# Green Slime Algae



## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

The problem I am having at the moment is a very bad case of algae. The algae is dark green and slimy. It is covering all the plants and gravel in the tank. It is easy to remove by hand, but grows back very quickly. I also notice that the tank has a swamp smell about it. I have been using a product called Protalon-707, this has helped a little but the problem still remains. The tank has been running close to a year, I originally started with two tubes over the tank, I have now increased this to four. The tank is home to eight discus and four bristlenose, the bristlenoses will not eat this algae. I was doing 50% water changes twice a week, but I have not done any water changes for the last week since I have been using Protalon. The tanks lights are on ten hours a day, after testing the water tonight I have found that my Nitrate is 160, and the Phosphate is 5.0. I have also tested my tap water, and the Nitrate is 5.0 and the Phosphate is still 5.0. If I remove the algae from the plants, the plants will pearl like mad, this will only last a few days and the green slimy algae returns. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to kill this algae as I am on my wits end?


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## questnjurny (Nov 7, 2004)

sounds like blue green algae. Do a search for posts on it, or its abbreviation...BGA. I recently had a case of it, and got rid of it with Maracyn. Anyways, I am in a huge hurry, so hopefully someone with more experience and more time can help you out better, but at least that gives you a starting point!


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

do you know were i can get hold of some Maracyn in the U.K


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

You don't need to use strictly Maracyn.... The active ingrediant that kills the algae/bacteria is actually Eurythromicin, so any medication containing this will work.


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

Thank . so were do you get Eurythromicin from


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Its an ingrediant in medications.. you need to go to your local fish store and ask for an antibacterial medication that contains it.


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## jay98s10 (Oct 12, 2004)

hey this is what my algae in my tank looked like










i used erythromycin to treat the tank for 5 days and it sloved all my bga issues cost me like 50.00 but hey tank looked good for christmas 

Jay


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

mine looks a lot darker than that


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

You definately have BGA. The swamp smell is a sure sign of that. Maracyn will solve your problem in 5 days, just be sure to watch for ammonia and nitrite spikes. You should be able to find it, or another medicine with the same ingredient at any LFS or order it online. Cleaning and cycling doesn't have any effect on BGA. It laughs at your pathetic attempts to clean it out, because no matter how much you clean it will be back, probably in about 2 to 3 days. I don't live in the UK, so I can't give you any specific place to find the medicine, but that's what will work.
-Aphyosemion


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## NaughtyCashew (Oct 5, 2004)

I had the exact same problem recently. The only way to really get rid of it is with antibiotics. I dosed mine with Maracyn with little to no effect on my invertibrates or other plant life. Just follow the instructions on the package closely. Half-dosing might leave antibiotic resistant strains of BGA.


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

have now got my nitrate down to 40 ppm . and i will be doing the 3 day blackout . will let you know how it goes guys roud:


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

well the three days are up and i have just put the lights back on. and it dose seem to be all dead now .all of the slime has gone from the glass and the plants the sand is looking very clean and the plants look a lot better now .even the swamp smell has gone .all the fish are ok as well .will do another 50% water change later on tonight . how long this will last i just dont no . roud:


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## jay98s10 (Oct 12, 2004)

best of luck i tired that also and it kept coming back i finally got the meds and it has not came back 

Jay


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

Hi Jay .how long has it stayed away since you used the meds


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Donkey, you need to add KNO3 to your tank to prevent reoccurance.
That's what allowed it to thrive and caused the bloom in the first place.
Pills work, but getting in the UK is tough, not everywhere has non prescription anitbiotics available. Also, the pills will not make your plants grow better and they do not get at the root cause: poor plant health and growth, antibiotics are not plant nutrients.

Adding KNO3 will help your plants, antibiotics will not.
KNO3 is easy to get there also. TFC forums have several PMDD links available with suppilers. It's very cheap. 

This method is free also. Pills cost $.

See other post concerning BGA I made recently for more info.

Pills keep the BGA away longer...........if you don't correct the root cause, but it will come back later, with a balckout, the return time is less though, but the cost to kill is free..............flip a switch off for 3 days, that's easy and cheap.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

To plantbrain
my nitrates were at 160 i now have them down to 20 . so what your saying is i should still add more nitrates ? i was thinking that i had to get them as low as i could . am i missing something here ?  or is this KNO3 not the same as i allready had in the tank


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

donkey said:


> To plantbrain
> my nitrates were at 160 i now have them down to 20 . so what your saying is i should still add more nitrates ? i was thinking that i had to get them as low as i could . am i missing something here ?  or is this KNO3 not the same as i allready had in the tank


That assumes you have an accurate test kit for NO3.
I doubt that it's very accurate and especially at such large wide ranges if your kit goes to 160
At ranges of 10-20ppm, they are very inaccurate. If you added 11 ppm more, I do not think that would matter, which is about what I'm suggesting you add. 

If you want to help increase the uptake and maintain lower levels(A very wise move), then adding this, good CO2, K+(this is from the KNO3 also) some traces and PO4(already from the tap?), then you can drive the uptake and the plant's growth better.

Then the pklants look nicer, less algae in general(not just BGA), much better tank health, higher O2 levels, happy tank and you will be happier as well.

If you allow the tank to get to 100ppm NO3 or more, well, that's just neglect if the reading is correct, no pill will cure that I know I'm stating the obvious here but ....

Still, you stick with a weekly 40-50% water change and dose thereafter, the BGA will not come back. That's not too tough to do either. I bred Discus by accident a few times in a planted tank and did the same routine I'm telling you. My pencil fish seem about ready as well. 

Reinfection times using pills: 1 month to about 3 years. Depends if you keep enough NO3 in there and don't neglect the tank, clean the filter regularly etc.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

its back :icon_frow


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## Wö£fëñxXx (Dec 2, 2003)

donkey said:


> its back :icon_frow


Forget everything you have learned, and follow Tom's advice, you won't go wrong! Be patient.


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

Did everything Tom said and it still come back


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## donkey (Jul 13, 2004)

Have now got hold of some Maracyn . will let you know how it goes roud:


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## Clownknife (Feb 11, 2004)

I used maracyn and it worked for a little while but it came back. I have been doing 50% water change and bumped my C02 up to 30+ ppm and have it under control. Also doseing KNO3, KH2PO4 and K2SO4. 

Maracyn is kinda pricey and if it gets out of control I will be useing the blackout.


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## Wö£fëñxXx (Dec 2, 2003)

donkey said:


> Have now got hold of some Maracyn . will let you know how it goes roud:


Maracyn will work, be sure to add the KN03 during and after, stay on top of dosing, or it will come back again.


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## bred (Oct 30, 2004)

I've used erythromycin (EM Tablets) with success. 3 months since treatment with no recurrence. I did a 5-day dose as per instructions with no harmful effect on my biofilter.

I hear Maracyn works too though. Not sure about the price differential.


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## bred (Oct 30, 2004)

DOH!!! EM and Maracin are the same thing, lol.


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