Tom Barr's H2o2 recipe and strategie circa 2012

[millerschool]

Tom Barr's H2o2 recipe and strategie circa 2012.
A bit of background
Ive been struggling with a tank for a few months, did a reset rinsed aqua soil, trimmed and dipped plants in a light solution of apt fix, and replanted the best ones.
I also added some fresh, Juncus Repens and other stems.But the algae, Staghorn Hair algae and BGA seamed to be winning.
The plan is, to have a wild looking patch of Juncus Repens, with San Paulo growing out of it and breaching the surface, with hair grass in the foreground.

But to the point of the post, after much searching, excluding the YouTube and instagram folk. there's actually not a lot around(discussion that is) except the same stuff repeated constantly.

Eventually I stumbled up an old thread in the Barrreport, 2012 discussing H2o2 .
Where a few members were discussing the use of peroxide and the different ratios they were using, and the success or lackoff, on different types of algae.

Tom posted results of his trial, which I have followed the past few days and found so far its worked well, tried in 2 different tanks.
just thought I post her for interest and see others experiences.

​

Hopefully its ok, (quoting this here) this is Toms post in the thread " H202 as algae killer"


"June 5 2012
Okay, so I tried another method using the H2O2 .

I am really giving this a shot to make sure there is some good usage from this method.

I had the CO2 gas tank run out and it was out for a day or two, not sure how long on the 120 Gal.
The thread algae was in remission but came back really aggressively during 2-3 days period.

I hit it with 120 mls worth of H2O2 3% and then did a 70% water change.
Then hit with another 70 mls after.
Then turned the filters back on.

I trimmed and cleaned some of the plants, others I left and tried to remove some.
I repeated this 2-3x doing one treatment per day for the last 3 days now.

This really worked well.
Was is the water changes and attacking it?
Or all the H2O2 ?

Not sure, but it would seem the H2O2 had some effect, whereas prior, when I just did water changes with the algae issue, it did not go away.
I repeated this on the 70 Gal which is almost all clear now.

So if one treatment does not work, keep doing it daily till it does.
This is a much better way than doing the double dosage etc, and risking frying your plants/shrimps etc.
This should work for most any type of algae.

Cost: relatively free.

Maybe 1-2$ for a large tank.

Labor: water change and trimming a bit. Dosing the H2O2 . Certainly FAR easier/more effective than doing bleach dips.
Okay, I buy the method. It works. "

I don't have pics of the Algea prior, but some pics of the Tank, pre the reset and today.
ive found after 3 days I could have done another today, the hair algae has almost gone, and the stag horn seems to be easier to pull of the plants than before so assume its knocked back or dying. as a side note ive had a shrimp give birth during this week too, and each day seeing more a the baby's, so looks like they weren't to bother by the use of the H2o2 , or the additional water changes.

 

[Calamardo Tentaculos]

So, what was the ratio of H2O to water? 1ml of 3% solution per gallon, followed by another dose after a water change?

 

[millerschool]

So, what was the ratio of H2O to water? 1ml of 3% solution per gallon, followed by another dose after a water change?

yeah 1ml per gallon, let it sit lights off no filter running, (no mention in thread of how long. I did an hour. Then 70% WC, followed by .5ml per gallon and turn filter back on.

 

[Sb1415]

Timely post, thank you!

 

[Burr740]

To put it bluntly, you dont need some magical potion to kill algae. The algae is there because the plants arent happy, and the water is dirty due to unhappy plants. Unhappy plants get algae, and they leech algae food into the water

BBA is the last algae that needs "killing". It simply cannot grow in a clean aquarium with healthy happy plants

2nd post here elaborates a little more

Thread 'Dying leaves ?'

Dec 2, 2025

Hey guys,

I have been combating some filamentous algae so haven’t been able to post much. Likely from changing nutrition levels and immature tank.

I had reached some level of decent growth with the leanish dosing method with apt 3 with residual nitrates in 5-10 range.

But started noticing possibly dying leaves on plants that had become stable. Curious if people have thoughts on what could be the issue and if someone has seen this before.

It is specifically in rotala indica bonsai and rotala tulunadensis. Other rotalas and other species are doing ok (spar the filamentous algae).

Since...

• Sb1415
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Planted Aquarium Discussion

• 

 

[Calamardo Tentaculos]

yeah 1ml per gallon, let it sit lights off no filter running, (no mention in thread of how long. I did an hour. Then 70% WC, followed by .5ml per gallon and turn filter back on.

Thanks for the clarification! And no detriment to the livestock in the tank? I feel that I should remove my shrimp before doing so

 

[techman81]

Thanks for the clarification! And no detriment to the livestock in the tank? I feel that I should remove my shrimp before doing so

I've dosed it on plants while shrimp were swimming all around it with no ill affects noticed, but I don't let the tank sit for an hour like that if the dose is high, I do the water change within 15 or 20 minutes.

 

[millerschool]

I've dosed it on plants while shrimp were swimming all around it with no ill affects noticed, but I don't let the tank sit for an hour like that if the dose is high, I do the water change within 15 or 20 minutes.

