# BGA - Increase nitrates - how much??



## mfcphil (31 May 2010)

Tank 4ft 240l
lighting 8 hours 2x39w
Co2 FIRE EXTIN...

I am getting the BGA on my Amazonia substrate, I have read that I should increase flow and nitrates.

I've added a 3ft spraybar and a Up Atomizer also another Hydor Koralia and have this pointed at the front of the glass

Potassium Nitrate & Potassium Phosphate (SAME BOTTLE)
Potassium Nitrate 53g to 500ml for the solution   _*Should I increase this and by how much???*_  :?: 
Potassium Phosphate 30g to 500ml for the solution

dosage = 50ml 3 times per week

Trace
18g to 500ml for the solution - dosage = 50ml 3 times per week.


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## bigmatt (31 May 2010)

I'm sure CLive (ceg4048) will let you know the numbers.  I had an outbreak of this and a three day blackout was the only way to rid the tank of it completely.  Livestock were fine but the tank has to be COMPLETELY blacked out for 72 hour for it to work,  and this is generally accepted as the only way to properly fix the problem
Hope this helps!
Matt


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (31 May 2010)

Phil

Could you please advise as to your Co2 levels, tweeking co2 levels will help in removing the algae - make sure that your fish don't suffer.

Regards
paul


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## mfcphil (31 May 2010)

bigmatt said:
			
		

> I'm sure CLive (ceg4048) will let you know the numbers.  I had an outbreak of this and a three day blackout was the only way to rid the tank of it completely.  Livestock were fine but the tank has to be COMPLETELY blacked out for 72 hour for it to work,  and this is generally accepted as the only way to properly fix the problem
> Hope this helps!
> Matt




Understood...but not much use if its just going to come back after the blackout!


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## mfcphil (31 May 2010)

Flyfisherman said:
			
		

> Phil
> 
> Could you please advise as to your Co2 levels, tweeking co2 levels will help in removing the algae - make sure that your fish don't suffer.
> 
> ...




Co2 is now going through the Up Atomizer and a fine mist is going evenly around the tank, I am adding some Python Git after water changes to see if we can beat this...I will try to increase the CO2 to its max without stressing the fish


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## mfcphil (31 May 2010)

bigmatt said:
			
		

> I'm sure CLive (ceg4048) will let you know the numbers.  I had an outbreak of this and a three day blackout was the only way to rid the tank of it completely.  Livestock were fine but the tank has to be COMPLETELY blacked out for 72 hour for it to work,  and this is generally accepted as the only way to properly fix the problem
> Hope this helps!
> Matt




I have sent Clive a pm, asking his advice (always my first port of call!)


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## CeeJay (31 May 2010)

Hi Phil
My experience is somewhat different to bigmatts, so I hope I don't add to the confusion, but here goes anyway.
I recently had an outbreak of BGA after changing from an internal to external filter on my low tech tank. At the same time I had just swapped over to James C's recipe for his TPN+ (the No.3 version) and Tropicas recommended dosing rate was 5ml per 50l per week. So I started with that. What a bad move that was. This dosing rate was far too low for my tank. The plant condition started deteriorating and the onset of many types of algae happened all around the same time.
It transpires that I had to up the dose 4 fold to 20ml per 50l   . Once I done this, the plants started to recover and the BGA disappeared completely in 4 days, even the BGA in the gravel is now gone. Now I've removed all the infected leaves, the tank resembles a planted tank again  . Now I'm winding my dosing back a bit to see where the tipping point is.
My point is, I didn't have to do a black out.
So the next person that tells me that excess nitrates cause algae will have a lot to answer for   . Excess nitrates actually cured my problem   .
The moral of this story is, don't change more than one thing at one time. I did and was suspecting the operation of my new filter to start with (which had old media in it), although I'm now wondering why did I even think 
that   .

I now wouldn't hesitate about upping your dosing levels. Whatever you increase it to, I'm sure you'll never get up to Clive's astronomical levels of dosing and we never see BGA in his tanks   .

As you already have the solution mixed up, I would increase the mls per dose, say up to 100ml per dose and then wind it back when you finally get shot of the BGA. This will acheive the same result as having a stronger solution and it saves wasting the batch you already have mixed up  

Just my experience with BGA, hope this helps.


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## mfcphil (2 Jun 2010)

I have increased the KNO3 to 65g in the 500ml bottle and I'm going to dose 75ml for a while to see if anything alters...

Will this kill off the BGA or do I need to go down the blackout road???


