Do I have BGA?

[jaypeecee]

Im not going to dose anymore so, according to the instructions, it should be gone in 10 days - I’m not that hopeful.

Hi @Ruskie

It's your call - obviously. But I don't think you should give up just yet. It's also just gone midnight and I need to be logging off. But, I'll be back on tomorrow morning. I do think a combination of manual removal plus an increase in dose plus a reduction in lighting would have definitely been worth a try.

JPC

 

[jaypeecee]

What do folks think about combining treatment with a 3 day blackout?

Hi @Ray

Eliminating light completely or reducing light intensity should most certainly help when dealing with cyanobacteria.

JPC

 

[Onoma1]

Hi @Ray

Eliminating light completely or reducing light intensity should most certainly help when dealing with cyanobacteria.

JPC

I agree with @jaypeecee. The advice I was given was for a three day complete blackout followed by lots of water changes and manual removal. This cleared it up and I then focused on the causes. I found lean dosing, increasing flow, reducing light intensity and use of floating plants worked for me.

 

[Ray]

I finally got rid of my BGA with a blackout and antibiotics I picked up in a trip to the US. This was a last resort for me after a complete nightmare that this thread is bringing back vividly. I think blackout and blue exit treatment could be effective too. I’ll quote what Clive advised me when I did mine:

Do a 100% WC to begin with then refill, dose ferts and cover the tank. Do a 3 or even a 4 day blackout but dose at night in pitch black at 2 day intervals. At the end, 100% water change 1/2 lights if possible and continue dosing.

I’ll add you should get ensure plenty of surface agitation during the blackout because as the algae dies it rots, and also to remove as much as possible during that water change. I used good quality bin bags (check they block light) to do mine.

 

[jaypeecee]

...antibiotics I picked up in a trip to the US...

Hi @Ray

My understanding is that the use of antibiotics for home aquatics is illegal in the UK. I'm not sure about Switzerland but I suspect it's the same there.

JPC

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I do think a combination of manual removal

I'd just keep syphoning out the cyanobacteria at the moment.

I found lean dosing, increasing flow, reducing light intensity and use of floating plants worked for me.

Probably that one in the longer term.

cheers Darrel

 

[MirandaB]

Hi @Ray

My understanding is that the use of antibiotics for home aquatics is illegal in the UK. I'm not sure about Switzerland but I suspect it's the same there.

JPC

Yes antibiotics are illegal in the UK without prescription from a vet and I suspect the reason Chemiclean etc is not for sale over the counter here.
Whilst it states it does not contain Erythromycin succinate,it has a distinctive antibiotic smell to it.

 

[Ray]

My understanding is that the use of antibiotics for home aquatics is illegal in the UK. I'm not sure about Switzerland but I suspect it's the same there.

I am not sure. You certainly can’t buy it over the counter in a pet store like you can In the US. I do not condone or recommend what I did and in hindsight it was perhaps ill advised. It seems some of us were cowboys back then: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/erythromycin.4699/
Today, I would just blackout and use Blue Exit.

 

[Ruskie]

Thanks for the input everybody it really is appreciated. I can honestly say this is not how I envisaged my first foray into scaping/fish keeping would turn out. This is the kind of nightmare I didn’t read about when doing my research and it’s pretty heartbreaking if I’m honest.

What do folks think about combining treatment with a 3 day blackout?

The more I’ve read into this the more I’ve seen this pop up.

I'd personally increase the flow as a very first thing to slowly break the colony and not allow it to form anymore.

I did this before I started dosing the treatment by reducing the head height to the filter. The filter should give me enough? The Cyano seems to have spread more readily since I’ve done this though that could just be coincidence. I have already ordered a different outflow pipe to use instead of the spin one I have.

Hi @Ruskie

It's your call - obviously. But I don't think you should give up just yet.

I haven’t given up yet! It’s just a little soul destroying to go from the excitement of the new tank growing in to a horror show in such a small amount of time.

Hi all, I'd just keep syphoning out the cyanobacteria at the moment.

The only reason I haven’t been doing this is because I was trying to follow the manufacturers instructions to do no water changes or add any water during treatment.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

do no water changes or add any water during treatment

No, I'd definitely syphon. You don't need to remove a huge volume of water.

If you are going to have a black-out I'd definitely try and syphon out as much BGA as possible first.

cheers Darrel

 

[Nick72]

My Fluval Plant 2.0 lights broke on the 14th June 2019.

They were under warranty and replaced with Fluval Plant 3.0 free of charge on 28th June.

What I learned from a two week blackout.

1). This kills all algae.

2). This will kill most plants.

3.) Due to algae and plant decomposition you get a massive build up of organic waste in the tank.

4). When you reinstate the lights you get a massive algae bloom - hair, fuzz, BBA, BGA, diatoms - you name it.

I know no one is suggesting a two week blackout, but here is what I would do if I planned even a 4 day blackout.

