# BGA and other algae wont go away ahh! help!



## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

SO my tank has been running for several years now so it is well established, or at least i thought. now my tank seems to be over run with BGA that is black, lining the substrate and slowly creeping up my plants and also EVERYTHING is over run with green string algae (the short, what i thought good type). Now because i know that BGA usually means i have too much of something in my tank, i have over the past few weeks done very large tank changes, and reduced my lighting over my tank, but to no avail it seems that nothing i do will help this out. 
my tank used to be lush and well growing but now it seems that almost all growth has stopped and all my nutrients are being soaked up by the algae and none of my plants are growing well at all. It just looks like a death zone in there now! every time i do a tank change i try to get rid of all the dead plant matter but it seems to just build back up again with in less than a week. 
I am about to just *GIVE UP* on this tank, tear up all my plants, drain it, remove the substrate and just try to restart the whole tank because i have no clue what to do. It doesn't seem to matter whether i use Co2 or no Co2 (i have DIY co2) the same thing happens and now i might lose all my plants that i have built up over these years to this crappy algae! Can anyone help me???? i really need some help with this one.


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## rocketdude1234 (Apr 8, 2010)

BGA tends to indicate low nitrates. 

I have battled BGA in several tanks recently. One was an easy fix, the other is still in the process.

The 10g was the easy one. I had R. Rotundifolia that was covered in BGA. I removed the plants and all visible bga while doing a 50% wc. I replaced all the plants with healthy cuttings from an established tank and dosed a healthy dose of nutrients.

I missed one corner of this tank where the BGA was and within a week it had turned a very pale green and hadn't spread.

Oh, I also lowered the water level a little bit to get better o2 levels and circulation. 

Many will tell you to use EM to kill the BGA, but this never fixes the problem that caused the BGA in the first place. 

I will argue that you need to rid your tank of the BGA AND fix the problem at the same time. Simply killing the bga will not suffice.

You have two routes to take with this:

1. EM treatment and dosing nitrates
2. Blackout and dosing nitrates.

I would opt for the latter since EM will kill beneficial bacteria as well as the "bad" ones and its expensive. A few trash bags are much more cost effective.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Also i will say that i have shrimp in this tank so i cant use regular algae killers ugh...does that stuff hurt shrimp? EM that is..now also i just tried to add another filter to increase cirulation and at is above the water line so it should help with o2 levels..i just dont get it, i am about to take as many fast growing plants as i have and stuff the tank to see if i can soak up the extra nutirents..well one bad thing is i have too much BGA to pick it all out, i try but it is attached to my substrate so this is hard..plush i have so much i cant ever get it all out..thanks!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

okay also thinking about low nitrates..i just added some KNO3 for that one..thanks for that thought..i haven't been dosing with much besides every once in a while i use Flourish liquid fert..so we will see how it works out, i am really mad at my tank right now  haha..AND i threw some duckweed in my tank so it can soak up the other nutrients i have just in case i have too many...okay sorry i have to stop typing haha!


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## rocketdude1234 (Apr 8, 2010)

{Edit} I saw you posted before I did : )

You dosed Flourish Nitrogen? How much did you dose and what size tank are you dosing?


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

You need to go through the check list first.

Do you have enough CO2 in the tank? And how much CO2?
What is your nitrate and phosphate levels? These are easily verified with some of the API kits.
Too much lights? What kind of lighting fixture you have?
What is your dosing regiments? 

Algae does not soak up all nutrients. You are low on certain nutrients without reducing your light intensity and that's why you have algae.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

rocketdude1234 said:


> {Edit} I saw you posted before I did : )
> 
> You dosed Flourish Nitrogen? How much did you dose and what size tank are you dosing?


no i used some KNO3 actually, i have a bunch of fertalizer lying around that i have had for a min. haha but IDK how much, i just added like a gram or so. I am dosing for a 40 gal breeder. i guess i haven't really been keeping up with my dosing stuff because in the past everything grew so great..now its all gone down hill and i am so fed up with it, all my other tanks look great (and they are planted as well) but this one just is crashing HARD!


now for the other comment,
I have DIY Co2 right now, i just ordered a Co2 paintball kit, but now i need to buy a regulator so i feel safe running it because it only came with ASA valve. So no co2 right now because my co2 doesn't want to work for me right now. Lights um, i have 2 48" double t-5, and a 36" t-8 (i think) running on it for um i believe 10hrs with a seasta time in the middle. Yes i will have to get those test kits so i can figure this all out. i have been doing good until now! Now my dosing regiment isn't that great, i have neglected to do so for a min besides just a little bit of Flourish liquid fert. so i guess i will have to figure out a new regiment now that i have more time on my hands..SO time for me to re-think what i am doing before i completely tear down my tank


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## nielss (Dec 28, 2009)

I had this happen to me. Following an earlier thread, I:

1. Made sure nitrates were OK (they were).
2. Used a product called "Chemi-Clean" by Boyd. (I know, it sounds awful. It's fine, though, and my shrimp are just fine with it, too.) Follow all directions on the packet.
3. Did a 25-50% water change every 2-3 days for two weeks, to get the organics out.
4. Started adding 1/8 tsp Mg, in the form of Epsom salts, with macro fert regime.

