Hydrogen Peroxide

[Mark Z.]

Hello,
 
I read on a thread that hydrogen peroxide can be sprayed on plant leaves for a few days to kill algae. I can't find the thread that I read it on. Was I imagining this, or is it true?
 
If it is true, does the plant have to be submerged? I have anubias on driftwood and was wondering if I could take them out and spray them for a few days, then rinse them off and return them to the aquarium.
 
Mark

 

[BaylorPerez]

i would suggest taking them out and not putting them into the tank unless you thoroughly clean off the leaves.  

 

[StevenF]

For live plants Hydrogen peroxide IN SMALL AMOUNTS can be used as a spot treatment of for an algae  on live plants.   Basically the idea to put some in syringe(no more than 5ml) and then apply it directly to the algae on the plant.  You cannot use it to treat the entire tank and if you use too much it will kill the plant and maybe harm the fish.  It is the Aquarium equivalent of  chemotherapy.  You use just enough to kill the cancer but not enough to kill the patent.  Seachem Flourish Excel can be used the same way.
 
 However it will not solve your algae issue.  It will only help control it in a small area.  i haven't used it although I was thinking of using it at one point.  But I eventually got my Algae under control by keeping my phosphate levels very low.  I had to change to a different micro fertilizer to do it. Below is one link on it but there are a lot more on google.
 
http/www.plantedtank.net/forums/23-algae/93074-hydrogen-peroxide-algae-control-2.html
 
For plastic plants the idea is to remove it from the aquarium and then dipping it in hydrogen peroxide for several minutes and then removing it and rinsing it off with Chlorine free water before putting it back in the aquarium.  Some people use bleach instead  of hydrogen peroxide  for the same purpose.