Caryl Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Hopefully I can post my pic here. This algae has recently grown on my rotala (yes, the ones I was taking to the auction). I am sure it is lighting problems as it started after I put new tubes in. Does anyone know a quick way to get rid of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Could try pulling it off with your fingers. In my limited experience with algae on plants, once the algae has grown on the leaves, they're a loss. Even if you do get the algae off the leaves underneath are transparent and dying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cees Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Hopefully I can post my pic here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 14, 2002 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Thank you Cees. My previous problem was that the Yahoo Photos! site I use does not allow you to link to other sites but I could not find that information on their site. I now have an MSN photo album where I put anything I want to post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Caryl said... > This algae has recently grown on my rotala... Is it 'blue-green'? I *really* hate that bugger. Started getting it in some of my tanks at the moment. That a duckweed could make me give up fishkeeping some days... Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cees Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 If it is blue-green than erythromycin will fix it. http://faq.thekrib.com/algae.html#cyano blue-green algae is actually cyanobacteria and indicates poor water quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Cees said... > If it is blue-green than erythromycin will fix it. True. > ... blue-green algae is actually cyanobacteria and indicates > poor water quality... Also true. I've got it mostly in tanks that were filled up with Upper Hutt water that I got from John Philips when he brought his fish up here. Actually, it's water from his tanks and I guess maybe he hadn't been paying as much attention to them as he used to. I guess I've been too slow in diluting it out with water changes but I'm getting on top of that now... Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 15, 2002 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2002 It probably is blue-green algae but it is only a problem under the 2 new tubes, not the whole tank. I can remove the plants to treat them as they are just bunched and weighted ready to take north. Where do I get erythromicin from? Does it have a brand name of some sort I should look for? Thanks for the advice. Poor water quality wouldn't surprise me either, you know I rarely do water changes and with my back problems recently...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cees Posted October 15, 2002 Report Share Posted October 15, 2002 Where do I get erythromicin from? Does it have a brand name of some sort I should look for? Your Doctor, it's an 'classic' antibiotic. Your best bet is the local vet. That's where I got mine. Just tell them what's for and the dose you require. Search google for blue-green algae and erythromicyn for dosage insrtuctions. Repeat after one week. Best to treat whole tank, but be aware that it might knock back the bio-filtration. Blue-green algae is indicative of poor water quality, the new tubes alone won't be the cause as suchs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 15, 2002 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2002 I have Kelly Rennell staying with me at the moment and he has given me instructions on how to use the stuff. I am working tomorrow (medical receptionist) and he suggested I ask the Dr if he has some erythromicin as it would be cheaper than the vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted October 16, 2002 Report Share Posted October 16, 2002 AJ Wrote, I *really* hate that bugger. Started getting it in some of my tanks at the moment. That a duckweed could make me give up fishkeeping some days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 16, 2002 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2002 I only feed my fish once or twice a week now Pegasus! I have got the Erythromycin and I am putting the plants into a fishless tank and treating them there. Will keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 17, 2002 Report Share Posted October 17, 2002 I've found the most effective way to get rid of duckweed is to be really slack on the water changes and let your nitrates get up to about 90 ppm. They just kinda shrink until they disappear. Of course, there are disadvantages to this and it does take quite a while. Got yelled at for saying that on another messageboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted October 17, 2002 Report Share Posted October 17, 2002 Caryl said... > ...I rarely do water changes ... That'll do it. Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 I'm glad you moved the plants before using Erythromycin as it would have killed your filter. It doesn't just knock-back your filter unfortunately. The dosage required to kill Cyno will also completely wipe out your bio filter. Use Erythro as an absolute last resort. There are usually other reasons for Cyno. In this case, the extra UV content from the new lights has shown a problem up, but they are not the cause of it. The Nitrate level is either too high or too low, and there is probably a small excess of phosphates as well. Cyno thrives with 0 nitrate, or >30ppm. Anywhere in between and it seems to pretty much vanish overnight (as long as phosphates are >0.05ppm. It will probably burn itself out in a few weeks if just left alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 So, it grows when there's no nitrates or more than 30PPM of nitrates and dies if there are more than .05ppm of phosphates? Wierd, I'd have thought it'd be the exact opposite for both. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Oops, the > should have been <, so less than 0.05ppm phosphates. The reason Cyno grows well with 0 or near 0 Nitrates is because it can lock onto the disolved nitrogen in the water as its source. Many newly setup aquariums get cyno within a few days of startup. This is due to too many nutrients in the water and no Nitrates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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