Along with no more BGA, I also noticed my stem plants looking hale and hearty now, whereas previously they would occasionally get thin and droopy. It might be the extra Mg, who knows.

Anyway, this is what worked for me. YMMV.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Okay screw it, my tank is so far gone that nothing will save it now...i am just going to do a total tank tear down and set it up *RIGHT* this time. do co2 injecting and doing the right fert dosing. I had let my tank go with min. maintenance and thats why my tank is crashing so hard. If i could use my camera and upload a pic i would but it is so sad looking that i would probably have people yelling at me haha! So it seems nothing i can do will fix it at this point :icon_sad: . *Thanks so much everyone for your suggestions and info.* I think my problem is too much light (2 double t5's and a t-8) on my 40 breeder and no co2 and obviously not enough fert dosing. So i will re-think what i am doing and get it done the way i should have done a long time ago. now my tank had been running for years now with no problems, same light and no co2, but it seems since i added my DIY co2 everything has gone down hill quickly. So sadly i will be tearing this one down here next week once i get my 10gal running so i can transfer the fish out..THANKS ALL!


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

If it is in fact BGA it's a bacteria, not an algae. Erythromycin is a gram positive antibiotic. It will kill the BGA and is safe for your fish and inverts. This topic comes up over and over again here, and the consensus is to just cut to the chase and spend the (considerable if your tank is big) money on the cure unless you're a masochist.

Maracyn is what you want. Not the Maracyn Plus or the II - The plain stuff - check the package to be sure. You can tear your tank down completely and scrub the daylights out of it and you might not get rid of it and it will return. The good news is that once you kill it off it usually doesn't come back unless you re-infect the tank. One theme that seems to come up often with BGA is direct sunlight shining on the tank - is yours in a window or near one by chance?

Good luck - and use the full therapeutic dose, and go the entire course. I have never heard of a EM resistant bacteria in the aquarium but it's not impossible.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

m00se said:


> If it is in fact BGA it's a bacteria, not an algae. Erythromycin is a gram positive antibiotic. It will kill the BGA and is safe for your fish and inverts. This topic comes up over and over again here, and the consensus is to just cut to the chase and spend the (considerable if your tank is big) money on the cure unless you're a masochist.
> 
> Maracyn is what you want. Not the Maracyn Plus or the II - The plain stuff - check the package to be sure. You can tear your tank down completely and scrub the daylights out of it and you might not get rid of it and it will return. The good news is that once you kill it off it usually doesn't come back unless you re-infect the tank. One theme that seems to come up often with BGA is direct sunlight shining on the tank - is yours in a window or near one by chance?
> 
> Good luck - and use the full therapeutic dose, and go the entire course. I have never heard of a EM resistant bacteria in the aquarium but it's not impossible.



Well i guess i will just have to buy that stuff while my 10 gal tank is cycling, since i cant just set it up and transfer all my fish and shrimp at once. but thanks so much for the info i will do that while i am cycling or after i move the livestock..Nope my tank receives no sunlight, in fact my windows always have the curtains down so it stays pretty dark in here..but i think my downfall is i wasn't dosing with ferts at all, because in the past i have had great success with the doing nothing but water changes and random small dosing approach. My avatar is what my tank used to look like, now it is just a field of algae haha! so now i will have to re-think everything i am doing and improve more..ugh just a lot of stuff to do..:angryfire


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

Good luck to you. I know how frustrating it can be. Your tank looks like it was a beauty once. You can take it there again! Don't give up. It's just water, right?


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

:red_mouth haha ya your right its just water, just some nasty water right now! ha..but it will get better, i think Im going to dose Erythromycin and then tear it all down..ugh i cant wait to get it back! thanks!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

OKAY lets try this out..I just got Erythromycin so i will try to do this...Added the dose on the package..I really hope it works i have more than 50% of my tank covered in BGA..I am going to turn on the co2 here soon also to stimulate the plants to grow again haha..


