How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Treat Algae in Your Aquarium
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- First of all, I just want to stress that this is only a temporary solution; if the underlying source of your algae problem is not addressed, the problem will simply return.
Using hydrogen peroxide in the aquarium as a treatment against algae also helped with the tank's bacterial bloom issue (white cloudy water). The majority of the plants in this aquarium came from the previous setup that was overrun by algae so I've decided to do an H2O2 treatment to address it for a better start. At the same time, the bacterial bloom that was taking place cleared up as well.
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I learned from experience that this also kills riccia fluitans, and isn't very effective against cladophora algae. Also, H2O2 reacts with metals, so it will react with your plant fertilizers, if you use them.
Thanks for this! You have no idea how valuable this is for me. I'm trying to get rid of Riccia in my big tank for a couple of years now ... hate it with a passion 😅
Just discovered your channel and I’m extremely surprised by quality of content / lack of views. Keep up the good work and I’m sure you’ll grow faster than the algae in my tank 😂
Thank you very much, I'm very happy with what I've got but hopefully I'll outcompete that algae 😅
YEAHHHH! It worked! Thanks! Tank is crystal clear!!
Great!! Love to hear it
question: what is the dosage for a 50 gallon tank? will it hurt my fish?
Thank you! I guess I'll be waiting an hour or two now. So helpful.
You're welcome. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Thanks so much, Ive been really apprehensive about doing this but after seeing the results I'm excited to give it a try!!!!!!!
You are welcome. It's really nothing to be afraid of... as long as you don't go overboard with the H2O2 you'll be fine.
So thankful for this video. It really help my algae problems
Happy to hear that. I'm glad it helped 🙂
How can i use in cherry shrimp tank?
You don't have to do anything in particular. Just pay attention to the dosage
Just what I was looking for! Thank you!
I have some BBA starting in a 6 month-old tank (combination of several factors including position of the tank, probably over-feeding, and under-fertilising, which I’m now trying to fix!).
My tank’s 110ltr officially with internal filters…so if I put the filters in a bucket of dechlorinated water while it works and around 35ml of 3%, that should be safe for my livestock and filters?
Looks like you have everything perfectly planned out 👌... do a quick water change as well after, just to be on the safe side. Good luck, and please let me know how it goes .
@@HobbyScapesHQ thanks so much for your quick reply! Will do. I may have time to try in the morning - will give an update in the week if I do!
You're very welcome!
@@HobbyScapesHQ heyy! So a little update. It definitely had some effect on the bba - it didn’t die off in total, but has reduced A LOT, and I think is now going to be manageable with regular CO and Ferts, reduced light and making sure I don’t overfeed!
I may try one more dose but I’m not in any rush currently.
Thanks so much for this again - it was just what I needed to give the confidence to try hydrogen peroxide.
I'm happy to hear it helped give your tank a "fresh" start. It'll take time, but stick to your plan, and I'm sure you'll have it looking the way you want 🙂
Lovely tutorial man, thanks a lot. I have a 1 question, What about the algae pores and trains remaining in the filter media? it can starts spreading of algae again. ( I am fighting with worst algea BBA ) pls suggest your opinion and what should I do.
Thanks
Thank you!. You could repeat the treatment after a week or so. To be honest with you I never had bad BBA outbreaks so I didn't try H2O2 against it, I know it can be very stubborn. Maybe, if your tank is big enough, get a couple of Siamese Algae Eaters as well to help. Let me know how it goes. Good luck
Just to let people that have vallisneria know that Val is incredibly sensitive to Hydrogen peroxide and it can damage it’s leaves rather easily. I did this in my 55 gallon and had to trim the Val all the way down to the crown in order to get it to start growing again. It did murder the algae in my tank but just be careful of what kind of plants you have as it may damage them as well.
Thanks for this! I never tried it with Vallisneria, so I had no idea ...
@@HobbyScapesHQ yea I had done tons of research into this method before doing it but never though to look into how my plants would handle it. It seems that most plants are just fine but for whatever reason Val leaves are particularly sensitive to this method. Sometimes with this hobby we just gotta learn the hard way 🤷♂️😂
Many times, information found online is contradictory, so personal experimentation is the only option 🤷🏻♂️
I tried it on my vals. But nothing happened.
