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Posted by Chris Lewis ·
Rescaping or tearing down a tank is the perfect time to clean algae off your plants before they go back in. Both hydrogen peroxide and liquid carbon (Seachem Excel and similar) work. Which is better depends on the algae and the plant.
Hydrogen peroxide (3%, the drugstore kind)
- Cheap and fast, and good on black beard algae and most green algae.
- As a dip: start mild and short. A common starting point is about 1 part 3% peroxide to 3 parts water for around 5 minutes, then a thorough rinse in clean water.
- As a spot treatment: in the tank, turn off the filter, squirt a small amount straight onto the algae with a syringe, wait 10-15 minutes, then turn the filter back on.
- BBA turns red or pink within a day or two when it's dying. That's how you know it worked.
Liquid carbon (Excel)
- Gentler on hardy plants, slower acting, and also good on BBA.
- Works well as a longer soak or spot treatment. Follow the product's directions for dosing.
- Some plants melt from it: vallisneria is the big one, and some mosses and delicate stem plants too.
Whichever you use
- Test on one stem or leaf first if you're unsure how a plant will react.
- Rinse well before planting. Neither should go into a tank with shrimp at dip strength.
- Tough plants (anubias, java fern, crypts, swords) handle dips well. Mosses, fine stems and floaters are the most delicate.
Stop it coming back: algae on plants usually means an imbalance between light, nutrients and CO2. Shorten the light period a bit (a light timer helps), keep up with water changes, and keep nutrients steady. Our Water Check can confirm nitrate and phosphate aren't running high.