# LOTS of blue-green algae



## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Erythromycin. BGA is a cyanobacteria and erythromycin in an antibiotic. I've successfully treated BGa with it before and it works wonders. Cutting back the photoperiod will help also.

BTW, Otos won't eat the stuff nor will any fish. I believe it's actually toxic to fish.


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## thepresidentsdaughter (Aug 7, 2008)

Thank you! How should I treat with the Erythromycin?


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Mardel makes a product called Maracyn meant to treat bacterial infections in fish. You should be able to find it at most aquarium stores. The active ingredient is erythromycin, and you just follow the instruction on the back of the package


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Hi,

I'm a new user, just stumbled on this forum actually, but I wanted to add to this thread as I have had similar problems with two of my tanks. Also 10 Gal each, low light, nothing special in plants.

I have tried overdosing with Excel - no change at all. Tried the blackout period routine - it did help some, but the BGA started growing again once the lights came back on. I won't make this long - if you want to find out the details, check out my blog: Life in a fish bowl.

In the end what really made the difference was introduction of a small air stone, thus improving water circulation. 

Here is what I would suggest:



Do a large water change and also thoroughly clean up as much BGA as you can, manually. Ie., scape the walls of the tank, clean up the substrate (that can be a bit tricky), scape it off the plant leaves and any equipment in the tank (heater, etc...). At one point I believe I did almost a 90% water change only leaving enough H2O for the fishies to be able to swim submerged.
Add an air stone on the opposite side of the tank from your filter outlet.
And let us know how it worked...

Margaret.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Giving your plants something to eat would help you immensely. BGA comes from a lack of nitrates in the water. So, you either need to dose something like KNO3, or feed your fish more often.


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## Wö£fëñxXx (Dec 2, 2003)

Welcome Margaret, and you are right on, BGA is usually a product
of insufficient air, once you get BGA you have to kill it, with either
a blackout or med's. To keep it gone aerate the tank regularly by
either a stone or surface splash, which ever is easier for you to
pull off.
I prefer surface splash, which only requires me on a daily basis
to raise and lower my pipes to break the surface, without having
to add unsightly components inside my tank.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks for the welcome, Craig. I did use a product to kill the BGA in one of the tanks, but I have a feeling it has also contributed to the demise of a few of my Guppies so I'm very cautious about using it again. It's a product called "UltraLife Reef Products Blue-Green Algae Remover". Worked great but again, not sure how safe it is, especially for fish like Otos and shrimp.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I have used EM tablets (cheaper than Maracyn). I dose them for five days. First day 1 tablet (200mg) per 10 gal. Second to fifth day, 1 tablet per 20 gal. Everyone has different recipes, but this works for me. BGA starts dying off at the 4th day, and is pretty much gone by the 6th day.

In overstocked tanks, need to watch for any ammonium spikes since it might affect the biofilter bacteria. Also a lot of dying BGA might increase the risk of spikes. Mostly it gives plants a good boost though.

Keeping NO3 from zeroing out helps to keep them away.


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Wasserpest,

forgive my ignorance, but what are EM tablets?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

They are made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. EM = Erythromycin. Basically the same stuff as Mardels Maracyn, at a fraction of the price. I have seen them at LFS in this area, should be widely available. Of course you can get them cheaper online, especially with large tanks where you'd need quite a number.


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

Has anyone found out what's in Ultra Life Blue Green Algae Remove? I've used it once and it worked very well. No stress to fish, plants, or shrimp.


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Wasserpest,

thanks, I figured it (EM) out last night - had a huge Eureka moment. :tongue:

MedRed,

am I to assume that you used it with your shrimp and they were ok? What kind of shrimp were they?


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

mdfa.ca... yes I used it with my cherries and amanos. I also had Erios in the tank. It didn't phase anything other than the BGA that was living... and I didn't even do a water change until a week later.


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks, Med. That's good to know if in the future I have to use the product again.


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## ER9 (Aug 2, 2008)

mdfa.ca said:


> Thanks for the welcome, Craig. I did use a product to kill the BGA in one of the tanks, but I have a feeling it has also contributed to the demise of a few of my Guppies so I'm very cautious about using it again. It's a product called "UltraLife Reef Products Blue-Green Algae Remover". Worked great but again, not sure how safe it is, especially for fish like Otos and shrimp.


i used it with otto's and shrimp (crystal reds and amano's) with no problems as well. if you use that product you should step up filtration and run an airstone as i was told the decomposing/dying bacteria can have some effect if left unchecked. that factor might have been what contributed to your fish showing signs of stress or dying.


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