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Black Slime Algae
Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my
tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! Heavily planted tank CO2 injection ph 6.8 |
Have you tried reducing feedings? Or changing the lighting?
"Troy Bruder" wrote in message ... Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! Heavily planted tank CO2 injection ph 6.8 |
I have significantly reduced feedings... My current light (10k pc) is
almost 12 months old... I figured it would last 18 months, but maybe that's it. Thanks for the heads up.. Until I replace it, maybe I'll try massive water changes every other day.. Troy "Limnophile" wrote in message ... Have you tried reducing feedings? Or changing the lighting? "Troy Bruder" wrote in message ... Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! Heavily planted tank CO2 injection ph 6.8 |
You might try buying a timer so your lights can go off for a few hours during the day. This helps stop algae from growing. So I was told in the newsgroups and lo and behold, it works. The algae in my tank is nearly gone---it has taken about six weeks, but the difference is amazing. "Troy Bruder" wrote in message ... I have significantly reduced feedings... My current light (10k pc) is almost 12 months old... I figured it would last 18 months, but maybe that's it. Thanks for the heads up.. Until I replace it, maybe I'll try massive water changes every other day.. Troy "Limnophile" wrote in message ... Have you tried reducing feedings? Or changing the lighting? "Troy Bruder" wrote in message ... Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! Heavily planted tank CO2 injection ph 6.8 |
Troy Bruder wrote:
Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! It might actually be blue-green algae which 1) can be a variety of colors, and 2) isn't actually an algae, but rather a bacteria. I've been struggling with an algae that fits the descriotion you gave - black slime - and I'm giving serious thought to medicating the tank with a general anti-bacterial agent of some sort. -- Eric Schreiber www.ericschreiber.com |
"Eric Schreiber" eric at ericschreiber dot com wrote in message ...
Troy Bruder wrote: Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! It might actually be blue-green algae which 1) can be a variety of colors, and 2) isn't actually an algae, but rather a bacteria. I've been struggling with an algae that fits the descriotion you gave - black slime - and I'm giving serious thought to medicating the tank with a general anti-bacterial agent of some sort. See blackout method, this will help your plants and take less time, is certainly the cheapest method and the easiest, fastest etc. Remove the algae that's there, do a 50% water change, add 1/4 teaspoon of KNO3 per 80 liters of tank. Clean filter before water change. Turn off CO2/lights and cover so that no light gets in with trash bag, towels etc. Wait three days, remove the bags and turn light/CO2 back on, do another 50% water change and add the KNO3 back and thereafter 2x a week. You do this, you will not have the BGA come back. But you can try the other methods which are not free nor address the root cause. This method has nothing to lose and is 100% effective if you follow the directions. If you do a controlled mid day sieta, you will find it does not do anything. If you have slightly poor.insufficent CO2, this gives a chance for your unpowered CO2 diffuser set up to catch up since plants stop taking in CO2 when the lights are off. The light itself does not cause the algae to go away and the 3 blackout makes algae die fast, not weeks later and also helps to grow the plants by adding what caused the plants not to grow well(lack of NO3), which is why you have the algae in the first place. Regards, Tom Barr |
"Eric Schreiber" eric at ericschreiber dot com wrote in message
... wrote: See blackout method, this will help your plants and take less time, is certainly the cheapest method and the easiest, fastest etc. I've read lots of comments that the blackout approach has little or no effect on cyanobacteria, since they aren't dependent on light like conventional algae. They are indeed photosynthesising, why are they green?? The tank in which I'm having problems isn't planted (not quite correct - I've tossed a handful of najas into it to try to out-compete the BGA for nutrients), and I don't do any CO2 injection at all. I believe my root causes are that I overfeed (which I'm correcting) and that the tank is now so overrun with BGA that moderately drastic measures are needed to bring it under control. I've already started treating with Myacin. If the five day cycle doesn't have any effect, I'll give your instructions a whirl. You would feel much more accomplished if you defeated the beast without the aid of antibiotics! Do deep gravel cleanings and clean out your filter thoroughly, 70-80% waterchange. This will help alot too. -- **So long, and thanks for all the fish!** |
Here's what I discovered...
