Cyanobacteria Bacteria/ Blue Green Algae

[Apophyllite]

hello everyone,

I have got Cyanobacteria in my tank and I'm so fed up. I want to black out my tank but I have live plants and only the one tank. What should I do with my plants for the time being? Is there a better and effective way to deal with the blue green? Desperate here, any advice is great, thank you!

 

[Aquarist]

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/apr08/cyanobacteria.htm





Links of interest above.

Ken

 

[Salye1mj]

Your probably going to have to find the root of the problem too.
Think about how you stocked, your feeding, lights, and how you maintain the tank.

If your concerned about plants put them in another container like a tote box with a light source for the time being. But plants are hardy and blacking out the tank for a few days won't hurt them. Even corals in a reef tank can take that, I had a problem similar years ago with my reef and blacked it out with a blanket for 5 days without hurting any of them.

You can blackout your tank, scrub it all off, do a 100% water change but if your husbandry habits are what is promoting the algae you won't win.

Best of luck!

 

[AlyeskaGirl]

Treat the tank with an antibiotic Erythromycin. It will kill it but may harm your beneficial bacteria. I killed BGA this way in my 120 gallon tank as it started down in the substrate and after awhile was spreading around slowly in other areas of the tank. My tank was well established, planted and recovered quickly.

You can use the antibiotic as the last resort if other ways don't work.

Plants will usually recover after a blackout.

If if its not too bad you can spot treat it with H202. May take a few treatments. 2ml per gallon is the max to use at one time. It just turns into O2 after awhile. You then have to carefully remove it once dead.

For prevention make sure you have good circulation, keep up on water changes, clean out any dead dying plant debris, decaying food and nitrates are not low or zero.

 

[NotoriousBob]

Late to the rodeo - but here's what worked for me.

First off realise that Cyanobacteria is not algae.

Most likely point of introduction is your water supply. Often you'll hear local reports of "dangerous algae blooms" in rivers at about the same time as things go to rats in your tank.

Nothing will eat BGA as it's toxic.

Most effective way I've found to treat it is to invest in a internal UV steriliser. When doing water changes, spot treat any BGA with 3% peroxide and then run the UV steriliser for 48 hours following the water change.

Result - no BGA...

Good luck

 

[FishDreamer]

I've heard that breathing that stuff can make you sick...So I'd try to scrub it off.