Did it work on the algae?
When you mix the H202 Did you do water change after that 1 break?
Yes. It helps prevent an amonia spike from all the dying algae
What the amount you change the water 30% or 50%?
I'm usually doing around 30%, but after this treatment, I do probably 50-60%
Hi, thanks for the info. If there are shrimps in tank and difficult to take it out all of them, is safe to do this and wont harm them rite? Nice video and hope to hear frrom you soon
You're welcome... It is perfectly safe for shrimp as well, be careful not to overdose, and it'll be alright ...
@@HobbyScapesHQ
Thanks for the reply. One thing to make sure , 6% is 1.75ml /10litre? Or 10 gallon?
No problem at all. It's per 10 litre
@@HobbyScapesHQ
Thanks a lot. I will lower half my tank water to 30 litres to do this, after nuke them, I will fill it again with water that I took out. Should be fine rite?
3% will be 3.5ml X 2 = 7ml per 20litres.
That should work, yes. Good luck and let me know how it goes
So, I don't need to remove my guppies and shrimps when doing this? i have a 10 gallon tank
They'll be alright, just be careful with the dosage
Will this work on my pond? Its already dark green had to transfer my fish to an aquarium but they kinda crowded there
I'm not sure... maybe. You might be better off buying something designed specifically for pond green water. It might be cheaper. I don't have any experience with ponds whatsoever.
can u keep the fish inside durintg the tratment ?
Yes, just be careful with the dosage, and they'll be fine
When do you do your water change after the dose?
I usually do it the next day after dosing
You can watch the step by step set up of this aquarium here 👉 th-cam.com/video/Pvg7TGRHlTw/w-d-xo.html
I've got a 1000 uk litre tank. What amount should I add ? 175ml ?
Hey Steve... that's correct, If your h2o2 concentration is 6%, go with 175ml. If you have 3% concentration, double that
@HobbyScapesHQ thanks done. Keep you updated and thanks
You're very welcome! Good luck and let me know
So my tank, 60 gal is heavily planted and I do have a lot of BBA. Curious if it would be best to drain the water down low into buckets as most plants will be able to be above the water line and more than enough room for the fish and spray the H202 on all the effected areas, wait 10 minutes then pour the water back in. Rather this approach over just pouring it in. Is it easy to over dose H202 and harm the fish. I do have some fry in the tank????
If you can expose the affected areas and just spray them down, I would definitely go for that option instead of dosing the water.
@@HobbyScapesHQ should I dilute the H202 still when using the spray method. how much water should I add. Once again I have fry.
I sprayed it undiluted on hardscape and some anubias and buce varieties without any issues. Some plants will not like H2O2 at all...
@@HobbyScapesHQ I have Crinum calamistratum, Java Fern, amazon sword, Anubias, and cryptocoryne spiralis (I believe).
I don't want to say go for it, it'll be fine, because I honestly don't know... Probably the Anubias can take it, but I'm not sure about the others. I never tried H2O2 on those specific plants.
do we have to turn on the light for 48hrs?
No, just leave them on your regular schedule
Hello. Do we turn lights off for an hour ?
I didn't. I don't think it makes any difference
i dont know what i did wrong but i kill my beneficial bacteria. i have to re start the cycle again. my fish are fine doing water change 2 times a week i did turn off the filter and wait for 1 hour before turning it back again.
@@HobbyScapesHQ
Did you remove
The fish ? Prior to administer the H202
Sorry I didn't answer sooner, but I just saw your comment now. No, I didn't remove anything. It is fish and shrimp safe as long as you don't overdose.
Is this safe for Neons and Betta fish? Thanks!!!
It is. I've done it with fish and shrimp in the tank and was perfectly fine. Don't overdose it, and they'll be alright. Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
@HobbyScapesHQ thank you so much! I currently have cyanobacteria in 2 of my tanks and I was thinking on trying this method!
I had cyano a couple of years ago in one of my tanks. I used something called "blue-green slime, stain remover" from Ultralife, and it worked great.
@@HobbyScapesHQ Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! I just ordered from Amazon!!! Happy holidays!