Ive done 3 days on 3 different tanks, (all run through routine together), all with Red Cherrys, one with shrimplets a few days old, and haven't seen any unusual behaviour, shrimp lets are still reappearing in numbers and size.
It's a pretty standard dose, I think what's different is the additional, half strength at the end, and the repetitive nature, that makes it work.
im using city tap water, and only try to match temps as close as possible, and shrimp didn't zoom around or anything.
I have spot treated in the past, on Hair grass for example, and shrimp and fish have swum through it with, same haven't noticed any affects.

 

[millerschool]

Timely post, thank you!

yes I noticed your post after I posted. I had lots of staghorn, and like a short, green BBA looking one on new leaves, I call, maybe wrong but call hair Algea, then also started getting the fine filament algae that wasps in the water( the easiest to remove with toothbrush).
that when I started looking at something other than spot treatments, and came across the mentioned thread.

 

[Sb1415]

yes I noticed your post after I posted. I had lots of staghorn, and like a short, green BBA looking one on new leaves, I call, maybe wrong but call hair Algea, then also started getting the fine filament algae that wasps in the water( the easiest to remove with toothbrush).
that when I started looking at something other than spot treatments, and came across the mentioned thread.

Yes I did it yesterday, but didnt do the small dose after the water change. Wanted to see effects first and then try it again. Thx

 

[millerschool]

To put it bluntly, you dont need some magical potion to kill algae. The algae is there because the plants arent happy, and the water is dirty due to unhappy plants. Unhappy plants get algae, and they leech algae food into the water

BBA is the last algae that needs "killing". It simply cannot grow in a clean aquarium with healthy happy plants

2nd post here elaborates a little more

Thread 'Dying leaves ?'

Dec 2, 2025

Hey guys,

I have been combating some filamentous algae so haven’t been able to post much. Likely from changing nutrition levels and immature tank.

I had reached some level of decent growth with the leanish dosing method with apt 3 with residual nitrates in 5-10 range.

But started noticing possibly dying leaves on plants that had become stable. Curious if people have thoughts on what could be the issue and if someone has seen this before.

It is specifically in rotala indica bonsai and rotala tulunadensis. Other rotalas and other species are doing ok (spar the filamentous algae).

Since...

• Sb1415
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Planted Aquarium Discussion

• 

That's pretty interesting, hadn't thought of it that way before, plants pulling nutrients out of the old leaves to fuel the new growth.
The other points you make when the plants arnt happy, makes perfect sense.

Maybe you took it the wrong way, my post wasn't inferring a magical potion to kill Algea.
It was sharing a strategy, that I stumbled upon used by someone who has a lot more experience than me, is respected in the hobby and
who'd spent sometime experimenting with this and shared his thoughts.

 

[Burr740]

Maybe you took it the wrong way, my post wasn't inferring a magical potion to kill Algea.
It was sharing a strategy, that I stumbled upon used by someone who has a lot more experience than me, is respected in the hobby and
who'd spent sometime experimenting with this and shared his thoughts.

Right I totally get that. I ddnt mean to sound dickish with my comment. I just have a peeve about the gross misunderstanding in the hobby on where algae actually comes from and how the focus so often becomes killing it instead of getting the plants happy and cutting off its food supply

But of course there does come a time when algae needs killing. Thats a good method to do it, and you sharing it here Im sure will help a lot of folks that have never seen that before

 

[Pepere]

I just have a peeve about the gross misunderstanding in the hobby on where algae actually comes from and how the focus so often becomes killing it instead of getting the plants happy and cutting off its food supply

Or people wanting to know the best algae eating livestock to eat it off their plants…

I have used a similar argument with them that the algae is growing on the plants cause they arent healthy…. And if you do manage to get livestock to eat the algae off them, you still have unhealthy plants….

And people are convinced I have three heads….

 

[millerschool]

Right I totally get that. I ddnt mean to sound dickish with my comment. I just have a peeve about the gross misunderstanding in the hobby on where algae actually comes from and how the focus so often becomes killing it instead of getting the plants happy and cutting off its food supply

But of course there does come a time when algae needs killing. Thats a good method to do it, and you sharing it here Im sure will help a lot of folks that have never seen that before

oh yes totally understand, I think even a small amount of time spent reading through posts here will change the way you look at growing plants, and putting that at the forefront,.certainly has for me.

I was actually hoping those with more experience and time in this field, and an arsenal of tricks and knowledge up their sleeves might chime in with there own, uses of h202. Given all of the above at what point or circumstance do people use it, and in what way it used.

 

[Pepere]

was actually hoping those with more experience and time in this field, and an arsenal of tricks and knowledge up their sleeves might chime in with there own, uses of h202

Recently I used a whole tank treatment in my Basement plant farm. I had been struggling with a greasy grey hair algae that easily broke aprt. It was easily removed from the plants and seemed to be using them more for something to hang on to then a food source…. After weeks of manual removal and water changes and all, I did a whole tank treatment lasting half an hour followed by a deep water changes and followed up by a double dose of Gluteraldehyde for 24 hours followed by another deep water change….

I also will use straight 3% peroxide an stone hardscapes removed from tank and then scrub, reapply let set 15 minutes..

 

[BenB]

I will add that while I've spot dose peroxide in the past, I've decided to avoid it as much as possible in the future. I've found is causes aquasoil to start to disintegrate so fast and make a big mess.

 

[millerschool]

I think ive had that too, have spot treated, say hair grass to minimise disturbance and uprooting it, can see the peroxide, bubbling away within the substrate. forward 6 months can see a lot of crumbly soil particles.