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green blue algae growing on sand...

17K views 52 replies 14 participants last post by  JoraaÑ 
#1 ·
so, why is it growing there and what can i do to get rid of it?? seems to make like a carpet.
 
#2 ·
dont know alot about green blue algae but you'll need antibiotics to get rid of it, its not a real algae but a type of bacteria thus the need for antibiotics, I have no expirience with this though, hope this gets you on the right track. A picture might help figure out if it is indeed blue green algae. so please post a pic soon, unless your sure its bga.
 
#4 ·
Last resort is using antibiotics as it's bad for the 'good' bio (imo).
It doesn't stick to things very well and siphons off easily. Using air line tubing and a small straw/tube you don't need to do a huge WC, siphon what you can get and direct inject the rest.
H2O2 will kill it. 3% hydrogen peroxide. Find a syringe and stay at or below 2ml per gallon. Shut off your filter then let the tank settle for a few minutes then using the syringe squirt the H2O2 directly on it.

HTH

edit: BGA stinks really bad (nasty)
 
#6 ·
BLAST.... yes its definitly blue green. so a total black out. i dont get it tho. my nitrates have been reading 20-30 and i have good water flow. i have a fluval 304 on full all the time (get rinsed once a month) and a powerhead for diffusing co2. well, there is no denying it cause i got it. would a full change of the substrate do the trick too?

edit: thanx for all the help by the way guys :)
 
#9 ·
test kits does not measure the correct nitrate, my nitrate was 100+ppm off the chart and plants did not show any improvement, i start dosing recommended does of N and plants starting growing much better and algae free. don't worry extra nitrate is not going to kill anything, black out is not going to work either, its an temperory solution and you will fail at it. you can use hydrogen peroxide as mentioned above, but use it only if you have no other choice. no need to change the substrate either.

IMO i would start adding extra nitrate to solve this issue. are you adding any N at all? if you are waiting from the nitrate to build up naturally then this will always give you wrong test results.
 
#7 ·
black outs wont help its bacteria I dont think its photosynthetic. You will fail at getting rid of it without using antibiotics. I recommend using antibiotics and once its gone install a uv sterilizer. correct me if i am wrong as i am not 100% sure but from what i have read and seen this seems to me that thats the only way to really solve this issue.
 
#8 ·
so.. if i dose with peroxide or antibiotic what will it do to my fish? i currently have 2 angels, 3 rams, a pleco and an algae eater. should i set up a quarantine for the fish? also, will the cyanobacteria be living in the filter? or does it die with no light?
 
#12 ·
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there are no easy fixes, dosing excel wont work either =/ but here is a link to the rather lengthy process of getting rid of it. I have not done this and have little to no experience with blue green algae. anyways here is the link best of luck to you.

http://www.myfishtank.net/articles/blue-green-algae-article/
 
#15 ·
I have the same issue as reddik (cyano on sand substrate/few plants, etc) and I have been using peroxide for the last few days as a general additive and directing the flow of it over the affected plants. The plants have cleared up nicely. My pool-filter sand substrate has some areas that are really thick with it, though. I had been thinking of just "capping" these areas with more sand. After finding this thread, my next step (this afternoon) will be to use a syringe and spare air line to spot treat these areas. If doing this on the substrate surface doesn't eradicate it, I plan on going into the sand substrate to release the H202.

I'll try to post some before, during treatment, and after treatment pics for y'all.
 
#16 · (Edited)
It will come back through a cap (been there tried that) because it's bacteria.

When you get a syringe, inject it full strength right into the sand under it. I left the needle on mine to do this.

Shoo your bottom feeders away while you do it. Just jab-squirt-move over - jab-squirt - etc until your syringe is empty. When you run out (be a bit generous in each spot) wait maybe an hour and do the same thing in the next spot with your maximum amount per gal of H202. It's kinda fun watching that stuff turn brown and die practically right before your eyes ;) I sneered at it and said "Take that!"

EDIT! I said: "wait maybe an hour and do the same thing in the next spot with your maximum amount per gal of H202."

That should have read: UNTIL you've reached your maximum amount per gallon!
 
#17 ·
It will come back through a cap (been there tried that) because it's bacteria.

When you get a syringe, inject it full strength right into the sand under it. I left the needle on mine to do this.

Shoo your bottom feeders away while you do it. Just jab-squirt-move over - jab-squirt - etc until your syringe is empty. When you run out (be a bit generous in each spot) wait maybe an hour and do the same thing in the next spot with your maximum amount per gal of H202. It's kinda fun watching that stuff turn brown and die practically right before your eyes ;) I sneered at it and said "Take that!"
Thanks, Granny. I had originally thought it was gda, as it looks the same on my glass as the substrate. I was originally thinking, "Kill photosynthesis, kill algae." I guess the same thought is true using h202, just a different kill method...

Since I have no needles, I plan on using airline attached to the syringe. If I put it into the sand, I'll just inject it slowly as not to blow sand everywhere.