A). Remove / Rehome as many plants as possible.

B). Do big water changes every day, or at least every other day.

C). Reintroduce as many plants as possible on lights on.

D). Do water changes every other day for the first week from lights on.

In truth I think i would prefer to break down the tank, give it a 100% clean, including hardscape and substrate - and start again.

You can achieve this in a few hours and probably end up in a better place.

 

[jaypeecee]

The only reason I haven’t been doing this is because I was trying to follow the manufacturers instructions to do no water changes or add any water during treatment.

Ah, now I see why you left the cyano untouched! I think you'll find that the reason the manufacturer, Easy-Life, discourages water changes is simply because it dilutes the Blue Exit and thus reduces its efficacy. It may be the best thing for you to email them directly with your questions and concerns. But, in parallel with that, I'll now go back over my previous emails with Easy-Life. I'll get back to you on this. I found this supplier's tech support to be pretty good and they replied the same day.

JPC

 

[jaypeecee]

What I learned from a two week blackout.

1). This kills all algae.

Hi @Nick72

But, we're not dealing with algae.

JPC

 

[Nick72]

Hi @Nick72

But, we're not dealing with algae.

JPC

1. Cyanobacteria is know as Blue / Green algae because it behaves like an algae.

2. If waste organics from the blackout are left unchecked you will be dealing with algae.

 

[jaypeecee]

In truth I think i would prefer to break down the tank, give it a 100% clean, including hardscape and substrate - and start again.

Hi @Nick72

Conventional cleaning methods with cloth, sponge, scrubby and the like cannot be guaranteed to eradicate cyanobacteria. I did successfully eradicate it using a 'strong' potassium permanganate solution that I made up in situ by adding potassium permanganate crystals directly to the tank of water. Don't forget for anyone that wants to try this that potassium permanganate will stain anything in which it is in contact - including our skin! Wear suitable (long) gloves!

JPC

 

[jaypeecee]

1. Cyanobacteria is know as Blue / Green algae because it behaves like an algae.

Yes, I realize that we tend to refer to it as blue-green algae (aka BGA) because, at first sight it resembles algae and it photosynthesizes. In this respect, it 'behaves' like algae. But, it is a form of bacteria and needs a different approach to get rid of it.

JPC

 

[Nick72]

Hi @Nick72

Conventional cleaning methods with cloth, sponge, scrubby and the like cannot be guaranteed to eradicate cyanobacteria. I did successfully eradicate it using a 'strong' potassium permanganate solution that I made up in situ by adding potassium permanganate crystals directly to the tank of water. Don't forget for anyone that wants to try this that potassium permanganate will stain anything in which it is in contact - including our skin! Wear suitable (long) gloves!

JPC

I have also found that SL Aqua Z2 if dosed as per instructions will nuke all plants, algae and Cyanobacteria in an aquarium without harming livestock.

I will use this in future to clean a tank for breakdown.

 

[Nick72]

Yes, I realize that we tend to refer to it as blue-green algae (aka BGA) because, at first sight it resembles algae and it photosynthesizes. In this respect, it 'behaves' like algae. But, it is a form of bacteria and needs a different approach to get rid of it.

JPC

There we disagree. IMO and experience several methods that work for algae irradication also work on Cyanobacteria.

A blackout is one example.

SL Aqua Z2 is another.

 

[Witcher]

2). This will kill most plants.

I always looked at the blackouts like using an atomic bomb to kill the mosquito. Blackouts/chemicals/erythromycin etc. will only remove the effect, but not the source/cause of the problem.

When you reinstate the lights you get a massive algae bloom - hair, fuzz, BBA, BGA, diatoms - you name it.

Exactly that, source of the problem won't be removed and algae will very likely come back as plants will be weakened.

I did this before I started dosing the treatment by reducing the head height to the filter. The filter should give me enough? The Cyano seems to have spread more readily since I’ve done this though that could just be coincidence. I have already ordered a different outflow pipe to use instead of the spin one I have.

How long did you waited before the treatment? With all respect @Ruskie but you may seem to be very impatient. I'd increase the flow, suck out whatever BGA I see as per Darrel's suggestion and wait. BGA are relatively easy to combat - all you need is the flow, oxygen and healthy plants doing their job. I haven't seen any BGA in the oxygenated mountain streams etc in the nature - is it a coincidence?

 

[jaypeecee]

Eliminating light completely or reducing light intensity should most certainly help when dealing with cyanobacteria.

I chose my words carefully when I wrote the above. Anything that doesn't encourage growth of cyano has to be a good thing. But, it won't necessarily eliminate every single cell of the blue-green menace. That's why blackouts don't necessarily kill this stuff. Just for the record, cyano is one of the oldest living things on our planet. It has been around for approximately 3.5 billion years and, from what I've read, is responsible for the production of oxygen in our atmosphere. Mind-boggling, eh?!

JPC