How long does the Algae battle take ?

The best way we've found is to put the truck in the shop, drain the fuel, flush the tank with solvent, then steam clean the tank. Our mechanic found a rotating four-head steam nozzle that works pretty good.
Fuel additives will work to some extent but the only reliable way is what I decribed.

 

Obviously prevention isn’t going to help now, but I’ve been in the habit of keeping tanks near full, especially when parking up for a few days.

I’ve heard the process takes a couple of bottles and quite a few clogged filters.

 

This works much better, I tried Power Service BioKleen and FPPF Killem

 

After the Biobor then treat with this

 

I always shock treated until a full bottle of Biobor was used, then I went to maintenance dose until cleared up. Then run some Asphaltene conditioner thru it.

The last few years for maintenance; at the first of the month I would run a tank of maintenance dose biobor then a couple tanks later I would run a tank of asphaltene conditioner thru it.

I don't know, it could have been my infatuation with Loves points and the select Loves I was fueling at. I got some bad fuel for a while.

 

It's not really algea....this is a copy of a post from @FLATBED


Algae are a life form found in water, similar to algae growing in an aquarium needs light to grow / survive. However, for years, people have been referring to tank sludge and to the jelly, slime and other contaminants found in fuel filters as "algae". The colloquialism "diesel fuel algae" is widely used and understood. However, there is no relationship between the "algae" growing in your aquarium and the sludge "growing" (forming) in your fuel tank and showing up on your filter elements.
There are three basic areas of concern in fuels and oil. They are: 1. water 2. in-organic debris (sand, dust, rust, etc.) and 3. organic debris (fuel breakdown products and waste products of fuel deterioration and re-polymerization). The organic debris represents more than 90% of all the contaminants found in fuels and oil. It is this organic debris, the sludgy, slimy, acidic material that people refer to as "diesel fuel algae". It could also be called polymer, tar or wax and asphalt! In South America, people refer to the "Algae" as "mud". In gasoline, the organic fuel breakdown products are often referred to as gum, varnish, or lacquer. Taken literally these words could be confusing too.

 

FPPF kilem

 

I asked our mechanic about additives and he's not in favor of them. He'll add some in winter to prevent jelling but that's all.
He said most of the fuel treatments are just solvents of one kind or another and when the additive breaks up the sludge the sludge still has to go somewhere.
Somewhere is usually the fuel filter. If it gets past the filter and gets into the fuel system of the engine there's a whole bunch of problems that can occur.
I'm not saying he's 100% right - some guys swear by fuel treatments - but he's a pretty good mechanic and we're very seldom broke down from something that should have been taken care of in the shop.
As for me being an expert mechanic, I remember what Baxter Black said..."there ain't no bigger walkin' disaster than me with a wrench in my hand."