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

You probably won't see any big change right away. When I did it, it took about 4 days before I noticed the BGA just sort-of shrink, then each day after that a little less until it vanished. Keep the dosing up, in other words...GL


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## Finalplay10 (Jun 29, 2010)

I'm fighting the battle against BGA as well. Definitely want to know how the erythromycin works out for you !


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

It's no mystery really. *IF* it's BGA the erythromycin will kill it thoroughly and completely.


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## radfish (Apr 29, 2011)

I was wondering where everyone's getting their EM from? Is it from the pharmacy? If so, do you need a perscription? Also, I know I need to increase my nitrate levels. I was thininking of using ferts from Rex Rigg. Anybody use his stuff before? Any better suggestions as far as ferts?


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## IxIBluepitIxI (Jan 25, 2011)

I had BGA when i set up my 20 gal erythromycin took care of it. I remember reading that it may destroy your bacterial colony anyone else heard that? 

How is your tank being filtered and when was the last time you cleaned it?


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## IxIBluepitIxI (Jan 25, 2011)

radfish said:


> I was wondering where everyone's getting their EM from? Is it from the pharmacy? If so, do you need a perscription?


Any petstore that sales fish medications will most-likely sell a product that contains erythromycin. API sells a product that is named E.M Erythromycin. Maracyn is a good choice but as stated earlier in this thread make sure the product's name is Maracyn, not Maracyn Plus or Maracyn II.


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## IxIBluepitIxI (Jan 25, 2011)

radfish said:


> I was thininking of using ferts from Rex Rigg. Anybody use his stuff before? Any better suggestions as far as ferts?


If Mr. Rigg is selling again go for it message him first last I read people couldn't contact him to buy anything but that's been months ago so take that for what it's worth, of course things change.

Check out http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/ they sell anything you need as far as ferts go.


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

This is where I get mine:

http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

So seems like my BGA is FINALLY dieing now..i have been treating it for 4 days now and seems to be working great! right now i only have one 50gal hang-on filter, with filter floss, Purigen, and bio balls in it..I have been doing EI dosing with KNO3 also, seems like something is working..prolly both at the same time KNO3 to make sure it WONT come back haha! i cant wait to start over again!


Also blue pit..that is a Frkn gorgeous pit bull!! WOW! one of my fav dogs!

Also one last edit..how do i know when this BGA is COMPLETELY dead? mine is black in color and most of it is turning brown..do i just wait til it is all brown? and will it come back if i dont get every little piece out but maintain a good NO3 balance? because there is ALOT of it in my tank and i was only able to clean ONE HALF of my tank when i did a tank change right before i started treating (like four 3gallon buckets worth! 40+/- % change) , there is just too much to clean, even using the smallest syphon i have which is for like a 10 or 5 gallon tank ha...just wondering ha! thanks!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Oh and bluepit i have heard that many times that it will screw up your bio filter but i have a bunch of products to re-establish it after i am done. plus i just got a new filter that i need to establish it after all this also, so we will see how it works ha!


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

It won't hurt your bio filter.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Really?? how did you find that?


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Ditto to everything m00se has said, including that it won't hurt your bio filter.

The reason some people think it hurts their bio filter is because the dead BGA decomposes, causing a spike in ammonia and nitrites. This is taken as a sign that the good bacteria has been harmed, but what is really happening is there is simply a huge amount of decomposing material in the tank that's not normally there.

The solution is to clean out all the dead material you can every day. Clean out all dead plant material, too. Perform lots of water changes. You have to physically remove the extra dead bacteria so it won't sit and rot in your tank.

You'll know when the BGA is gone. It will literally be GONE. Not a trace of it will be left. It's really pretty amazing at how it doesn't even leave a trace. Plants will need to recover, of course, but you won't see any BGA remnants at all.

Then make sure you keep your water conditions in check and watch out for any areas in the tank that isn't getting good circulation, trimming and moving plants and spraybars as needed. BGA just loves stagnant water with low oxygen and high organic material (which means dead zones in the tank's circulation). This can happen if plants grow so well as to actually block the circulation which may be why your tank went from great to BGA when you stopped maintaining it. The plants didn't get trimmed, that blocked circulation, caused dead zones which allowed organics to build up, and then BGA got a foothold. It happens. The good news is that it's really easy to get rid of and usually doesn't come back.

You may find this an interesting read: http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2006/10/blue-green-algae-bga.html


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Complexity said:


> Ditto to everything m00se has said, including that it won't hurt your bio filter.
> 
> The reason some people think it hurts their bio filter is because the dead BGA decomposes, causing a spike in ammonia and nitrites. This is taken as a sign that the good bacteria has been harmed, but what is really happening is there is simply a huge amount of decomposing material in the tank that's not normally there.
> 
> ...



