# Algae encapsulating EVERYTHING !!



## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

I have this dark green algae that covers everything like a blanket, and its just starting to get on the hard to clean without tearing the tank apart items. What is this green monster and how do i get rid of it ?? 

BTW, i noticed it after i ran out of co2 tabs for my sera system. 

If you can find these tabs let me know. (Sera Co2 plus tabs)*rotating smile

Thank you


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

plecocaves.com might have em.


Also cut the lights for 3 days and see if it doesnt help, it sounds like too much nutrients that the algae is able to use thus producing the green blanket of doom.

I have minor amounts but I cant but back anything anymore so I just let the pleco's have their fill daily now.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Isn't this BGA? Or cyano? I think is caused by a nitrate deficiency, if I remember right. I could have my algae mixed up.


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

Thank you for your replies !!

Ive read up on it a bit and, Yes its excess nutrients. The lack of Co2 in the water dosnt allow the plants to take in all those nutrients. Sooo im really gonna have to reup on Co2 tabs or upgrade to a pressurized system, which would make me very happy. : ) 

Once again thank you for being so quick to help me. That is the main reason y i LOVE this site. *thumbsup thanx


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

You could also kill your lights and stop adding food untill the algae (cyano) dies off.

then resume with less duration lighting and less feeding.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Mines GSA on performance enhancers. I know that, its not BSA or cyano and the description sounds very familiar to mine.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I get GSA in one tank, BGA in other, and brush in one more still.

Going pressurized does not cost as much as people think. You can get a complete setup (dual gauge reg, needle valve, bubble counter, diffuser, tank) for about $130. Maybe even less. A Milwaukee regulator that has needle valve and bubble counter integrated is $85. I use GLA atomic diffusers, $25. 20oz paintball tank, $25. Adaptor - $9. A little over $130, but you don't have to spend that much on a diffuser. Not sure on the size of this fish tank, but I have heard of the 20oz paintbal tanks lasting over 2 months on 30g and below tanks. I have this setup on my 29g. They cost $4.50 to refill at Dick's.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Cyno isn't going to go away with blackouts. Its caused by high phosphates. To kill it you need to treat with an antibiotic as its a bacteria and not really algae, then do a large water change and get a phosphate pad to put into your filter.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Maracyn is what is used or from what I've read, peroxide can be used as well.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

susankat said:


> Cyno isn't going to go away with blackouts. Its caused by high phosphates. To kill it you need to treat with an antibiotic as its a bacteria and not really algae, then do a large water change and get a phosphate pad to put into your filter.


I 100% disagree!!!!!!!!!!! and a general *old dude

Cyano will not grow in a blackout and any cyano that is present will die off.

I do not agree or recommend using antibiotics to control cyano either.

A simple blackout will kill off the cyano and return nitrates to the system. Then when lights are restored the nitrate/phosphates are in a ratio to be used by the desirable green plants. so the phosphates will drop as the nitrates are being consumed. With proper lighting and feeding the plants will thrive and cyano will not return.

This has always worked for me on both freshwater and marine systems.

So no need to add dangerous antibiotics.



Of course that is just my:

my .02


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

it isn't an algae. It's actually a strain of bacteria known as cyanobacteria (its name derived from its vivid color, which would be beautiful if it didn't signal so much trouble for an aquarium). In addition to blue-green, cyanobacteria can be black or even red. 

Some cyanobacteria is beneficial, being an important part of the nitrogen cycle. Spirulina, which is hailed as a "superfood," being rich in all of the amino acids, as well as other important nutrients, is a form of cyanobacteria. Others, however, produce various forms of neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, and endotoxins. All forms of cyanobacteria seem to be somewhere between plant and bacteria. They have a gel-like cell wall (cell walls are usually reserved for plants) and are fed partially by photosynthesis. They also possess bacterial traits. Some are free-floating, some form threads, or sheets, or even hollow spheres. Thankfully, it seems that most of the harmful cyanobacteria take the form of brilliant sheets, making it easy to identify. 
A few things contribute to the beginning of a cyanobacteria outbreak. Too much light, too much phospate, and general poor water quality can begin an outbreak. Introducing plants that have not been quarantined can bring on an outbreak in a seemingly healthy tank. Once it has begun, however, cyanobacteria can be much harder to get rid of than an algae outbreak. 


