How do i get rid of this?

[ESPSIX]

Only recently have we been having excess alge growth in our tanks.
In the 7 foot it is growing over the gravel.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/oldxr6/Fish/IMG_0749.jpg
In the other 2 tanks it looks to be a different type, growing over the plants and logs.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/oldxr6/Fish/IMG_0753.jpg
How do i stop it? :cry:

[ESPSIX]

Anyone got any idea's??

[XPLOSV]

I dont know much about algae.
I hope the site below can give you an idea.

http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9

[Bald_noggin]

By the looks of the first photo, it could be Blue-Green Algae (BGA) which is not an algae, it's actually a bacteria. Just confirm it with the description of algae on the plantgeek website and you should then know what you'll be up against.

[ILLUSN]

thats blue green alage, squirting H2O2 on it will get rid of it within hours, erethromyacin also works well but will hurt your filter.

[Bald_noggin]

Hi ILLUSN,

I too have suffered the dreaded BGA. I have managed to obtain some erythromycin form Dr Richomd Loh (fish vet)in WA. I will be dosing the tank this weekend in my efforts to rid my self of this horrible cr@p. I actually thought I managed to get on top of it for a while as it was retreating and it looked like it was dying off but it has made a comeback. :cry:

I will let you know how it goes especially the biological filter part. I have been reading a post on thekrib website in regards to this.

Have a read of Post number 6, http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/cyanobacteria.html

He seems to suggest that the filter bacteria is ok but the increase of Ammonia is due to proteins being release from the dying cyanobacteria. I'll make sure I have some ammonia absorbing product on hand before I start.

I will be doing daily testing and I'll keep a record of all activities so other may know what to expect.

[ESPSIX]

Thanks guys, i'll look into it!

[ESPSIX]

thats blue green alage, squirting H2O2 on it will get rid of it within hours, erethromyacin also works well but will hurt your filter.

Whats H2O2, and where can i get it? :?

[Bald_noggin]

H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide. Becareful with it.

A quick update on my tank too.

I treated my tank with erythromiycin on Friday afteroon. Shortly after, the BGA started to react to the treatment. Where the BGA was present on the glass, it started to 'pull-apart'. With patches on the gravel, what was once a smooth looking film, had also begun to look like it was tearing apart and become pitted (I'll get some photo's up tonight). The tank also started to go cloudy. There were no effects noticed on the fish or plant life. Only the BGA was reacting to the treatment.

After 24 hours, a 50% water change was completed along with some more than average gravel cleaning. I had also placed an ammonia absorbing pad in the filter system (zeolite).

I have been recording the water quality the whole time. Ammonium (pH is 6.6), Nitrite were measured at 0ppm, Nitrate at between 5 and 10ppm and Phosphate was 0.25ppm before treatment.

Since treatment, the only figures to change has been the nitrate and Phosphate. Nitrate has gone down (The tank is moderately planted). I have had to supplment it with KNO3 to bring the levels back up 10ppm. The Phosphate has gone up to 0.50ppm. I plan to get a phosphate absorbing pad shortly to lower/remove this. Ammonium and Nitrite still measure 0ppm. All the plants and fish are doing well.

So far, there has been no sign of the BGA returning which is a vast contrast to before when no sooner had you cleaned the tank, than the very next day, it was growing back!

At this stage, things are looking good but I will be keeping a clode eye on things for at least the next 6 weeks.

[Bald_noggin]

With the H2O2, you may be able to get it at a chemist.

[ILLUSN]

you can get H2O2 from a chemist, it might be worth moving your fish to a bucket while you squirt it onto the algae.

I use it on potted plants before i sell them.

[TW]

Spimds interesting.

How do you treat with H202? And how do you make the plants safe again after the treatment?

[ILLUSN]

h2o2 isn't too stable in the presence of light, it quickly bereakes down to H2O and H2.

i take the plant out and sit on the concrete, i fiull the syringe with H2O2 and squirt it onto the base of the plant (the BGA is always on the gravel on the surface of the pot) and let it sit for bout 30sec then dump it back into the tank. H2O2 also seems to kill snail eggs, or atleast stop them from sticking.

[TW]

h2o2 isn't too stable in the presence of light, it quickly breaks down to H2O and H2. So as long as when I put the treated plant back into the tank and the light is on, there will be nothing to hurt the discus?

[ILLUSN]

it shouldn't TW, mine never had, if your super worried give it a quick rinse under tap water