# Blue green algea...



## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

How do you kill it without tearing down the entire tank?

Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


----------



## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

Remove as much of it as possible by hand. Black-out your tank (a garbage bag works) for 3-5 days depedning on severity. Keep directly dosing nitrate all through out treatment, the excess nitrate and lack of light will hopefully eventually kill it off. Going forward, keep nitrate levels around 20-40ppm or even higher in heavily planted tanks.

Last resort, use Erythromicin based medication such as Maracyn 1 and keep a beneficial bacteria supplement like Seachem Stability handy. Stick to the recommended dose for 5 days with lights off. This will kill off your beneficial bacteria colony so once again be sure to keep your nitrate levels up once treatment is finished.

HTH


----------



## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Is this in a planted tank? Just wondering, since it's in the hospital section.


----------



## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

I didnt know where to put it... No live plants its in my 36 bow, just noticed it today... I have my breeding pair of jewels in the tank with fry... I do weekly 40% to 50% changes and gravel vacs.

Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


----------



## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

If there's no plants, then the problem is too many organics and/or dead spots in the tank. Is it in just one area? If so, you need to fix the circulation in that area and increase the frequency of the water changes or the amount.


----------



## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Its mostly on the fake plant and the wood 

Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


----------



## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

Just take out the wood and fake plants, get some hot water and a scrubby brush and scrub the hell out of it... and it's gone  did that with my driftwood piece that was covered in BG algae... and then drain out the water and put the newly scrubbed wood and plants into another pot of just boiling water, just to be safe... let it soak for half an hour (please remove from heat while soaking)... then leave it out to air dry!  presto!! all gone


----------



## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

I'm gonna do a big water change/gravel vac, scrub and boil the wood and throw the fake plant away. I am also going to do a blackout because I have quite a bit of green spot and brown algea in the tank. Thanks for the replies.

Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Well that was a lot of work... Removed ornaments and soaking in boiling water... Scraped and scrubed all glass, huge gravel vac, scrubbed and boiled wood, disinfected all my water change equipment and cleaning tools, blacked out tank with a blanket... Lets see if that works.

Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


----------



## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

I'll have my fingers crossed for you


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

As 2wheelsx2 has pointed out, cyano bacteria ('blue-green algae') is generally caused by, among other factors, excessive light intensity &/or lighting period, insufficient circulation within the tank causing dead spots, and the accumulation of organic material, waste, uneaten food and decomposing plant matter. The remedy is to modify the causitive lighting, increase circulation within the tank by adding a circulation pump, spray bar, power head, whatever - and clean out the waste material with ongoing good vacuuming and more frequent wcs.
If what you are now doing, Foxtail, doesn't entirely work for you, try this effective treatment:

Lower your water level, turn off your filter (& leave it off for up to an hour while, and after treating) - then spot dose hydrogen peroxide (H202) at full strength, and at close range, unto all of the affected areas, using a syringe or test kit pipette. You will see the cyano get covered with bubbles (oxygen) & begin to bubble off the cyano - a sure sign the HP is working. (The H202 is denser/heavier than water & will settle onto the cyano, and coat it with bubbles.)
Refill your tank - don't touch the cyano - leave it overnite. You see see marked improvement the following day. If it hasn't completely done the job, repeat the treatment one more time, getting your syringe head right into the substrate if need be, to catch any cyano that is just beneath the surface.
This treatment is simple, easy, safe, and very effective. Try it !


----------



## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

Foxtail said:


> Well that was a lot of work... Removed ornaments and soaking in boiling water... Scraped and scrubed all glass, huge gravel vac, scrubbed and boiled wood, disinfected all my water change equipment and cleaning tools, blacked out tank with a blanket... Lets see if that works.


That's very thorough and definitely sounds like it will work in the short term. Like 2wheels was suggesting, you should identify and address the root of your problem to make sure it does not come back in the future. In my planted tanks, BGA/cyano usually only triggers when the tank has too low nitrates. In FO setups circulation plays a key factor.

I've posted this link a few times because the chart is very good for helping to keep everything in balance for most known algae strains in both planted tanks and fish only tanks: Algae Treatment and Prevention Charts | Rex's Guide to Planted Tanks

Hope this helps.


----------



## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

You might want to try a small power head to move the water around a bit more.


----------



## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Do you have an update? Thanks!



Foxtail said:


> Well that was a lot of work... Removed ornaments and soaking in boiling water... Scraped and scrubed all glass, huge gravel vac, scrubbed and boiled wood, disinfected all my water change equipment and cleaning tools, blacked out tank with a blanket... Lets see if that works.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Yes, I eliminated all the bg algea... I think I blacked it out for 4 days... The only thing now is minor green spot algea in the tank. Another thing that happened though, is the jewel pair became quite skittish and much less social... They hide a lot now. They still have a new batch of fry every 3 or 4 weeks though.

Sent via the Shining.


----------



## jobber (May 14, 2010)

GOod job. I'll add this thread to the HOW TO thread on spot algae.


----------