Okay thanks so much for the info! I think mine is finally dieing off! yeah! :icon_mrgr So we will see where it goes from here! Now i amped up the flow by adding a canister filter to it (Fluval 305) and I am about to receive a powerhead..So that should be enough flow, all i have to do is just keep up NO3 and i pray it wont come back! thanks all! THIS FORUM IS AWESOME!




Finalplay10 said:


> I'm fighting the battle against BGA as well. Definitely want to know how the erythromycin works out for you !


Ya just as M00se said, its not a question of if it will work..It has in the past for me, i had it once before, but not this bad at all...and worked then, i just wasnt sure if it would work this great on like 3/4ths of my tank covered in it! the substrate is the only thing that I am still concerned about, because it was in there pretty bad...so we will see..

THANKS ALL!


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

The reason it disappears is the same reason why when you take an antibiotic the offending bacteria "disappears". It isn't algae. I can't speak to the parameters that are listed above as a possible vector for it's proliferation in aquariums. I can say, and it seems to be a theme repeated over and over again that tanks exposed to sunlight, even a few minutes a day, are prone to getting it.


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## acadialover (Nov 15, 2011)

I have it in my two 5 gallon batta tanks that have only been running about 5 weeks.
I have been changing about half the water every 3 or 4 days. If I dose with Marycn, dO I wait for the full 5 days to do a water change ? do I leave my plants in there ?? I have low filter flow because Betta s do not like lots of current .
Any suggestions ? Thanks for answers.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

m00se said:


> The reason it disappears is the same reason why when you take an antibiotic the offending bacteria "disappears". It isn't algae. I can't speak to the parameters that are listed above as a possible vector for it's proliferation in aquariums. I can say, and it seems to be a theme repeated over and over again that tanks exposed to sunlight, even a few minutes a day, are prone to getting it.


Ya I dont get it, i think it is because my tank hit 0ppm No3 for a long time..because my tank gets absolutely NO sunlight at all..so its a question for me but I do know that I neglected the tank for a while because of girl issues ha..so took me a while to get started on regular maintenance again. but seems like all is well cept i have all this nasty dead BGA lying around..I can only siphion but so much out at a time during tank changes..I HAD SO MUCH BGA! thanks for the help though!



acadialover said:


> I have it in my two 5 gallon betta tanks that have only been running about 5 weeks.
> I have been changing about half the water every 3 or 4 days. If I dose with Marycn, dO I wait for the full 5 days to do a water change ? do I leave my plants in there ?? I have low filter flow because Betta s do not like lots of current .
> Any suggestions ? Thanks for answers.


Yes that's what I did this time and last is dose for the recommened amount on the package..I also dosed a couple times after my tank change just to make sure...ugh i hope it doesn't come back! yes it is plant safe. hmm you might be able to put a bubble stone next to the area to increase flow, though I am not sure if that would help. But i do know for just a little bit of BGA flow helps kill it!


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

sketch804, the other thought I had was that maybe you have lights in the warmer color range - more red than blue - what kind of light bulbs are you using?


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## acadialover (Nov 15, 2011)

m00se said:


> sketch804, the other thought I had was that maybe you have lights in the warmer color range - more red than blue - what kind of light bulbs are you using?


I am using compact flouresent 15 watt, with 6500


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

m00se said:


> sketch804, the other thought I had was that maybe you have lights in the warmer color range - more red than blue - what kind of light bulbs are you using?


Well i did just switch it up because i got a t-5 ho x 4 light..but the bulbs i had was 2 x 6700k, 1 x 10000k, and 1 x full color spectrum (the redish) bulb..now the redish/pink one finally died when i changed fixtures so it was replaced with a 11000k bulb that was origanally in the fixture but it is only temporary til i buy the full spectrum bulb again...idk i think my light temp is a good one, unless you all think other wise...


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

If you use a narrow gauge siphon hose, even a piece of airline tubing, you can vacuum up a lot of dead bga or other small debris, without taking out a lot of water.


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

I had BGA in my 90 pretty bad and it seemed to take off if I was lax with the ferts. That never made sense to me but whatever works. lol It will still show up towards the top of the tank if I put off trimming too long and the surface is covered with overgrown stems. It also makes the water smell musty.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Okay well my BGA is gone completely and vanished after MANY tank changes to siphion all the dead stuff out! unfortunately I unknowingly infected one other tank of mine...but i keep NO3 at a nice level, so hopefully I will be able to control it before it does the same..but ya everything has been taken care of! thanks everyone for all your help!!


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