If you are facing an outbreak of cyanobacteria, there are a couple of options for treating the tank: 
Antibiotics


The first is a fairly simple remedy. Dosing the tank with an antibiotic will kill off the infestation pretty quickly. This has several downsides that offset its ease and speed. The first is that every use of antibiotics has the potential to create a strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. You may get rid of the cyanobacteria only to find that your tank has been infested with a strain of fish TB that doesn't respond to the antibiotics. The second is that some fish and inverts don't deal well with certain antibiotics. The third is that dosing a tank with antibiotics is a good way to completely un-cycle the tank. 
A good way to at least partially bypass the loss of your tank's cycle is to pull the media out of your filter and store it in another tank. If you don't have another tank, you can seal it in a bag with some tank water and keep it in the refrigerator. After you have set aside the filter media, treat the tank. Once treatment is done, run fresh activated carbon in the tank for an hour, then replace the filter media. This should leave your tank with a significant portion of its nitrifying bacteria intact. 

Starve the Little Buggers


The second method, while more work and time intensive, has no real negative effects on the tank itself. In fact, it is, in general, good for the fish. The first thing to do is to thoroughly clean every surface of the tank. Second, step up water changes to lower the phosphorous levels in the tank. If your water supply normally contains phosphates, you may want to invest in some phosphorous-removing filter media. Third, kill the lights for several weeks. Fourth, feed your fish less. Most fish food contains phosphorous, which ends up in the water, feeding the cyanobacteria. Combined, these actions should starve the cyanobacteria out of the tank. This procedure takes time, of course, which is its greatest downside. 
During either procedure, it is a good idea to remove the bacteria as it appears. You can often get it with the vacuum if you lightly scrape at the sheets with the edge of the vacuum attachment. 

As with most tank problems, the best way to deal with a cyanobacteria outbreak is to not let it happen. Frequent water changes will help keep phosphorous levels down. Quarantining all new livestock and plants for several weeks will minimize the chance of introducing a virulent strain of cyanobacteria to your tank. It is far easier to treat a quarantine tank, or even just break it down, than it is to do so to a fully set up aquarium. Feed your fish only what they can eat in a minute's time to further limit phosphorous as well as waste products. 
Although it is a pain to get rid of, if you know about cyanobacteria, and if you react properly to it, this does not have to be a tank killer. The main reason it is so difficult is that many aquarists don't know how to deal with the issue. Once that hurdle is behind you, it should be no problem to deal with an outbreak of cyanobacteria, if one does happen. 

Author
Sam Hirte-Runtsch


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

Blackout it is, im not a big fan of chemicals. Thank you, and wish me luck


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

Day 3 and its dieing off but not GONE. How long should (can) i leave it off ?? I will be doing a water change today, and leave the light off for at least 2 more days.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

FishDash said:


> Day 3 and its dieing off but not GONE. How long should (can) i leave it off ?? I will be doing a water change today, and leave the light off for at least 2 more days.


I would leave the lights off until the tank looks clean.


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## sharkattack (Feb 28, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> I would leave the lights off until the tank looks clean.


how can you leave the lights off though if you have live plants in the tank?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

sharkattack said:


> how can you leave the lights off though if you have live plants in the tank?


Up to a few weeks.

Plants will last for a long time with little to no light. especially if you just killed your lights and did not wrap the tank to block out all the light. Just a little light will keep the plants alive for some time even if they are not growing.


my .02


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## sharkattack (Feb 28, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> Up to a few weeks.
> 
> Plants will last for a long time with little to no light. especially if you just killed you lights and did not wrap the tank to block out all the lights. Just a little light will keep the plants alive for some time even if they are not growing.
> 
> ...


ok thanks. i was wondering about that

im about to introduce a vast assortment of plants into my newly overhauled "beaslbob" tank. ive got quite a few plants on order from some different sites since our lfs is terrible.

question, how can i tell if i need to add CO2? where is the fine balance between too many plants? too many fish? not enough of this, not enough of that? etc etc



also, how much algae does one need to have before u recommend a blackout?

the only algae we have is long hairlike algae thats growing on the tops of all the decor and fake plants. like strands of hair. then its also growing on the front glass, and just hairlike flowing in the currents


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

sharkattack said:


> ok thanks. i was wondering about that
> 
> im about to introduce a vast assortment of plants into my newly overhauled "beaslbob" tank. ive got quite a few plants on order from some different sites since our lfs is terrible.
> 
> question, how can i tell if i need to add CO2? where is the fine balance between too many plants? too many fish? not enough of this, not enough of that? etc etc


I give up? How? 
I don't use co2


> also, how much algae does one need to have before u recommend a blackout?


