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#1
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That's it, I've had it - Blue Green Algae
I can't take it any more. I simply cannot beat or keep up with the
blue-green algae outbreak I've had now for about 5 months. I've tried everything. Blacking out the tank, removing my CO2 system, algicide treatments - nothing works. It makes my tanks look like crap, and it's killing all my plants. Their leaves are coated with thick slimy green sheets of blue-green algae, and they're falling apart little by little. My plants used to thrive and my tank was lush. My community fish species don't seem to care one way or another, but for me it's just simply not a joy to watch my tank anymore. So now, looks like I face a compete take down. But I have some questions : 1) Do blue-green algae cells die when dried, or do they just do dormant ? The BGA is infused through my gravel substrate so I need to completely wash that out when I take down. But do I need to treat it when bleach to ensure BGA's death ? Or will just rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and then drying for a while do the trick ? 2) Can I save my plants ? These seems to be the things most covered by BGA. Right down into the roots in the gravel substrate. Can I bleach-dip the plants and kill the algae ? Or am I better off throwing them out and starting over ? 3) My driftwood pieces are also covered in BGA. Should I boil ? Dry ? Bleach ? What about other things like my filter components. If BGA just goes dormant when dried, then something more drastic needs to be done to ensure I complete do away with it, other than just drying. 4) How should I treat my empty tank and for how long ? Thanks about it. Any other thoughts/advice would be well appreciated. Thanks. Shawn |
#2
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Have you tried large water changes and adding kno3? That's how I get rid of it. -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#3
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The ONLY thing that ever worked for me was Myracin. That product is
fabulous. Try it out, and follow the directions exactly. Troy "Richard Sexton" wrote in message ... Have you tried large water changes and adding kno3? That's how I get rid of it. -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#4
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My LFS tells me that Myacin and a whole suite of other anitbiotics and fish
medicine are no longer legal to be sold. Any ideas on where I could get it online ? Thanks "Shagster" wrote in message ... The ONLY thing that ever worked for me was Myracin. That product is fabulous. Try it out, and follow the directions exactly. Troy "Richard Sexton" wrote in message ... Have you tried large water changes and adding kno3? That's how I get rid of it. -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#5
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Where can I get KNO3 ? Is that availabe at a LFS ? I do weekly large water
changes - nearly the entire tank actually, leaving just enough for the fish to keep swimming, before I refill. Then I treat with something called "ALGAEFIX". This knocked the crap out the BGA (as well as making the rest of my plants look quite poor), and I contined the treatment for several weeks, as it said in the directions. But once I stopped, with another couple weeks the BGA reappeared and gradually got worse again. I don't want to have to maintain my tank forever on medicine and chemicals. I ran it for the first 4 years without a single breakout. Shawn "Richard Sexton" wrote in message ... Have you tried large water changes and adding kno3? That's how I get rid of it. -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#6
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Grants Stump remover. Iyt can be gotten at any garden shop, hardware store
or at places like the BORG and yardbirds. Bob "Shawn" wrote in message ... Where can I get KNO3 ? Is that availabe at a LFS ? I do weekly large water changes - nearly the entire tank actually, leaving just enough for the fish to keep swimming, before I refill. Then I treat with something called "ALGAEFIX". This knocked the crap out the BGA (as well as making the rest of my plants look quite poor), and I contined the treatment for several weeks, as it said in the directions. But once I stopped, with another couple weeks the BGA reappeared and gradually got worse again. I don't want to have to maintain my tank forever on medicine and chemicals. I ran it for the first 4 years without a single breakout. Shawn "Richard Sexton" wrote in message ... Have you tried large water changes and adding kno3? That's how I get rid of it. -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#7
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Shawn you will never have good results at prevention/reoccurance
