the stuff at a time, probably a lifetime+ supply for any of us. If this is helpful stuff I hope to repackage my supply in much smaller quantities and provide it at cost to members of our local plant club who want to try it. Of course, it may not work, but why worry about that now???

 

[hoppycalif]

Brad, when I tried to purchase one 2 pound can, it refused the order, because the minimum order is $10, and one can is just $5.50. That isn't really a problem since it is so cheap, just an annoyance. I chose not to try the commercial products because I know those are always "improved" with additives, like perfumes, soap, dyes, etc. and since the product is not meant to be used in an aquarium they have no reason not to do that. The pure chemical is certain to be just what it says it is, within the purity limits.

 

[hoppycalif]

Tex Gal, I hope you realize that we will be a cinch for the Nobel Prize in Aquatics if this works well! I may just go out and buy a new Prius with my share of the prize money.

 

[hoppycalif]

FWIW - it has taken weeks, but I'm finally starting to get a handle on my Clado algae, at least in the deeper parts of my 46g tank by dosing ~1mL/5g of Metricide 14 (roughly equivalent to Excel).

I'll have to look into this... I've thought about this sort of reaction before too, but I never really investigated it. I'd found Metricide to be cheap, and at least to ground cover, it's easy to target dose w/ a long transfer pipet.

I'm not a chemist so while I know roughly what a pipet is, can you post a link or picture that shows me what that is? I have been wondering how to target this stuff when I get it.

Bert, for a Nobel Prize I will keep detailed records, including photos! Now, what color Prius to buy today????

 

[hoppycalif]

pipette...like a miniature turkey baster. usually clear plastic tube with a bulb at the back. Unless you're talking about the glass laboratory pipette.

If it does work, could someone who bought some sodium percarbonate please share some? I really need a solution to get rid of my cladophora. PM me or post in Classifieds, please?

The vendor selling this stuff says the only legal way to ship it is by UPS. That could be a problem for us trying to sell it and ship by Priority Mail. Except for that I would be happy to send some to somebody else. Now that I think about it, I think I could ship it through MailBoxes, which is a UPS shipping site, but what it would cost I have no idea.

 

[hoppycalif]

Today is the big day! I received my sodium percarbonate last night, in good condition. So, I decided to start testing today. The parameters for my tank are:
45 gallon tank (nominal size)(about 35 gallons of water)
SMS substrate with underlayer of river silt
110 watts of GE9325K PC light raised 6 inches above tank, on 8 hours per day
Pressurized CO2
Water temperature 75F to 85F, depending on room temperature.
Water changed continuously, with dripping flow of inlet water, about 5 gallons per day.
Plants are:
Anubias nana petite
Anubias nana
Microsorum pteropus narrow leaf
Cryptocoryne wendtii, various varieties
Isoetes iacustris
Fish are:
2 - Yoyo Loaches
8 - "Lambchop" Rasboras
4 - Otocinclus
About 15 Guppies
About 4-5 Endlers Live Bearer
Hardscape is:
Structure of African bog wood roots
Small pieces of same wood, with plants tied to them
Filter outlet pipe
Filter inlet pipe
Drain fitting

Present condition of tank: Small BBA areas on some leafs, mostly anubias and Java ferns. Small amount on hardscape. Small areas of GSA on anubias and Crypt leaves. Small tufts of BBA on protruding old roots in substrate.

Fertilizing: By EI method, adjusted for daily dosing, with all fertilizers dosed at one time using two solutions, one of CSM+B+extra iron plus epsom salts, one of KNO3 and KH2PO4. Excel dosed at 10 ml per day, squirted on BBA areas under water. CO2 at bubble rate to keep drop checker in yellow-green area all day, off at night.

Sodium Percarbonate recommended dosage - 1.5 Tablespoon per 100 gallons
For 35 gallons, recommended dosage is about 1.5 Teaspoon

First dosage, .5 teaspoon, will be sprinkled over wood structure, with filter and Koralia pump turned off, about one hour after fertilizing and feeding fish.

But, first I have been looking into what possible bad effects I might run into. Sodium percarbonate is a compound of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, which releases hydrogen peroxide when in water. The possible effects would be from the peroxide, from the sodium or from the carbonate. Sodium percarbonate is about 29% sodium, compared to sodium bicarbonate, which is about 27% sodium, so the effect of the sodium should be about the same as for dosing baking soda to raise the KH. Sodium percarbonate is about 38% carbonate, compared to sodium bicarbonate which is about 71% carbonate, so the increase in KH due to sodium percarbonate should be about half of that for baking soda. Neither of these is at all likely to be a problem, when dosed with amounts comparable to that used for baking soda to raise KH. Hydrogen peroxide can be a problem for plants, fish and algae, but it lasts only for a short time in the aquarium water, so it isn't likely that it will be harmful to the plants or fish, given that some people dose 3% hydrogen peroxide in their tanks routinely when trying to kill algae. But, this is the big unknown, where the effect of the sodium and carbonate are not unknown.

.5 teaspoon of sodium percarbonate will only raise my KH about .4 dKH.

I will measure my tank water KH, GH and pH before and after the test. I will decide whether to do a major water change after the test based on what I see in the tank.

 

[hoppycalif]

My water tested at 6.2 pH, 2 dKH, and less than 1 dGH (softer than I expected). So, I added 1/2 tsp of sodium percarbonate, sprinkling it over the wood structure. It immediately began generating a mass of microbubbles:

After 10 minutes this had decreased by over half, a few guppies were grazing on the bits of chemical left, and swimming through the bubbles. Some white scum was floating on the surface above the wood.

After 20 minutes the bubbling was reduced to about 10% of what it was originally, and my continuous water change system had skimmed off almost all of the white scum.

In 25 minutes there was very little fizzing going on so I restarted the filter, the Koralia and the CO2 injection. No fish seem the least bit distressed at this point.

After an hour has passed I will do my water tests again and decide whether to do a big water change then.

 

[hoppycalif]

After 75 minutes the tank looks just as it did when I started. I can't see any effect on the minor BBA on the wood, nor anywhere else in the tank. The pH is still 6.2, the GH less than 1, but the KH is up to about 3 dKH, as expected.

To get the water changed a bit faster I increased the flow on my continuous water change system to about 15 gallons per day. Now I think I will wait a couple of days to see if any fish show any ill effects, then try a full dose of 1.5 teaspoons, evenly spread over the entire water surface.

Eventually I will need to add some Equilibrium to raise my GH. I suppose I should test that more often.

 

[hoppycalif]

Post delted by BryceM