Algae Fix killing our fish!?

[Jag1980]

I lost my Spotted Rubber Lip Pleco a couple weeks ago.
In the 30 days before my Pleco died I did 3 treatments of Algae-Fix to control the sheet algae I been getting on my rock.
It says on the bottle I can use it every few days until algae growth in under control. Well now my fish is dead...
Since I started keeping fish my fish never seem to ever die. But now after using this product DEATH! My Pleco seemed very healthy for over a year and now all of a sudden he does a 10 second panic attack and then played dead or something? he lost his dark color but kept his spots. Pleco has done about 5 panic sessions that I have seen and very fast heavy breathing. About a week later, Pleco is dead...

I had Otto's in the past and they both dies also, this was a couple years ago and I think I used a treatment of algae fix then also..

I want to see how many other have had the same problem, maybe we can all get together and ban these products or get the lables changed.

AlgaeFixTM is an EPA-registered clarifier that effectively controls many types of algae in freshwater aquariums. It clears up "green water" algal blooms, blue-green algae and most types of string algae. Can be used safely in freshwater tanks containing live plants and fish. Do not use AlgaeFixTM with crustaceans, including crabs, freshwater shrimp and freshwater lobsters.

 

[grapedinox]

I have used this exact produst twice and both times I lost several fish all at once. The first time I thought it was a fluke so I used it again about 2 weeks later and lost almost all of the rest of my fish. I will never use this product again. This happened 3 years ago to me and I lost an arowanna, fire eel, and a BGK, plus several smaller fish. I am surprised they can sell this crap.

 

[squint]

Yeah, it kills fish.

 

[Lupin]

That's why we advise not to use products to remove snails, algae and other pests. Could you please add the ingredients involved there, Jag? I believe one of these ingredients is copper sulfate. Why do you think the product labeled it not suitable for invertebrates? Anything that harms the inverts can most likely harm the fish as well.

 

[Jag1980]

That's why we advise not to use products to remove snails, algae and other pests. Could you please add the ingredients involved there, Jag? I believe one of these ingredients is copper sulfate. Why do you think the product labeled it not suitable for invertebrates? Anything that harms the inverts can most likely harm the fish as well.

List of Active Ingredient's:
Poly(oxyethylene) (dimethylimino) ethylene (dimethylimino) ethylene dichloride

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Product.jsp?REG_NR=00870900008&DIST_NR=008709

I figured since it was supplied at all local pets stores, recommended by fish keepers and even sold at Drsfostersmith.com it would be pretty safe, but it is NOT

When there was poison in cat food and dog food it was all over the news and shut down, or anything else that can be harmful to pets and children.
No one cares about the fish!

 

[Lupin]

Some products are sold for profit more than the aquarist's benefit.

 

[cjack]

while i myself have had no problems with this product, in fact these are the first stories of AlgaeFix killing fish that ive heard, the active ingredient is said to be extremely dangerous (look on the website above at the active ingredients). While this is probobly in regards to inverts, the effect on vertabretes could still be quite high.

 

[JayK1320]

if you want to kill your algae the easiest natural way just turn the lights off and cover the tank with a blanket. I would think a couple of days of that would kill it all. Algae needs light to live, no light, no live haha.

 

[joeytoe]

while i myself have had no problems with this product, in fact these are the first stories of AlgaeFix killing fish that ive heard, the active ingredient is said to be extremely dangerous (look on the website above at the active ingredients). While this is probobly in regards to inverts, the effect on vertabretes could still be quite high.

I too have had no problems with using this product, I remember there being problems with Algae destroyer an fish deaths. But Ive never had a fish die from Algaefix in any of my four tanks.

 

[TheMacQ]

I'm pretty sure that Algaefix killed my fish. About 2 months ago my cichlid tank suffered an algae bloom. I put in the recommended dosage of Algaefix and was simply amazed at how quickly my tank cleared. I mean it was quick. The next morning however one of my Fuelleborni cichlids was acting very erratic, and actually started floating to the top. I waited just a bit before pulling him out - and literally 24 hours later he was fine.

Well I did the same thing this past Friday. I used the recommended dosage, and 24 hours later half of the cichlids in the tank were listless - breathing but clearly something was wrong (one of them, could not close his mouth). The next morning - 5 cichlids were dead!!!

I am never using this product again, and agree that it should be banned. It is completely insane that this product is on the market.