1 cell? Sure I get a strand every now and then. But an algae or cloudiness that is actually noticable I kill the lights and suspend feeding. Sometimes harvest affected leaves on plants. the idea is to provide enough bioload (food) and lights so the fish and plants thrive but the algae is held at bay and the water remains clear.


> the only algae we have is long hairlike algae thats growing on the tops of all the decor and fake plants. like strands of hair. then its also growing on the front glass, and just hairlike flowing in the currents


sound like blackout time to me. but then I would also get rid of the decor and fake plants also.

my .02


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## sharkattack (Feb 28, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> but then I would also get rid of the decor and fake plants also.
> 
> my .02


TRUST ME, IM WORKING ON THAT!


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

lol !!! This is quite the discussion. My problem was, I had the little dark hair algae and i thought it was pretty cool and then i got this algae/bacteria that Covered everything including the hair algae. My blackout eliminated the blanket faster than it the hair algae. 

Moral: If you have a thick green blanket covering all of everything then Turn your lights off for a few days and feed you fish just a little less. I find this to be very effective. 

Now: What should i be doing to prevent this from happening again in the future ??


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Maracyn is what is used or from what I've read, peroxide can be used as well.


People, Please dont use any household chemicals in your tank !!!!

A buddy of mine used a "little" bleach to clean his gravel, OMG what a disaster in a 125g. Catastrophe !!! *old dude


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

FishDash said:


> People, Please dont use any household chemicals in your tank !!!!
> 
> A buddy of mine used a "little" bleach to clean his gravel, OMG what a disaster in a 125g. Catastrophe !!! *old dude


Peroxide can be used and is discussed on a couple of different boards I frequent. You obviously don't just a whip a bottle in there and you're good. There is a prescribed method that has to be followed just like anything else.


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

Nope havent read anthing on the peroxide thing. Is peroxide used for algae ??

Never the less I'm not a fan of chemicals.


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

FishDash said:


> lol !!! This is quite the discussion. My problem was, I had the little dark hair algae and i thought it was pretty cool and then i got this algae/bacteria that Covered everything including the hair algae. My blackout eliminated the blanket faster than it the hair algae.
> 
> Moral: If you have a thick green blanket covering all of everything then Turn your lights off for a few days and feed you fish just a little less. I find this to be very effective.
> 
> Now: What should i be doing to prevent this from happening again in the future ??


???


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

FishDash said:


> Nope havent read anthing on the peroxide thing. Is peroxide used for algae ??
> 
> Never the less I'm not a fan of chemicals.


Used as a treatment for BGA, similar to dosing an anti-biotic for the same reason.


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

O i got it, Would that coincide with a blackout or is there a different method ??

Also, does that clear it up faster than just a blackout ??


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

FishDash said:


> People, Please dont use any household chemicals in your tank !!!!
> 
> A buddy of mine used a "little" bleach to clean his gravel, OMG what a disaster in a 125g. Catastrophe !!! *old dude


There is a big difference in fish meds and bleach. Even a little bleach if it isn't totally cleaned out will leave harmful residue.

Maracyn is a fish med which is different than using bleach. Mostly its all natural meds.

Peroxide won't hurt the tank or fish if spot dosing. Peroxide will also increase the oxygen levels slightly. But to be better for algae control it needs the plant out of water, or put into a seperate bucket for dosing. I have used the bucket method to get rid of brush algae several times then rinse well.


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

Thank you, good to know.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I read last night about a method to put it in your tank at a 10ml/g ratio. A little more to it than that, but still another method. I'll place a link to the discussion if anyone is interested. I'm thinking about using it the next time I have a parasite outbreak.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

FishDash said:


> ???



Sorry about delayed response.

After the lights out you continue with less duration lighting and less feeding. Then adjust so that the plants thrive and the algae does not return.


my .02


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