How To Peroxide (H2O2) dosing for parasites in reef tank

[Jessican]

What you’re seeing there is my tank’s dosages, which are higher than you would need, since my tank was ~140g. The overnight dosing is 2x a single daytime dose, divided into 24 doses (every 15 min for six hours). For your 35g tank, that would be 14mL (2x the normal 7mL daytime dose), divided by 24 = 0.58mL every 15 min.

For timing, I generally aim for the daytime doses to be every 6 hours, with three hours on either side of the overnight dosing - for example, 9am, 3pm, 9pm, and then 12am-6am.

 

[bishoptf]

What you’re seeing there is my tank’s dosages, which are higher than you would need, since my tank was ~140g. The overnight dosing is 2x a single daytime dose, divided into 24 doses (every 15 min for six hours). For your 35g tank, that would be 14mL (2x the normal 7mL daytime dose), divided by 24 = 0.58mL every 15 min.

For timing, I generally aim for the daytime doses to be every 6 hours, with three hours on either side of the overnight dosing - for example, 9am, 3pm, 9pm, and then 12am-6am.

Thanks, thats what the spreadsheet called out and just making sure, now to dial in my doser. One more question, since I know I am only treating for uronema, my report did not show any other parasites, do you think the duration is still 6 weeks? Wasn't sure if anyone had tried shorter durations like for just uronema and had success. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Jessican]

Thanks, thats what the spreadsheet called out and just making sure, now to dial in my doser. One more question, since I know I am only treating for uronema, my report did not show any other parasites, do you think the duration is still 6 weeks? Wasn't sure if anyone had tried shorter durations like for just uronema and had success. Thanks for all the help.

The six weeks is based on a “normal” fallow period for ich and velvet. Since uronema doesn’t have a fallow period, I don’t really know what to base the timing on. It‘d be interesting to see if a month would do it. Those tankDNA tests are pricy, though, so it’d be up to you if you want to go longer before testing again, or if you want to start dosing now and aim to send another test for the next test batch.

 

[bishoptf]

The six weeks is based on a “normal” fallow period for ich and velvet. Since uronema doesn’t have a fallow period, I don’t really know what to base the timing on. It‘d be interesting to see if a month would do it. Those tankDNA tests are pricy, though, so it’d be up to you if you want to go longer before testing again, or if you want to start dosing now and aim to send another test for the next test batch.

Everything for a reef tank is pricey, lol. We know it worked for @smsreef and I assume he went 6 weeks but would be curious if you could shorten the time. Another question is trying to keep my dosing simple, in order to dose .6ml/15min I can dose in .3ml/min but that would make my day doses take 23min, do you think it matters how quickly the h202 is added? I tend to get in the weeds with details not sure if that would make any difference but thought I would ask.

 

[Jessican]

I used a doser that just dumped the whole dose in at once, so I programmed in 27 individual doses rather than programming it as a rate over a certain timeframe. So there’s certainly no harm in each dose just going in all at once, it doesn’t need to be gradual.

 

[bishoptf]

I used a doser that just dumped the whole dose in at once, so I programmed in 27 individual doses rather than programming it as a rate over a certain timeframe. So there’s certainly no harm in each dose just going in all at once, it doesn’t need to be gradual.

Yeah mine are more consistent, they do a certain ml per minute, so either need to do with 2 heads or the higher dosage will take minutes to dose, will have to think about that, rather not dose in seconds, just harder to dial in.

 

[Oscarmk]

Everything for a reef tank is pricey, lol. We know it worked for @smsreef and I assume he went 6 weeks but would be curious if you could shorten the time. Another question is trying to keep my dosing simple, in order to dose .6ml/15min I can dose in .3ml/min but that would make my day doses take 23min, do you think it matters how quickly the h202 is added? I tend to get in the weeds with details not sure if that would make any difference but thought I would ask.

I believe he went about 3 months from what he told me, I just did 6 weeks at max dose and stopped just today. I will see if fish continue to do great or not, they never showed any symptoms of disease at all

 

[Oscarmk]

Its been a little over 24 hours since I stopped h2o2 dosing, some of the zoas that were closed, are starting to open up again. Fish great, but still too early to tell

 

[bishoptf]

I have been thinking about this and at least for uronema and maybe some of the other parasites I think it would be wise to follow up testing 6 months afterwards to see if things are still negative. At least with uronema could it be possible to be still living somewhere and eventually make its way back etc, dunno maybe I am being paranoid etc., but I think a followup testing months later would be interesting to verify that it truly eliminated the parasite.

Thoughts?

 

[Jessican]

I have been thinking about this and at least for uronema and maybe some of the other parasites I think it would be wise to follow up testing 6 months afterwards to see if things are still negative. At least with uronema could it be possible to be still living somewhere and eventually make its way back etc, dunno maybe I am being paranoid etc., but I think a followup testing months later would be interesting to verify that it truly eliminated the parasite.

Thoughts?

Absolutely agree. In my tank, I did a test after stopping peroxide but with UV still running, then did another test a month after stopping UV. I did two more tests after that for different reasons, but both still showed no parasites. I think it’s important to test again after all management measures are discontinued, including UV, to be sure that it’s not just lying dormant or being controlled by said measures.