without using KNO3. That's a plant nutrient, antibiotics, algefix etc etc etc etc etc are not. The focus is growing the plants, not becoming versed in algicdal products. I find them to totally useless. I might use H2O2. bleacj to clean equipment, but I jyust trim and vacuum the algae out, that never harms the plants and removes the problem. BGA/Green water need killed and removed, or they will come back after you correct the evnvironmental issues that caused the algae. A 3 day blackout 50% water at the start and the end Adding 1/4 teaspoon per 25 gal after each water change Then adding 1/4 teaspoon at least 1-2x a week thereafter will prevent BGA and other algae from ever bothering you. Your plants will grow much better as well. Algaefix, Antibiotics, Myacan, Snake oils will never make your plants grow better. 3 day blackout is free. Those are not. try ordering from Greg www.gregwatson.com Get: 2lbs or so KNO3 1 lb KH2PO4 1 lb Trace mix with Boron. Dirt cheap and these actually grow plants and are very easy to dose and add. BGA will infect a tasnk about 1-2 months after treatment. It's always there, so treating the reason why it appears..........poor plant growth(even if you might not think so) will help prevent any algae, not just BGA. Just do this and do all of this advice and you will not have any BGA. If you delete the KNO3, the BGA will simply come back. The fisgh should remain in the tank etc, turn off the CO2. The plants will be fine and live through 3 days of blackout, they are sent via mail and can easily handle 3 days in the dark. Regards, Tom Barr will |
#8
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In article ,
Shawn wrote: Where can I get KNO3 ? Is that availabe at a LFS ? I do weekly large water changes - nearly the entire tank actually, leaving just enough for the fish to keep swimming, before I refill. Then I treat with something called "ALGAEFIX". This knocked the crap out the BGA (as well as making the rest of my plants look quite poor), and I contined the treatment for several weeks, as it said in the directions. But once I stopped, with another couple weeks the BGA reappeared and gradually got worse again. I don't want to have to maintain my tank forever on medicine and chemicals. I ran it for the first 4 years without a single breakout. Ah, ok, the algaefix killed off the firendly bacteria and your tank is a now going through the algae succession that occurs with new tank syndrome. Change 80% of the water a day. On about the 4th day it should be almost all gone. Keep doing it till it is. Marcyn is overkill. Water changes alone will fix this, you don't need more chemnicals. You were right ion figuring out algaefix would eradicate BA though. kno3 is potassium nitrate. blue green alage thrices in low nitrate conditions. Hydroponics stores are the best source of this as nitrate from a petshop fertilizer bottyle is stupid expensive. Don't you just love that smell of blue gree n alage? -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#9
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Hey, I am fighting with the same stuff. I had small patches at 30w of
light. Now that I run 150W I can hardly keep ahead of the stuff, I am going to try to control phosphates first. I'll let you know haow that turns out. my aquarium page, info and pics at: www.geocities.com/spiral_72/Spirals_page.html |
#11
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In article . com,
steve wrote: wrote: Shawn you will never have good results at prevention/reoccurance without using KNO3. I took this advice and it has worked for me so far. I did the blackout for 4 days in my large tank and I make sure to add a small amount of KN03 weekly at water change time. I monitor the Nitrates and Phosphates throughout the week and only add KNO3 when the measurable nitrates are below 5ppm. A 3 day blackout 50% water at the start and the end Adding 1/4 teaspoon KN03 per 25 gal after each water change Then adding 1/4 teaspoon at least 1-2x a week thereafter will prevent BGA and other algae from ever bothering you. This is sound advice, as I recommended above. However, I think Tom is assumming we all have aquatic jungles with low fish loads when he advises to add KNO3 twice weekly thereafter. Sure, it will ward off BGA, but without sufficient plant growth you will suffer a green algae breakout in my experience. Keep in mind blue green algae (cyanobacteria) thrives in low nitrate environments so you shouldn't see it in a tank with a lot of fish. I don't bother withthe blackout, I want my plants to keep going. I just changes lots of water. This is, by the way the problem with using algicides such as peroxide or algae fix to eradicate the bactraial alage (staghorn, bba, cyanobacteria) whcih seems to be about the only kinds of alage this stuff kills - once it's killed the algae you now have the problems that your beneficial bacteria is gone and the rotting dead alage causes a larger ammonia problkem than you'd otherwise think. Your crypts will love you - mmmmmmmmm ammonia - but now you'll get the algae succession you get with a new tank. So, after using algicide youreally need to change massiuve amounts of water for a while IMO. -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#12