Happy holidays and good luck!
do i have to keep co2 off for 48 hours?
I personally would keep it off, just to reduce the extra stress on the fish
@@HobbyScapesHQ i have bba all over rock and plant i want to treat it but I'm scared my plants might die whats safe dose for 45 gallon tank
I would do 30ml of 6% H2O2, if you have the 3% concentration double that
Will this help with green algae?
It should
Can I use it in my tank without keep out fishes?
I used it with fish and shrimp without issues. Just be careful with the dosage, and you'll be fine
@@HobbyScapesHQ I have 18 feet by 12 feet tank. And same algae like your tank I see. How much I need use?
You need to know the volume of water in your tank, and you have the formula for the h2o2 quantity in the video.
@@HobbyScapesHQ I got the formula 1.75 per 10 litters. Another question, Do I need to change water after use this chemical?
For the h2o2 is not necessary, that breaks down into water and oxygen, but you'll have algae dying, so I recommend a water change to try syphon out as much of it as possible
can you use this too get rid of a disease outbreak?
I honestly couldn't tell you... never tried using it that way. I would recommend proper treatments tho
Cool. Could you give the dosage amounts in U.S. measurements plz.?
I use 1,75ml/10 litres (that's about 2.6 gallons) of 6% H2O2. If you only find 3% H2O2, double the dose.
that would have taken 2 seconds to google cmon
That's alright, I don't mind doing it ... I don't really know the conversions, so I'm learning something new in the meantime 😅
"U.S." measurements" lmao
Do you remove the fish while adding the hydrogen peroxide?
No. I used h2o2 with fish and shrimp, and everything was fine. Just don't overdose it
@@HobbyScapesHQ 1 more question (at the moment 😅)
I have 2 crayfish and a few apple snails as well as different types of fish. Would the be ok to stay during this?
No worries, fire away 🙂 if I can help, I'm happy to do it. I did it with caridina shrimp, nerite snails, and different types of nano fish, and i had no issues.
Thank you! It worked like a charm! Like magic!
That's great! Very glad to hear it
Do i leave the light on during 1 hr
I would turn it off. Light speeds up the decomposition of H2O2
@@HobbyScapesHQ hey more questions
I did the same process and other algae died off but staghorn algae doesn't seem to be dying so should i dose again?
And how long should i wait before dosing again
You could go again... I'd wait maybe 2-3 weeks, doing my regular maintenance in the meantime, before doing it again
@@HobbyScapesHQ but when i googled people were doing it daily for uoto 10 days to remove staghorn algae
I've never done that, and I don't think I would. In my opinion it would be a very stressful period for every living thing in the aquarium but if you want to try let us know how it went just to share the knowledge
So now all the algae is gone what are those octo's gonna eat?
I feed the otos algae wafers even when there's algae in the tank. When there's no visible algae, I do it more often.
how big is your tank ? i see that you used +-7ml H2O2 , but 1.75ml/10L , your aquarium is more than 40L
It's 45L
After waiting for 1 hour Of adding H202, should i change the water or keep the same water?
Do a quick water change
@@HobbyScapesHQstay blessed
@@HobbyScapesHQ100% water change or partial water change?
I never do 100% water changes. I'd say around 40-50% should be good enough
Did you take the fish out while doing this?
No. With all the wood and plants that would've been almost impossible.
@@HobbyScapesHQ thanks for sharing some good tips!!
@@neklang9020 No problem
Can we use it in the aquarium with the fishes on it?
Yes. It's fish and shrimp safe. Just be careful and don't overdose it
Man ill follow this. Thanks
No problem. Let me know how it goes for you. Good luck
Hello Sir, ive tried it following exact dosage as per my aquarium volume. Works great!!! Thanks so much and Cheers from Doha, Qatar!
Very happy to hear that! Glad it helped.
Works great absolutely destroys brown algae aka Diatoms. I have a 75 gallon and did one dose at 2ml per gallon and the followed up with 1ml per gallon the next day.