I do plan on some sadistic pleasure in watching it die...
 
#18 ·
We get outbreaks of this occasionally, sometimes enough to coat everything - no idea what triggers it. For gravel/sand - you can use a net to scoop a thin surface layer off then treat that, rinse and put it back in. I just poured boiling water on it as I mixed with a spoon.
 
#19 ·
Buff Daddy

Thank *wkndracer*! :thumbsup: And follow his instructions. That's what I did. My tank was in dire straights when he answered me about this problem on another site.

Everything had it on it. Some of my plants were so covered they were dying. I actually lifted some out, rinsed them, and soaked them in a big bowl with H202, again as racer described. A couple either couldn't take the H202, or they were just too far gone, but I saved most. How my fish survived all this I will never know. They must be real troopers.

Another hint from him was to watch around your flow bar or tube. It often starts in that area on plants or hardscape. The very worst of my BGA was exactly there. Believe me I watch! I double check at every WC!
 
#23 ·
When spot treating just don't squirt it directly on the shrimp. If they are staying where you need to treat chase them away then treat the area. H2O2 dilutes very quickly into the water column. All the tiny bubbles released by the chemical reaction attracts my fish but yet to see any harmed.

(imo) stay below 2ml/g per day when spot treating and you should be good to go.
 
#25 ·
Having the light on makes it easier to see the algae


(couldn't help myself sorry) lighting doesn't matter regarding treatment just allow the water time to get still after shutting the filter off before treating.
 
#26 ·
I haven't had this algae for a long long time, when I had it, this is what I did, shut down filter, power head etc. No water movement at all...then I directly poured kno3 over it and let it sit for few minutes...then ran filter, power head. It was only like 6 inches in the front glass....done this everyday for a week tho' it is micro day(Csm+B, Fe), everything cleared up...

As wkndracer said H2o2 is also good to get rid of this nasty stuff....
 
#27 ·
A pharmacist friend of mine gave me 16, 250mg tablets of erythromycin this afternoon for free. I just dosed my tank with 750mg of ground-up tablets a couple of hours ago. I can't wait to see what it looks like tomorrow afternoon.
 
#31 ·
Dude, you should have taken Before and after picture of treatment to see the changes...Guess I am late to post..


As a side question from this.

I've had a bit of this recently. It's not beyond control yet. Usually starts as a patch or two on the gravel then builds on the front glass a bit. It's easy to remove.

I'm looking though at changing my substrate totally (nothing to do with the green mess, more to do with the plants)

How will this affect it? Will it help eliminate it along with a potentially large water (50%) change and general clean of the tank when I do change the substrate?
I ain't getting you mate but its a bacteria...Of course clean water is good for plants, eyes, fish etc..shoot H2O2 with needle syringe (like the one use to refill cartridge) directly in affected area and watch what happens...that green thing will immediately turns to ash...
Further read here
 
#28 ·
As a side question from this.

I've had a bit of this recently. It's not beyond control yet. Usually starts as a patch or two on the gravel then builds on the front glass a bit. It's easy to remove.

I'm looking though at changing my substrate totally (nothing to do with the green mess, more to do with the plants)

How will this affect it? Will it help eliminate it along with a potentially large water (50%) change and general clean of the tank when I do change the substrate?
 
#29 ·
I'd tank treat and then spot treat with peroxide every speck of it I could find before I changed the substrate. The less bacteria floating around in your tank, the better, I'm thinking. Just really be careful to keep the fish away from where you're putting it, especially cats, otos, loaches, and tetras. I wouldn't let any of mine get close. I had both hands in the tank, squirting with one and shooing away fish with the other.

It is easy to remove the slimy stinky stuff from glass but that doesn't stop it even a little bit.
 
#35 ·
^^What wkndracer says are the facts: Bleach in the US is sodium hypochlorite (5.25%). Hydrogen peroxide in the US is H202, at usually 3%.

When I was a teen back in the 70's, we did use H202 to "bleach" our hair, as a "summer, beach, surfer dude, groovy" kind of thing.
 
#37 ·
Cool.

So a small amount of this on the affected area will kill it off?

Looking at changing the substrate anyway, good clean up and using this stuff on the bad areas. When I change the substrate i'll probably do a 50% water change too and i'll be taking the fish and plants out to do all this so they shouldn't be effected to me.

Did I read right it's best to dip plants and wood to kill this stuff off prior to putting them back? Currently i've only got some anubias, java fern and vallis. Will these be ok?

Just loooking at getting rid of this as best I can while i'm changing stuff around as it seems a good time to really sort it out. It's not a huge issue with it covering everything and I seem to have it somewhat under control because it's not going mad in there.
 
#39 ·
Cool.

So a small amount of this on the affected area will kill it off?
It's pretty cool to inject 5ml of h202 into a slimy sheet of gba... When the h202 starts oxidizing, the slime bubbles into oblivion.

It's also more cost effective in comparison to using erythromycin, and gives you pinpoint accuracy via use of a syringe.
 
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