1. My light was definately shot... The new bulb was an immediate improvement in the quality of light.. It was also nice to see my plants "pearling" once again with two hours of the new bulb being installed. Lesson learned, 11 month replacement cycle for PC bulbs! 2. When I refilled my CO2 tank 3 weeks ago, I NEVER TURNED IT ON!!! Ugh... So between my light spectrum issues, and the fact that I haven't have pressured CO2 in almost a month, probably has led to the massive imbalance within my tank... I'm willing to bet it returns to "normal" within a week or two now! Troy "blank" wrote in message ... You might try buying a timer so your lights can go off for a few hours during the day. This helps stop algae from growing. So I was told in the newsgroups and lo and behold, it works. The algae in my tank is nearly gone---it has taken about six weeks, but the difference is amazing. "Troy Bruder" wrote in message ... I have significantly reduced feedings... My current light (10k pc) is almost 12 months old... I figured it would last 18 months, but maybe that's it. Thanks for the heads up.. Until I replace it, maybe I'll try massive water changes every other day.. Troy "Limnophile" wrote in message ... Have you tried reducing feedings? Or changing the lighting? "Troy Bruder" wrote in message ... Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! Heavily planted tank CO2 injection ph 6.8 |
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Happy'Cam'per wrote:
They are indeed photosynthesising, why are they green?? While Cyanobacteria can photosynthesize, that is not it's only source for nutrients. It is not a plant - it is a bacteria. Unlike 'regular' algae, it is not dependent upon ammonia related products (including nitrite and nitrate), and can directly process molecular nitrogen. Since it isn't dependent upon photosynthesis, a blackout may stunt it but won't kill it - it can employ other food sources. You would feel much more accomplished if you defeated the beast without the aid of antibiotics! Do deep gravel cleanings and clean out your filter thoroughly, 70-80% waterchange. I'm not seeking a sense of accomplishment, I'm just trying to get rid of the BGA. I've done *loads* of gravel cleanings, scrubbing, water changes, and filter changes. In my experience, as long as the conditions in the tank support BGA, any cells that escape the cleaning will spawn the problem over again. -- Eric Schreiber www.ericschreiber.com |
wrote:
Thiose comments are patently incorrect. Nothing personal, but they are. It's that simple. I appreciate your strong opinion, but I find equally strong opinions in the other direction. The Krib has discussions on the subject, and I found numerous mentions via Google as well. BGA are(the species we deal with), as are all algae/plants, totally dependent on light. BGA are not plants, they are bacteria. Though photosynthesis is the preferred mode of nutrition, it is not the only method. (Palinska, Katarzyna A; Horgan, William J and Krumbein, Wolfgang, E (May 2002) Cyanobacteria. In: Nature Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. London: Nature Publishing Group.) Antibiotics do work, my point is not that Myacin does or does not work, I just offers a better method that takes 3 days and is 100% free and addresses the long term problem that you have. Well, the ehtromycin is effectively free, since I already had it on hand. My supply expires in a few months, so it's not as though I'm likely to lose use of it by employing it against BGA. Lots of comments that Blackout does not work? Name one that has done the method I suggested in honesty, and it has not worked? Even one? anyone that claims the 3 day blackout I suggest does not work is frankly full of crap. Ok, thanks, but I'm REALLY not interested in a holy war. You've clearly got a lot of emotional investment in the subject, and I'm afraid I really don't care enough to get into a protracted discussion over it. -- Eric Schreiber www.ericschreiber.com |
"Eric Schreiber" eric at ericschreiber dot com wrote in message
news:Ur-dnT5Q_8XQYhrcRVn- I appreciate your strong opinion, but I find equally strong opinions in the other direction. The Krib has discussions on the subject, and I found numerous mentions via Google as well. How old is that info on the Krib, and how qualified were those ppl making the statements? BGA are not plants, they are bacteria. Though photosynthesis is the preferred mode of nutrition, it is not the only method. (Palinska, Katarzyna A; Horgan, William J and Krumbein, Wolfgang, E (May 2002) Cyanobacteria. In: Nature Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. London: Nature Publishing Group. The bacteria have a symbiotic relationship with the photosynthesising systems, if one shuts down, gradually they will die, they cannot function properly without each other. Ok, thanks, but I'm REALLY not interested in a holy war. You've clearly got a lot of emotional investment in the subject, and I'm afraid I really don't care enough to get into a protracted discussion over it. Oh Come on Eric, I think its my turn this time to tell you to get a thicker skin. Tom is offering you perfectly fine advice and you're throwing it back in his face, he offered to help you out and then you get defensive!!! Use those antibiotics of yours and I'll bet in 30 days time it'll be back again, really, I've been through this myself. You also run the risk of openeing up your fish to parasites who will be keen on taking advantage of the fish's weakened immune system, antiB's will affect the fish's slime coat and possibly nuke your filter. Be careful. Be sure to let us know how it goes. -- **So long, and thanks for all the thick skin!** |
"Eric Schreiber" eric at ericschreiber dot com wrote in message
... algae, it is not dependent upon ammonia related products (including nitrite and nitrate), and can directly process molecular nitrogen. I too thought this but its not true. The type of Cyano that infects OUR fish tanks does not have the ability to fix Nitrogen, its wrong. Apparently only Cyano with heterocysts have this ability. The species in our tanks are sans heterocysts and therefore rely on a Nitrogen source for food. Since it isn't dependent upon photosynthesis, a blackout may stunt it but won't kill it - it can employ other food sources. See above... I'm not seeking a sense of accomplishment, I'm just trying to get rid of the BGA. I've done *loads* of gravel cleanings, scrubbing, water changes, and filter changes. In my experience, as long as the conditions in the tank support BGA, any cells that escape the cleaning will spawn the problem over again. Where do you think it came from in the first place? Once you dose those anti'B's you're going to kill alll the Cyano cells but the conditions in your tank will remain the same, they will return once the AB's wear off. |
I only recently got rid of the blue green algae in my aquarium, after a year
of it growing inch's in size every day. I tried blacking the aquarium out five or six times. each time the blue green algae disappeared after three or four days, but a week or two later it always returned. I put that down to not doing them for long enough but I even tried a six day blackout, and a four day blackout followed by a three day blackout, two days later. and I wrapped my tank up in tin foil, towels, sleeping bags, and all sorts to keep the light out. I finally got rid of it a month ago by using Maracyn. it seems to be gone for good this time. from what I can tell from my experiences with blue green algae it doesn't matter what the water parameters it will still have enough nutrients to be able to grow. it seems to be more to do with bad luck than anything else, if you get it in your tank. Scott "Troy Bruder" wrote in message ... Anyone got any good remedies for black slime algae covering everything in my tank?? I keep cleaning it out, and doing massive water changes, but it still keeps growing!! Arrrgghh! Heavily planted tank CO2 injection ph 6.8 |
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