It's a great quick fix against algae
@@HobbyScapesHQ I noticed my plants started growing like crazy since I did this as well. It seems to have some other benefits 😎
Plants and algae compete for nutrients so if the algae is gone plants have more... this could be one of the reasons
@BassManStrikes did you do water changes after the process. The initial and the following day? @HobbyScapesHQ
Is it okay if I use 6% Hydrogen Peroxide?
I don't see why not... as long as you adjust the dosage to the higher concentration
I use 2ml hydrogen peroxide 3% per gallon which is about 5 litres. Java fern looks a bit pale. But so does the filamentous algae
You could probably reduce the dose a little bit to help the Java fern, and I believe it'll still do the job on the algae
Lol Dude, be careful
it save for animals? if not removed first
Hey Aan. If you don't go over the dose it's perfectly safe for everything living in the aquarium
So, the fish must be removed first, right?
No, that would be just unnecessary stress for them. It's safe to use with fish if you're careful not to go over the recommended dose
Can we add fish after 48 hrs ?
I did this with the fish in the aquarium, so you're definitely going to be fine after 48h
Ok but I don’t see any fish in this video just worried a bit to add my angels
They're there... you'll be fine adding fish after 48 hours
Can it safe for fishes
It is safe. Just don't overdose it
@@HobbyScapesHQ thank you
No problem. Good luck, and let me know how it goes
@@HobbyScapesHQ yes tomorrow I will apply it
How many ml I use for 4 gallon planted tank
Do I need to do a water change lots of people been saying do a. Water change after, I mainly a saltwater guy lol
I would recommend the water change after, all that algae dying off might cause issues
I am using 2 cubic feet aquarium and 3% of h2o2 so I should add 19.26 ml. Give confirmation thank you ❤❤❤
I believe that's about 55 litres, so 19ml of 3% H2O2 would be correct 👍
Is the fishes require to be removed for 1 hour during the dosage in?
No. I used H2O2 with fish and shrimp in the tank and everything was alright
How often can this be repeated? So far nothing has happened.
I personally would wait a couple of weeks before repeating. I'm just very surprised it did nothing for your tank...
ok, 3.5 mL/10L
We can use h2o2 while shrimp in the tank?
I did without issues. Just double-check the dosage before going ahead
Can I use 3% hydrogen peroxide to treat the hair algae. And how is the dose? Thanks
Yes, you can. I use 1.75ml h2o2 / 10 litres of water. Good luck if you decide to do it and let me know how it goes.
I think I will try to remove my fish before I do this.
You can, but I think it's unnecessary stress for the fish. If you don't overdose, they'll be fine
you should turn your light off when you do this hydrogen peroxide breaks down quick when exposed to light
Good tip! It does slow down h2o2 decomposition, but it makes filming a little more difficult 🙂
subbed!
That was well more than 1.75ml per 10 litres
Nope. That's exactly 1.75ml/10 litres. Why do you think it's more?
@@HobbyScapesHQ it looked less but I've just watched it again and I got it wrong maths wasn't my strongest subject unless it was sports scores 👍👍
You're good, no worries 😅
gonna do this later with my aquarium with plants, shrimps, snail and fish. hopefully, they will die on it and get rid of my black beard algae
Good luck! Let me know how it goes.
Remove anything live before it
how the hell do you measure out 1.75m
I didn't, I needed about 7ml for this tank, but if you really need to measure 1.75ml, there are 1ml syringes that can do that pretty accurately
@@HobbyScapesHQ Never seen a syringes that can measure .75ml
@@HobbyScapesHQ Your not making any sense you're telling people to use 1.75m for every 10L of water now your saying you never used it
If I have a 40 litre aquarium, I'm not going to measure 4 times 1.75ml but 7ml once... not sure what doesn't make sense for you
@@HobbyScapesHQ So what if you have a 10L tankhow much do you put it ? if its 1.75ml then how do you measure it out
Fishes and shrimps will die if you add this with them
Fish and shrimp are perfectly fine. It would be impossible to remove them all with hardscape and plants in the aquarium anyways.
👋👋👋👍👍👍🔥🔥🔥
is it okey to leave the fishes inside the aquariumduring treatment?
I always did it with fish inside and never had issues
Thank you very much!@@HobbyScapesHQ
No problem at all 🙂