wino Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Hi, sometime lurker first time poster. My 110 litre tank has been set up (this time) for a year. It's planted, lit with two flouros (both sunglos) on 10 hours a day, has a yeast type CO2 set up and is populated by 18 various small tetras, a pair of bolivian rams, three baby bristlenose and 4 peppered corys. In the last three or four months a blue green slimey algae is creeping all over the tank. I've been running phosphate remover in the filter for 6 weeks, phosphate, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all 0 and still it grows, I siphon huge amounts out twice a week with a water change and within three days it's spread everywhere again. I've stopped feeding plant food. I've been keeping tropicals for years and have never had this. Help! there must be something wrong but I don't know what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dally Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 DEATH BY FLYING FOX! X5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monaro1 Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 have you moved the tank. the sun is a big reason for the algae. as dally said death buy flying fox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Reducing the light and adding small quantities if hydrogen peroxide will sometimes get rid of blue green algae. Or treat with an antibiotic as it is actually a bacteria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 I know of no fish that will touch it. Antibiotic (Erythromycin) tablets is recommended for the treatment of B/G algae. When I treat for it I use one cap. for 48 litres, so I guess you'd need two or three for that tank. One thing that you have to be aware of tho, is that not only will the B/G be killed off, but you will have to do a recycle of your tank. Make sure any dead algae is removed, as it's rotting in the tank can cause a collapse of the whole system. B//G algae can be spread by a drop of contaminated water, new fish, new plants, wet hands or nets, from a contaminated tank. By the way Wino, it would be helpful if you put the area that you are from. Members from that area could relate to you and may be able to help. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freshwest Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Has anyone had success-using UV to control blue green algae? It should help with controlling the b/g algae that is in the water column. I would be keen to know as I am anticipating a problem in my newly set up 1300 L tank, as I have b/g algae in my other tanks its only a matter of time before it gets in there to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Read this lot... http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/cyanobacteria.html Very interesting. I resorted to Erythromycin in the end as nothing else worked. It worked quickly and the cyano hasn't returned. I got the cyano initially from infected plants. I did not find it had any effect that I could see on the filter bacteria. Some claim (read the above link) that the bacteria in the filter are different so are not affected and it is actually the dying cyano that causes the ammonia spikes. I hauled the dying stuff out as fast as possible. Ended up with a cyano free tank, no cycling problems and no fatalities. PM me you name and address and I can send you some Erythromycin (pays to have Drs for friends ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 i have a small amount turn up in my planted tank, i covered it and left the lights off for 2 days, then it seemed to die and dissapear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wino Posted January 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Wow you guys are awesome. No wonder the stuff won't respond to the usual algae measures. Caryl you have mail... and thank you so much for that generous offer. Thinking about it mine probably came in on a plant too - at least it developed a week or so after I put a couple of new plants in. Reading the references Caryl linked to it appears the standard algae control measures (turn the light down, make sure there's low nitrates and phosphates etc ) don't scare this stuff at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wino Posted February 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 Yahoo thank you Caryl, I have just rinsed a whole heap of slime out of the filter foam, and siphoned more out of the tank, the horrible slime is definitely losing it's grip. No sign of any ammonia spike as yet (fingers crossed and I'll keep up the water changes as I remove the gunk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitch Posted February 4, 2006 Report Share Posted February 4, 2006 i was told too much light green, not enough light brown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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