# Blue-green algae?



## jcordar2 (Mar 19, 2017)

Two days after I started using Thrive, I noticed a blue-green color carpeting my pfs. Now I see a pretty good coating of the same stuff on a plant. Suggestions?


----------



## FishEggs (Mar 19, 2017)

Use a product called Chemi-Clean. Be sure to add air stones to keep it well oxygenated during treatment.


----------



## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

Seachem Excel would be my recommendation as it helps the plants and is also an algaecide depending on what size tank you have just follow the directions on the bottle and you should be okay

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


----------



## mgm53 (Jan 9, 2016)

Blue green algae is a bacteria and algae. Excel won't do anything. Erythromycin works but chemi-clean is cheaper, works as well and won't affect good bacteria

Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk


----------



## f Majalis (Jan 6, 2017)

It does look like blue green algae to me, though I've only seen it on substrate before. If you used excel, it would have to be at a plant-melting overdose, because BGA is a cyanobacteria colony, not algae. You can treat it with erythromicin, but might experience an ammonia spike as the erythromycin kills a good deal of gram positive bacteria species and might wipe out both the BGA and some normal flora (A lot of nucleotides and protein in the water = a lot of ammonia). You could also potentially treat with copper, but that will potentially kill EVERYTHING in your tank, and thus isn't worth it.


----------



## steveo (May 25, 2012)

UltraLife- Blue-green slime stain remover in combination with an airstone works great. Check out this product on Amazon and read the many positive reviews. Using this approach is an easy way to get rid of the blue-green algae. To prevent it from coming back, you need good circulation in your aquarium and some surface agitation. Using the right ration of fertilzers, through PPS-pro, helps too. 

FWIW- blue green algae is not an algae, but instead a bacteria (Cyanobacteria). That's why using Excel will not work. 

Lake Erie is prone to these blue-green algae blooms near Toledo Ohio. This is due to a combination fertilizers coming from the Maumee River, that has a massive agriculture drainage area, along with shallow lake depths and limited surface turbidity.


----------



## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

steveo said:


> UltraLife- Blue-green slime stain remover in combination with an airstone works great. Check out this product on Amazon and read the many positive reviews. Using this approach is an easy way to get rid of the blue-green algae. To prevent it from coming back, you need good circulation in your aquarium and some surface agitation. Using the right ration of fertilzers, through PPS-pro, helps too.
> 
> FWIW- blue green algae is not an algae, but instead a bacteria (Cyanobacteria). That's why using Excel will not work.
> 
> Lake Erie is prone to these blue-green algae blooms near Toledo Ohio. This is due to a combination fertilizers coming from the Maumee River, that has a massive agriculture drainage area, along with shallow lake depths and limited surface turbidity.


I had this problem last week. Everything was going great, and then I added some Tropica specialized fertilizer because my nitrates kept coming up zero. Two days after dosing with the Nitrate /Phosphate combo I got an immediate BGA outbreak. It was quick, took over the entire aquarium in a couple days. I ordered the Ultralife BGA remover, and paid extra for expedited delivery. Today is day 3 , and it's all gone !! I kept my carbon in the canister filter, and just added an airstone for 2 days. Shut the C02 off, and reduced the lights. There are no ingredients listed on the Ultalife, but it says there is no antibiotics, so ?? All I can tell you is it works. All my fish, plants ,and shrimp are doing well, no problems. I highly recommend  Best of luck to you.


----------



## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

Oh my fault on the excel, im still new to the different types of algae had no idea it was bacterial learn something new everyday, sorry op for the mis recommendation 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


----------



## jcordar2 (Mar 19, 2017)

I assume hyd peroxide wouldn't work because it's actually bacteria?


----------



## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

FishEggs said:


> Use a product called Chemi-Clean. Be sure to add air stones to keep it well oxygenated during treatment.


This is your cure.


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

jcordar2 said:


> I assume hyd peroxide wouldn't work because it's actually bacteria?



Hydrogen peroxide (H202) works like a charm - I've used it several times over the years.
The method to use is specific - turn off filtration, & reduce water level if need be, to allow you to dose the H202 directly onto the cyanobacteria at close range, using a plastic syringe or test kit pipette.
Leave the filtration off for at least 1/2 an hour after dosing to allow the H202 to do its work. You'll see the oxygen bubbles adhering to the dosed cyano & then slowly lifting off, to rise to the surface.


Depending on how much cyano you have, you may need to do the dosing again over 2 days or more to get rid of it all.
The day after dosing, the cyano should have disappeared.
The primary approach for preventing it from coming back is to improve your tank cleansing routine (e.g. substrate vacuuming), and improve the water circulation within the tank, especially in the lower tank areas where the cyano generally develops & spreads.
A power bar, or a small circulation pump would be good. 
Your fish & beneficial bacteria will not at all be affected so long as you limit the dosing to a reasonable quantity at a time, depending on the water volume of your tank, and of course don't spray it directly at any fish. It dissipates harmlessly very quickly.


----------



## rhiro (Sep 21, 2012)

discuspaul said:


> Hydrogen peroxide (H202) works like a charm - I've used it several times over the years.
> The method to use is specific - turn off filtration, & reduce water level if need be, to allow you to dose the H202 directly onto the cyanobacteria at close range, using a plastic syringe or test kit pipette.
> Leave the filtration off for at least 1/2 an hour after dosing to allow the H202 to do its work. You'll see the oxygen bubbles adhering to the dosed cyano & then slowly lifting off, to rise to the surface.
> 
> ...


Agree with everything said above. Has worked for me without any adverse affects on the fauna.


----------



## jcordar2 (Mar 19, 2017)

Thank you everyone! I'll let you know how it goes!!


----------



## jcordar2 (Mar 19, 2017)

Just an update - Chemi-clean worked like a charm! All gone!


----------



## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Glad the Chemi Clean worked out for you. I still think I'd go with the $2 bottle of H2O2 from a dozen local stores than the $12 specialty product I have to order.


----------



## jcordar2 (Mar 19, 2017)

Kubla said:


> Glad the Chemi Clean worked out for you. I still think I'd go with the $2 bottle of H2O2 from a dozen local stores than the $12 specialty product I have to order.





I’m sure you’re right – hopefully I won’t get into BGA again, but if I do, I may try the H2O2.


----------



## Greeny (Mar 25, 2018)

I know this thread is a few months old but I've used hydrogen peroxide a few times and although it does rid it where you spot treat with it but a few days later it comes back. I'm sure that it would be very hard to kill all bacteria when doing spot treatments hence the inability to remove it totally. I'm sure it would be better to make sure the water column is treated fully and the bacteria totally destroyed in order to rid it completely hence me being here and wanting to take a different approach as its just debilitating trying to keep it under control and its chopping at my nerves slowly but surely.
I also find peroxide doesn't take hold so well on the plant leaves or glass as it does on the substrate. I used a spray bottle of 3% and tried a limited spraying of everything but that just caused my plants to partly melt and.. You guessed it, it didn't all go and is still multiplying happily again.


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

H202 does work well on a 'permanent' basis with close range spot treating using a syringe, but to prevent it from coming back you need to deal with the root cause.
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) thrives in areas with low or no oxygen, so if you don't fix that it will return.
The most important thing you can do is to significantly improve the water circulation within the tank (to provide/bring in oxygen to the affected areas), and in particular to the low areas at the substrate, as that is usually where most of the BGA is located.
Depending on the size of the tank, a properly positioned & sufficiently strong water circulation pump, coupled with say, a spray/power bar if the tank is large enough, should do the job.
Try it.


----------

