I recently decided to convert a 10g algae disaster that I've had for a while into a brackish breeding tank for Hawaiian red shrimp. I figured that they'd enjoy all the algae to pick at and then I could simply ignore the problem and see what came of it in the long run. The tank has green spot algae (since I killed my poor nerites with fenbendazole...), green dust algae, black beard algae, diatoms, and what appears to be the beginnings of thread algae.
I removed all of the stock (except some pest snails) and added salt to the tank in about the right amount to make 1.010 brackish. After all of the salt had dissolved I noticed the following:
BBA: At about 3 hours (the first time I checked it, so this could have begun much sooner) the BBA was turning pink. It has since gone completely pink, and appears to be dead.
Green spot algae: No apparent change.
Green dust algae: No apparent change.
Diatoms: May have turned a slightly darker brown. I'll have to see if they return over time.
Thread algae: Went from green to very bright green. It may have died as well.
Hopefully once I get the shrimp in the tank they will clean up some of the leftovers and I can see whether the BBA comes back at all and whether the thread and diatoms were actually affected or if they color change is in my head or incidental.
The only useful thing I know I've found is that a saltwater dip might be useful for killing BBA on a plant that will not tolerate bleach, peroxide, or KMnO4. It's also a lot more likely that the average person has salt on their kitchens shelf as compared to the permanganate.
Oh yeah, snails were dead within minutes of adding the salt.
Updates to follow.
I removed all of the stock (except some pest snails) and added salt to the tank in about the right amount to make 1.010 brackish. After all of the salt had dissolved I noticed the following:
BBA: At about 3 hours (the first time I checked it, so this could have begun much sooner) the BBA was turning pink. It has since gone completely pink, and appears to be dead.
Green spot algae: No apparent change.
Green dust algae: No apparent change.
Diatoms: May have turned a slightly darker brown. I'll have to see if they return over time.
Thread algae: Went from green to very bright green. It may have died as well.
Hopefully once I get the shrimp in the tank they will clean up some of the leftovers and I can see whether the BBA comes back at all and whether the thread and diatoms were actually affected or if they color change is in my head or incidental.
The only useful thing I know I've found is that a saltwater dip might be useful for killing BBA on a plant that will not tolerate bleach, peroxide, or KMnO4. It's also a lot more likely that the average person has salt on their kitchens shelf as compared to the permanganate.
Oh yeah, snails were dead within minutes of adding the salt.
Updates to follow.