Is this bga or green dust algae

[ctls]

Like the topic says I've never had this kind of algae so I'm wondering what it is and how to get rid of it. Nitrates nitrites are both zero so.

[Couesfanatic]

bga. up your nitrates

[ctls]

yea i thought so the thing is i read that it stinks and this stuff doesnt have a smell, even after touching it my hands dont smell like anything

[xavinovic]

I'm starting to have the same thing on my tank it looks like dust and it's all over my plants/rock/driftwood how do I get rid of it??

[discuspaul]

Getting rid of BGA:

Turn off your filter(s), lower your water level, and dose hydrogen peroxide (h2O2), at close range, using a syringe or test kit pipette, over all the affected areas. Leave the filters off for about an hour, so there is no water flow to remove the hp from the affected areas. You should soon see it getting covered in bubbles, and the bubbles popping up into the water column - a sign it's working.
Refill your tank, turn your filter back on, and leave it overnite. Repeat the procedure the next day, if there is still some BGA remaining.

Cause - and remedy for preventing it from coming back:

Possible very low level of nitrates, accumulation of decomposing plant matter & food, etc., dead spots in the tank and lack of circulation and oxygenation.
Clean/vac the substrate well, and up the water circulation and oxygenation throughout the lower levels of the tank. A water circulation pump is best, but stronger filtration, or a spray bar, a powerhead, & an airstone may be sufficient to do the job. And possibly increase the nitrates level somewhat.

[xavinovic]

After this is done do I need to change the power wheel and filter cartilage out?

[discuspaul]

Originally Posted by xavinovic

After this is done do I need to change the power wheel and filter cartilage out?

No, just rinse/cleanse your filter media as you normally would when doing a wc. The Hydrogen Peroxide will quickly dissipate from your tank, without harming the fish that are in the tank (unless you spray it directly into their faces -lol). Just keep them out of the way when spraying the H2O2.

[xavinovic]

There's no fish on the tank I'm just now finishing up the fishless cycle!! Lol. Would it be better to take the driftwood and rock out and scrub them or just apply HP on the tank and leave them there?How can I increase the nitrates?

[discuspaul]

Well, that's great.
Just do the procedure as I've outlined - it works !
You simply need to then significantly increase the water circulation and oxygen levels throughout the tank to keep the BGA from returning. Keep the tank clean with vacuuming, and do weekly wcs.
Just ensure your tank is fully cycled, and you're good to add fish !

[xavinovic]

Thank you!

[discuspaul]

Originally Posted by xavinovic

There's no fish on the tank I'm just now finishing up the fishless cycle!! Lol. Would it be better to take the driftwood and rock out and scrub them or just apply HP on the tank and leave them there?How can I increase the nitrates?

I didn't fully answer your question above.
There's no need to remove the DW and rock and scrub them.
The day after you dose with the HP, you should see that the BGA has completely disappeared - if there is still some left, repeat the dosing procedure - that should get rid of all of it.
There are several products available @ LFS's, by Seachem and others, to increase nitrate levels, but you may not need to do that at all. The main thing is to increase circulation & oxygenation - BGA will not develop in well oxygenated, good water flow, particularly at the lower tank water levels.
I've maintained a 75 gal discus tank for several years now, with large wcs 3 X a week, so my nitrates are almost always at zero - and I've never had BGA in that tank.

[xavinovic]

Thanks a lot !!

[ctls]

Thank you so much. What was the dosing of HP for a 20 gallon tank
I don't want to kill fish from too much hydrogen peroxide

[discuspaul]

HP is fairly safe for fish, but to be on the cautious side, I would suggest you dose no more than approx. 5 or 6 syringe/pipette full amounts at a time for that size of tank.
If you have a lot of BGA, do it in stages, one day at a time, covering several affected areas each time.
I've used it in a 10 gal tank - reducing water by around 50%, and used approx. that amount, and not had any problems.

[Diana]

1 ml of H2O3 (3%) per gallon of water is usually safe.
You could go a bit higher in the fishless cycle, since there are not live animals in there. I have heard of going as high as 2 ml per gallon during the 'drain the tank' method. When the H2O2 is bubbling through the BGA and into the air it is turning into regular ol' water and oxygen. When you then refill the tank most of it is gone, and the remnant is low enough not to cause problems.

H2O2 usually breaks down in the presence of light, and usually 24 hours in the tank is enough, but whenever there is ANY doubt, do a water change before redosing.

I am not sure if H2O2 treatment will slow the fishless cycle. I would do the 'drain the tank' method, and go ahead and wait for the H2O2 to really quit bubbling.