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In article .com,
spiral_72 wrote: Hey, I am fighting with the same stuff. I had small patches at 30w of light. Now that I run 150W I can hardly keep ahead of the stuff, I am going to try to control phosphates first. I'll let you know haow that turns out. If you eradicate all phosphates you'll have alage problems of a different nature - green spot alage only thrives with low or no phosphates. You want to keep a nominal phosphate level - plants absolutely need it and if they run out they'll stop growing and only the algae will then use the available light and remaining nbutrients. Change a LOT of water, this will cause the alage to wesken and release spores to try to stay alive. Change a lkot of wate the next day and you'll get rid of most of it. Keep doing it and each day you'll have less and you'll feel much happier about it. In a few days it'll be gone. Blue green thrives when the plants used up all the nitrates. Just don't run out of NO3 again and it won't come back. -- Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
#13
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"Shawn" Spaketh Thusly:
I can't take it any more. I simply cannot beat or keep up with the blue-green algae outbreak I've had now for about 5 months. .... Thanks about it. Any other thoughts/advice would be well appreciated. I haven't seen any in any of my tanks for a while, but a few years ago I would get it periodically. Now, I was fighting spots of it and not a whole tank, but this cured mine for good: 1. Make sure your C02 levels don't fluctuate - keep it as steady as possible. 2. Never skip your water changes - ever (traveling out of state on business caused me problems). 3. Hydrogen Peroxide - the 3% drugstore brand. 1/4 oz. (that's one quarter of an ounce of the 3% type) in a 29G tank every two or three days. Apply with a turkey baster (I got to keep it, my wife didn't want it back, now it's a permanent part of my aquarium supplies) DIRECTLY on the worst spot. Do the happy dance as you see it bubble and listen for the BGA screaming in pain :-) You'll see results the next day. In a bigger tank you can do more, in a smaller do less. I was very conservative - this amount didn't hurt any fish and didn't even seem to hurt any bacteria - all my levels stayed the same. I was able to totally clear out an infestation about the size of a fist in a week. I got all the above info here on r.a.f.p, but it was several (3 or 4) years ago and I can't pin down the time frame close enough to find the thread. I remember that one person had used at least twice as much as I did and more often with only very minor problems, but I didn't want to take a chance so I went very easy with it. If there's no fish in the tank you can use more. Important: if conditions in the tank are right for it, it WILL come back. Find and fix the underlying problem while you're clearing it out, or you'll just have to do it again. And again. Good luck. Sorry I can't locate the original thread, it had lots of details on doses and other people's experiences. If you're patient you might be able to google it up. -- Bill H. [my "reply to" address is real] www.necka.net Molon Labe! |
#14
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Hey, I think I just found out last night why I am growing so much BGA.
I stopped by the LFS on the way home from work and bought a phosphate test kit. From what I have read it should be 0-1mg/L..... The test kit measured 0-5mg/L....... clear to blue. Mine registered off the scale..... It was a deep purple. Guess I need to take some steps to fix that ASAP. I figure I can buy those phosphate absorbing pills or add A LOT more plants...... or both. What do y'all think? my aquarium page, info and pics at: www.geocities.com/spiral_72/Spirals_page.html |
#15
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spiral_72 wrote:
Hey, I think I just found out last night why I am growing so much BGA. I stopped by the LFS on the way home from work and bought a phosphate test kit. From what I have read it should be 0-1mg/L..... The test kit measured 0-5mg/L....... clear to blue. Mine registered off the scale..... It was a deep purple. Guess I need to take some steps to fix that ASAP. I figure I can buy those phosphate absorbing pills or add A LOT more plants...... or both. What do y'all think? my aquarium page, info and pics at: www.geocities.com/spiral_72/Spirals_page.html 50% weekly water changes will help a lot. Bob |
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