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## CeeJay (2 Jun 2010)

Hi Phil

My BGA disappeared without a blackout


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## mfcphil (3 Jun 2010)

Chris thats great to hear...I will hopefully see some improvement with the extra flo and extra nitrates added


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## CeeJay (3 Jun 2010)

Hi Phil

Good luck, and keep us posted.


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## plantbrain (3 Jun 2010)

I add about 15ppm or so 2-3x a week.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## mfcphil (3 Jun 2010)

plantbrain said:
			
		

> I add about 15ppm or so 2-3x a week.
> 
> Regards,
> Tom Barr




Thank you Tom

If the calculator is right if I only add 50 ml 3 x a week this will give me 16.6pmm...I will slowly try to bring it down to this figure, I want to get rid of the BGA first.
As already mentioned I have added extra flow and an Up Atomizer for hopefully better Co2.


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## sWozzAres (5 Jul 2010)

I used Erythromycin years ago to kill off BGA, its an antibiotic. It was hard to get hold of in the UK, had to import it from US first time! Second time I bought some Marcyn (1 or 2 I dont recall). Always wondered how it affected the bio filter and for that reason I wouldn't recommend it but it's very effective when used together with a blackout.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Jul 2010)

Although blackout is tried and tested I also got rid of BGA without doing one so it is possible.


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## plantbrain (7 Jul 2010)

AverageWhiteBloke said:
			
		

> Although blackout is tried and tested I also got rid of BGA without doing one so it is possible.



Yes, simply focus on good plant growth does the trick in most algae cases.
BO, EM tablets etc, can be done also.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## AverageWhiteBloke (7 Jul 2010)

BGA grows rather fast and can be seen getting worse as soon as within a day, rather than wait until WC day I would rake over the gravel and run my fingers over affected big plant leaves until the BGA was clumped into big bits then syphon them of daily and add your ferts right afterwards so your not removing them with the syphoning. After creating a better environment for the plants BGA will give up, it's not as stubborn as other algae I'm coming across as when the conditions are right it will go away as oppose to others where even improving conditions helps algae and the plants to grow.
I would see antibiotics as probably the last resort, no where in nature would synthetic antibiotics appear plus while your getting great advice from this board the people here will give you plenty of tips using the tools available to us i.e the ferts, co2 and lighting etc once you get into antibiotics most people would not be able to advise you on any strange occurrences that might be a side effect of using these drugs (other than a select few)
Sounds a bit hypocritical  as I use Easy Carbo I know but unfortunately I'm stuck in the closing the door after the horse as bolted brigade  so it is an option I would rather not be using it if I could.


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## Polly (8 Jul 2010)

I got rid of very stubborn BGA by a. upping my nitrates and restarting liquid carbon dosing  and b. sucking out all that I could every morning before the lights went on.  I used a turkey baster for this and only while the BGA was still clumped.  In my tank it would die back to clumps over night and re-establish the next day.  Nitrates were at 0 on my test kit 

I totally failed to get rid of it with a 7 day blackout !!!  and this time even Protolon 7 didn't touch it.  But as soon as the Nitrates got high enough it just disappeared   Sadly, now I'm stuck with dosing Liquid Carbon and Ferts, rather than the El Naturel tank I had intended.


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## fingergalore (14 Jul 2010)

Same problem with the BGA tryin the blackout atm!


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## bigmatt (15 Jul 2010)

Polly said:
			
		

> I Sadly, now I'm stuck with dosing Liquid Carbon and Ferts, rather than the El Naturel tank I had intended.


You shouldn't be "stuck" with liquid carbon and ferts!  If your BGA keeps recurring try changing other things (for example significantly dropping you photoperiod)
It might also be the case that your blackout wasn't "total" enough as they must work by definition (due to the structure of the cynaobacteria).  When i blacked out my tank i cover the whole thing with three layer of newspaper sellotaped inplace, then a thick balnket over that as added security.  72hrs later - no BGA!  Just turning the lights off or half hearted blackouts don't work as the algae is very, very efficient at using any available light.
Hope this helps,
Matt


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## sWozzAres (15 Jul 2010)

I would also make sure that the tank water gets some air during this blackout, so don't seal it air tight!


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## bigmatt (15 Jul 2010)

sWozzAres said:
			
		

> I would also make sure that the tank water gets some air during this blackout, so don't seal it air tight!


Ooops   Forgot to mmention - run an airpump/stone as well!
M


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