# Blue green "algae" or slime new set up



## peaches (1 Aug 2018)

How do you get rid of the blue green slime?  The tank has no fish in, I set it up for my granddaughter 3 weeks ago, and put a few plants in, meaning to get her fancy goldfish after our holiday.   It is on a sword plant and there is another patch half on half off a java fern.  

Optimistically I have temporarily put in a couple of amano shrimp from my other tank, but I dont think they will touch this stuff.  If I do a blackout wont it kill all the plants?

Will easycarbo shift it?  Or should I buy some peroxide and take the shrimp out.  I wont get the goldfish until I solve this problem.


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## tam (1 Aug 2018)

Is it cyanobacteria - google for pics? If so physically remove what you can, clean up/do a water change and then blackout the tank for a week (leave lights off and tape paper over the sides to block out ambient light). 

It's usually a sign there is an issue with too much light/poor circulation/decaying matter.


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## peaches (2 Aug 2018)

I have removed and the tank has had a good clean.  The tank isnt stocked but during our holiday the filter stopped.  I think the lack of circulation caused it like you said.  Thank you.


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## rebel (3 Aug 2018)

Chemiclean.


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## peaches (9 Aug 2018)

Its been a week and it hasnt returned.  I think it was the rainbow LED air stone my granddaughter insisted on as it was only near this.


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## DutchMuch (9 Aug 2018)

peaches said:


> How do you get rid of the blue green slime?  The tank has no fish in, I set it up for my granddaughter 3 weeks ago, and put a few plants in, meaning to get her fancy goldfish after our holiday.   It is on a sword plant and there is another patch half on half off a java fern.
> 
> Optimistically I have temporarily put in a couple of amano shrimp from my other tank, but I dont think they will touch this stuff.  If I do a blackout wont it kill all the plants?
> 
> Will easycarbo shift it?  Or should I buy some peroxide and take the shrimp out.  I wont get the goldfish until I solve this problem.


how new is the tank?
what size?
maintenance schedule? 
light? model, link?
what type of plants and what are you dosing?
h202 wont kill your shrimp with proper dosages (I should know) and goldfish wont be harmed by it, people with discus use this method when a problem arises similar to this sometimes if needed.
Blackout I dont recommend. Up to you though of course. Chemicals usually aren't the answer and I recommend that after the questions are answered you find a 'balance' in your tank which over time lowers algae problems to nearly nothing if anything.


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## peaches (10 Aug 2018)

The tank has been set up around 6 weeks.  Two swordplants, java ferns and anubias.  The light is the stock light which comes with the Aquael Leddy which is around 30cm long and its on 8 hrs.  I removed mechanically and also the LED rainbow air stone which I thought was the problem.  Tropica plant growth has been used, but was omitted for 2 weeks whilst we were away.  The amano shrimp are out now and 2 black moors are in, very small only an inch body size.  Im not worried as it hasnt returned.  I think it was a combination of the rainbow LED light on the airstone being on 24/7, and whilst we were away the filter stopped.


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## azawaza (14 Oct 2018)

I’d go with physical removal of large ones (remember to turn off filter while doing so) combined with spot treatment using 10% Hydrogen Peroxide solution (use a syringe and turn off filter too).

You may want to increase flow too in the tank, helps prevent dead spots and encourage growth of new beneficial bacteria (BGA is thought to be caused by cyanobacteria outcompeting with your tank’s beneficial bacteria due to imbalances) via increased water oxygenation due to surface agitation.

I ran high tech once and had this problem much; low tech is just a breeze these days.


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