Clado - any ideas before I tear the tank down

I just went through this with my tank. Tried everything until I finally gave up and used Erythromycin.

Four day treatment 400mg day 1 - 200mg day 2-4

No sign of it after day 2 but continued treatment.

I haven't identified the root cause so I expect it will come back. We'll see.

Odd. Erythromycin is an anti-bacterial and really should only have an effect on BGA (Blue-Green algae) - a cyanobacteria.

I have run across mention that Amano Shrimp will sometimes eat clado (depends on the individual shrimp apparently, some like it, some don't.) I've got a bit of it in my 55. Mostly I just ignore it these days :icon_roll, although I have thought of trying some Amanos if I could find some for a reasonable price, and also within a reasonable distance.

Cherries will clear out a tank full of clado in a matter of days (if you have enough of them).

Antibiotics will not help. I have read- although I can not say first hand- that its usually a result of having high levels of micros and low levels of macros. Why not try stopping your micro dosing and keep up the macros for the next week, while you manually remove as much as possible, see if it slows down or stops growing back?

I think I am on the tail end of dealing with a similar problem. My 55 gallon (2.36 WPG PC) tank had developed a serious infestation of Cladophora. I had been neglecting the tank and the algae took over and decimated my plants and infested my substrate. I was also at the point where I thought the best solution would be to tear down the tank, clean and bleach everything and start over. Instead I did some research and made a commitment to a new dosing and maintenance regiment. Two months ago I pulled out every bit of the Clado that I could and added 6 Rosey Barbs which started eating what was left within 2 minutes of being released in the tank. Based on all the excellent information I have found on these forums I am once again doing weekly water changes and started dosing dry ferts EI style along with Excel, Flourish and Iron (no CO2). I also replaced my bulbs and added lots of new plants including a number of fast growing stem plants. So far the Cladophora algae has not returned.

i have clado and amanos and cherries. clado is still there. oh well...

should i try rosy barbs?

Ive had clado in the past and here is what worked for me.
Start with testing all the parameters of your water.
Then dose excel daily and remove as much manually by hand.
Add fast growing water weeds to soak up excess nutrients.
In 30 days all was gone for me and never returned. Testing your water is key.
Find out what your clado is eating and starve it.

Orlando said:

Ive had clado in the past and here is what worked for me.
Start with testing all the parameters of your water.
Then dose excel daily and remove as much manually by hand.
Add fast growing water weeds to soak up excess nutrients.
In 30 days all was gone for me and never returned. Testing your water is key.
Find out what your clado is eating and starve it.

Click to expand...

Testing for what?

Anything out of the norm, excess nutrients that clado is thriving off of.

Orlando said:

Anything out of the norm, excess nutrients that clado is thriving off of.

Click to expand...

nitrates / phosphates... anything else?

Try also Micros, anything in excess the clado will thrive on it.

Orlando said:

Try also Micros, anything in excess the clado will thrive on it.

Click to expand...

Which would you test for?

All of them.

Orlando said:

All of them.

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you dont' know do you.... lol :fish:
I asked specifically what you test for outside of nitrates/phosphates/co2

And I siad micros..... can you read that? A B C

Orlando said:

Ive had clado in the past and here is what worked for me.
Start with testing all the parameters of your water.
Then dose excel daily and remove as much manually by hand.
Add fast growing water weeds to soak up excess nutrients.
In 30 days all was gone for me and never returned. Testing your water is key.
Find out what your clado is eating and starve it.

Click to expand...

The remedy that you are suggesting is the standard proceedure for getting rid of many types of algae. However this CLADO crap is the worst stuff I have ever encountered! I am actually bleach dipping my nets and utensils so I dont cross contaiminate my tanks.

I have a full test kit and maintain my water parameters pretty tightly. I just cant seem to beat it!

Man, Im sorry about your luck, Your determination will pay off.

umm i remember someone posting a method to use H2O2 with some small plastic container and a syringe. spot squirting and leave the container there.

ikuzo said:

umm i remember someone posting a method to use H2O2 with some small plastic container and a syringe. spot squirting and leave the container there.

Click to expand...

oh yea.....I remember that post. It was some lady on here that suggested that. I will have to search it out. Not that I really care at this point but I wonder if that will nuke the glosso that it is embedded in as well.

try a small area first before you apply to everything. i didn't find the post when i search it. if you find it please share