Any experience with esha protalon 707 for algae?

[kevfiz]

Hi has anyone any experience with esha protalon 707 algae treatment, is it bad for fish? Also how good does it work and how long will it last? If its not good for fish i will not use it.

 

[Essjay]

There are two aspects to using chemicals to kill algae.

First, any chemical added to the tank will end up inside the fish. It is better to avoid adding chemicals whenever possible.

Secondly, you need to work out why you have algae and rectify that. Killing it with a chemical is not a long term solution because unless the conditions that caused the algae are changed, it will come back.



The usual cause of algae is an imbalance between light duration, fertiliser and CO2.
Do you have any live plants in the tank?
If you do have plants, do you add plant fertiliser and/or CO2, either gas or 'liquid CO2' products?
How long are the tank lights on for?
Does sunlight shine on the tank at any time during the day?

 

[kevfiz]

I am only keeping fish around one year so i have plastic plants until i feel i know what i am doing then i will try real plants. All my water tests are perfect i keep tank covered during the day. In the evening the light is on for around 4 hours. The tank is 70ltrs i feed fish new life spectrum flakes

 

[Byron]

I am only keeping fish around one year so i have plastic plants until i feel i know what i am doing then i will try real plants. All my water tests are perfect i keep tank covered during the day. In the evening the light is on for around 4 hours. The tank is 70ltrs i feed fish new life spectrum flakes

I fully concur with essjay. Never use any chemical additive for algae.

Without live plants, algae is actually beneficially. Like higher plants, it uses nutrients in the presence of light and produces oxygen, though minimally compared to higher plants. But the point is that it in itself is not "bad" in tanks without plants. In planted tanks we do need to keep it in check because it can increase on plant leaves to the point of killing the plants.

There are many different species of algae. Some are quite attractive. Some might suggest a serious problem with the biological system if they are out of control. Just remember than every spec of food added for the fish will feed algae.

On light, a regular period of "daylight" (meaning, the tank lights are on) is best for fish, along with a period of total darkness. The day/night cycle in nature is part of every plant and animal species, what we term the circadian rhythm. Having the "daylight" on for the same period each day is important.