 

[Oscarmk]

I have been thinking about this and at least for uronema and maybe some of the other parasites I think it would be wise to follow up testing 6 months afterwards to see if things are still negative. At least with uronema could it be possible to be still living somewhere and eventually make its way back etc, dunno maybe I am being paranoid etc., but I think a followup testing months later would be interesting to verify that it truly eliminated the parasite.

Thoughts?

I agree, I will wait at least a month before sending a test. I don’t intend to add new fish or anything at all anyway, except for aquabiomics reef sand to replace the lost biodiversity with threatment.

Honestly if fish continue to do well, I wouldn’t really care if Uronema comes back positive in the test (but it would still be bad if it does). I think they develop immunity, otherwise there would be way much more fish deaths, and aquabiomics finds Uronema in a lot of tanks.

 

[Oscarmk]

So it has been 1 week since I stopped h2o2 dosing, fish continue to do great, I did end up losing my acan colony completelly unfortunatelly, and for some odd reason only one type of zoa remains closed. Rest of corals are doing very well. I also added aquabiomics reef sand on Friday directly to display, since I had crushed coral sand bend it looks essentially the same which is nice.

 

[Khash T]

system update

hi guys,

had a second system setup with a really bad infestation. I went out and purchased fish with ick this time to test things out. Used a Red Sea reefer 170. Live rock and some cheap corals.

fish in test tank

copper band butterfly
Clown fish
Damsels
Yellow tang
Powder blue tang
Hippo tang
And a few other fish.
overloaded the tank

Filter and UV
100um filter socks
UV sterilizer
Carbon


first weeks was losing not a big difference
Got a H2O2 test kit. *** YOU MUST GET ONE
Found out that within 60 minutes H2O2 was going down to almost 0 ppm. I was adding 50ml to the system. Read a few studies done that stated H2O2 decomposition depends highly on temperature, water circulation, dissolved mini rams and impurities. That’s why H2O2 was going down so fast. GET TEST STRIPS.

Will keep you guys posted. But if your not seeing results it’s because your peroxide is not lasting long enough. Especially at night when free swimmers are most active

ordered a cheap 4 pump dozer off Amazon so i can dose 50ml per hour at night. It’s coming in tomorrow will install and see how things go.

however after finding out that H2O2 is going to zero so fast i been putting 50ml every 3 hours and notice improved results in 2 days. Have a new born so when i get up to feed him and put 50ml in tank.

 

[Khash T]

Next test will be

find more ick infested fish and run UV and 5 micron home filter system.

want to set it up like so

Sump
100 micron filter sock
50 micron
5 micron

Also closed loop
50 micron to 5 micron

if anyone has suggestions for next test let me know. I will start it in a few weeks. Or if you have any other ideas for my current test.

 

[Oscarmk]

Its been 10 days now since I stopped h2o2 and UV, and I would say it probably worked for Uronema, fish continue to do super great, it is also possible they became immune, I plan to send a test to aquabiomics in 2 more weeks or so

 

[Dave 70]

Ich just started in my 160 gallon reef tank. I've been told not to use hydrogen peroxide if also adding vitamin C . I currently dose reef elixir, basically same thing as all for reef and wondering if I'm still ok to start dosing peroxide? Thanks for the help.

 

[Khash T]

i put all of these in my food see picture. I make food once a week. Not sure it if helps anyone. Haven’t had any issues with H2O2. But i been waiting 10 minutes after i add peroxide before i feed the fish. And i been using allot and i mean allot of Hydrogen peroxide last 2 days (200ml/hour night for a 43 gal system) and 100ml/hr day time. Have had no bad reaction from any of the fish. Just corals are not super happy but that might be my fault since i moved them around and played with the sand so i can get all ick particles moving.

 

[Khash T]

This is my QT tank right now. And have had a huge turn around in fish health in a couple days after realizing how fast hydrogen peroxide was dissipating from my tank and bumping up the peroxide to make sure it doesn’t hit zero contraction especially at night.

 

[Khash T]

This is my QT tank right now. And have had a huge turn around in fish health in a couple days after realizing how fast hydrogen peroxide was dissipating from my tank and bumping up the peroxide to make sure it doesn’t hit zero contraction especially at night.

 

[SaltwaterSanctuary]

system update

hi guys,

had a second system setup with a really bad infestation. I went out and purchased fish with ick this time to test things out. Used a Red Sea reefer 170. Live rock and some cheap corals.

fish in test tank

copper band butterfly
Clown fish
Damsels
Yellow tang
Powder blue tang
Hippo tang
And a few other fish.
overloaded the tank

Filter and UV
100um filter socks
UV sterilizer
Carbon


first weeks was losing not a big difference
Got a H2O2 test kit. *** YOU MUST GET ONE
Found out that within 60 minutes H2O2 was going down to almost 0 ppm. I was adding 50ml to the system. Read a few studies done that stated H2O2 decomposition depends highly on temperature, water circulation, dissolved mini rams and impurities. That’s why H2O2 was going down so fast. GET TEST STRIPS.

Will keep you guys posted. But if your not seeing results it’s because your peroxide is not lasting long enough. Especially at night when free swimmers are most active

ordered a cheap 4 pump dozer off Amazon so i can dose 50ml per hour at night. It’s coming in tomorrow will install and see how things go.

however after finding out that H2O2 is going to zero so fast i been putting 50ml every 3 hours and notice improved results in 2 days. Have a new born so when i get up to feed him and put 50ml in tank.

What test strips and doser did you use? Thanks!