# Treatments for slime/smear algae?



## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

If the "slime" algae is blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) nothing is going to eat it for you. I fought BGA in one of my tanks for so long it is embarrassing (well over a year) and as far as I know there are only two good ways of getting it out of the tank. You can use the antibiotic erythromycin or you can do a complete blackout of the tank. By complete I mean cover the entire tank with a thick blanket for three days and don't take it off. I used both methods and I found the blackout method just as effective and cheaper to boot (not to mention safer).

In the end, you will need to figure out what is out of balance in your tank however. If you don't, the algae will simply come back again until you do. This is doubly true with BGA, as that is an organism that is literally present everywhere and will be more than happy to become a problem again if conditions favor it.

Siamensis will eat hair algae if you are looking for a critter solution to that one.

Dave


----------



## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

Thanks. I have the BGA, thats what it is called right? I'll check my param soon (saturday) and from monday thru thursday i'll do the black out. (does that mean no feeding?) By the way, what is siamensis?


----------



## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

For the blackout, go with no feeding and no CO2 if you are adding that. After the three days are up, do a nice large waterchange to get the dead BGA out of the tank.

Siamensis = Siamese Algae Eater, a popular algae eating fish. 

I can tell you that finding the root cause for algae problems can be frustrating. Believe it or not, but once I added more fish to my tank the BGA went away for good. I am guessing I had a lack of nitrates. Perhaps you have the same issue. If you can give more tank specifics (size, fertilization, stocking levels, etc.) perhaps people here can give a better opinion on what might help in the long run.

Dave


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

ATM this tank has been underfiltered and overstocked- I personally suspect that with your new filter the improved water circulation + the reduced lighting should help. Poor water circulation is a major trigger for BGA.


----------



## Lambasted (Apr 9, 2008)

common pond snails / ramshorn snails eat blue-green algae. They won't solve an existing problem, but they can be part of a maintenance solution in a well-kept tank.


----------



## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

Well i have a bubble wand going and it gives major flow but i can't turn it on too high because my angelfishes fins will get ripped. i am going to get the filter in a month or less.


----------



## icom (Mar 14, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Poor water circulation is a major trigger for BGA.


_I'm with ashappar..._

_almost all of the BGA in my 55 is right in the spray bar discharge and the HOB dump,both obviously have lots of "current"_


----------



## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

well i need to check my param. 2 days because i have lots of free time then.


----------



## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

Don't bother checking your parameters until after you have treated for BGA. From my experience, once you have a full blown outbreak it is darned near impossible to get a grip on your nitrates because the algae is quickly consuming as much of it as possible. Try to get the algae cleaned out and then start taking frequent readings and you should start to see a trend.

I agree somewhat with earlier statements about flow and BGA. I think good water flow helps in keeping the BGA in check from the start, but once you get a bad infestation it can and will grow anywhere. I think a lot of tanks have small patches of BGA in corners and perhaps where plants are up against the glass (low flow areas) but it rarely becomes a full blown outbreak, quite possibly due to good water flow elsewhere.

Dave


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

That's a good point about waiting to check params after removing the BGA...


----------



## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

So should i put a blanket on it tonight and leave it their till tuesday?


----------



## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

Start with a decent waterchange to remove as much of the BGA as you can first. When you do the blackout and the BGA dies, it will be a bit messy, so removing as much beforehand is a good idea. Once you are finished, cover the tank and leave it covered for at least three full days. Go three and a half or four if you need to, it won't hurt anything.

When you uncover the tank, you will need to do another good sized waterchange to remove the dead BGA, much of which will have become suspended in the water. Remove what you can and let your filter get the rest. Clean the filter once the water looks clear and things will be back to normal.

Dave


----------



## Guest (Feb 2, 2014)

Hello! First time user/poster here.

I have the BGA issue as well (thus my google search taking me to this thread). One question re the complete 3 day blackout. In addition to some established plants I'm fond of, I have several dozen neon tetras, a couple clown loaches and some random other finned critters. Will the blackout hurt them?

Thanks!


----------

