killiguy Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I have about 55 tanks and a few have recurent problems with cyanobacteria(slime algae)that coats everything.I cant work out why it picks some tanks and not others.Some are heavily salted Nothobranchius tanks others wild Betta(smaragdina)tank or larger rainbow tank.I dont want to use Erythromycinand kill all the goodies.These tanks have the same water changing schedule and feeding as the others Any suggestions at eradication Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I've only ever had success with erythromycin, so I hope someone has an alternative suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callatya Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I have it in one of mine, and none of the others, it is quite odd. I've gotten rid of it before by manual removal and bleaching, but that is a bit extreme. Not really sure what to suggest other than manual removal, big water changes and no light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I've had it in some small tanks, I kept on top of it by manual removal. Apparently it can be slowed or minimised by lowering nitrates and light. But now that I think about it, in each tank where I've had it, I have eventually taken the tank apart, for other reasons. The most recent one when I cracked the front glass!! So I'm not sure what other solution there might be. People on AquariumLife might know? They're a bunch of plant nuts. And I see you're on ACE now too killiguy, you're permeating the web! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holycow Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 (edited) bacterial bloom. indicative of too much nutrients in water, maybe from over feeding, with nothing efficient enough to utilize it but BGA (read: cyanob). also, the lighting also provides energy for the buggers. 30% water change followed by a blackout period of 24-48 hrs, and no fertilization or feeding. then maintain the water changes. should clear up after that. in future watch your feeding/fertilization/lighting. Edited July 15, 2009 by holycow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I have found that a blackout just makes it go brown. Switch the lights back on, even after a week, and BANG it's green again. I never have it in tanks I fertilise or light much, either. For example, I presently (only) have it in my angels' tank, which has a single fluoro tube ... and duckweed all over the surface! It's not spreading through the tank though, so I am leaving it for the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted July 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I only have single flouros and havent found that it goes away even if I have no fish in the tank for a few weeks and thus less nutrients.I havent had it in the tanks I fertilize maybe I can get plants to out compete it by increasing light and carbon rather than phosphate nutrients Only guessing Thought it migh be you on ACE,thanks for the plug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holycow Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 (edited) it's not necessary the strength of light or duration of lighting; also must consider the spectrum of the light being emitted. The BGA may be the only organism able to utilize the particular wavelength of light. there's also problem of tank parameters. even if you remove the BGA, BBA, GSA, etc, if you don't change the basic conditions of the tank, all these algaes will keep coming back. regards, ty Edited July 15, 2009 by holycow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted July 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Good suggestion.III swap the globe to another sort,I have some that are redder than others(I never know what globe to buy)Thanks again Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Have you tried waterhouse snails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 Tell us more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 (edited) more = they're supposed to eat cyano...........but I've never seen it..was just wondering...B) This is from the aquagreen fact sheet. I asked Dr Willan what to feed these unique snails and was told they eat Periphyton in the real world. A quick look in Wikipedia found, "Periphyton is a complex matrix of algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic microbes, and detritus that is attached to submerged substrata in almost all aquatic ecosystems." Bacteria slime and algae grow in my aquariums and the snails do very well in an aquarium with plenty of detritus. Edited July 25, 2009 by Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted August 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 What is a waterhouse snail and are they in Australia??I think I have every pest possible in my tanks snails of many species ,hydra etc. By the way I chucked some doxycycline in the tank and it worked very well,I havent put fish back in as I asume it wiped out the filtration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Google Aquagreen, they sell a number of different aussie inverts, and are excellent to deal with I'm not sure if we can post the link . . . approval please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 yep. Aquagreen are friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted August 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Thats Dave Wilsons buisness is it not??A great campagner for all things Australian.Very cheap native fish and plants.III check for Waterhouse snails but I didnt notice them last time I was there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 http://ausaqua.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=7323 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Cheers Lisa! Yep, that's it Doug, I thought you would know him. I haven't checked whether he has waterhouse snails listed, but people have gotten them from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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