# H2O2 against BGA, full tank treatment



## Iwagumist (Jan 4, 2016)

I have a HEAVILY planted 30 gal and it is really struggling with Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), which is covering the leaves of my plants, gravel etc. I researched and almost decided to spot treat with H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) at 1 ml per gal (30 ml), when I came across a delima... almost all the leaves in my tank have at least a small layer of BGA on them. So, should I still just spot treat or should I treat the entire tank? If I did teat the entire tank, how much do I use per gal, do I need to turn off the filter to keep it from killing the good bacteria, and will it harm my fish plants and nerite snails? Any experiences, opinions, and/or informative websites are more than welcome! :grin2:


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## denske (Feb 20, 2013)

Dont use h2o2, bga can easily be dealt with a product called Eromathacyn (sp?) its worked every time for me.


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## mgm53 (Jan 9, 2016)

Erythromycin works great, but it can be costly and 3 doses are usually needed. As an antibiotic it will affect the bacterial balance in the tank.
Chemiclean also works. Many say its only for salt water but it has been fine in my freshwater tanks. It is much less expensive but requires about 1-2 weeks before fully controlled. Need to do water changes and watch ammonia as the dead algae is now decaying in the water.
I haven't used it but have also heard that Ultra-life is a product which work very well. Might be harder to find locally though. I think once you get it under control and watch for any new algae, it becomes less of a problem.


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## Iwagumist (Jan 4, 2016)

Thanks guys! Although those methods are great I really want to use H2O2 because it is fast and cheap (not to mention I already have some :grin2 If anyone has any experience with the full tank method I would love to be taught how!


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## max88 (Jun 22, 2013)

If you want to use H2O2, check out this http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/23-algae/203684-one-two-punch-whole-tank-algae-treatment.html

I did this yesterday, by moving all fish to another tank. Now waiting to see the results.


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## Iwagumist (Jan 4, 2016)

I actually already tried that with only two tbsp per ten gallons with all the fish still in the tank. I provided good flow and there were no signs of fish stress. I am going to try it again today with 3 tbsp per gallon (one less tbsp than the max).


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## thedood (May 30, 2015)

Have you tried a blackout of the whole tank? Cyano cannot survive without light and a blackout would be an alternative to chemicals. Ive done a lot of research on cyano as I have one tank that it has always been a problem and by problem I mean sheets of the stuff forming on the glass at one time. If you look at the 75g in my signature and look through the pics you can see some cyano between the glass and sand in the front. I'm going to deal with that by placing cardboard over the lower front of the tank and sealing it off from light.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

+1 for the blackout. 5-6 days in total darkness and the BGA that was plaguing my 10g was all gone in under a week.


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## Iwagumist (Jan 4, 2016)

will a blackout damage the plants?


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Depends on the specific plants but most will do fine. Hardy plants like anubias, crypts, mosses, java ferns, and buces will shrug it off. My hygros were unaffected as well. Plants in shipment can go through 5-6 shipping days at most in complete darkness and they do alright.


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## Iwagumist (Jan 4, 2016)

alright. thanks!


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

What are you dosing for fertilizers? BGA uses some of the same nutrients as plants, but in particular, if iron is high, it's able to utilize it for rapid growth.


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## Iwagumist (Jan 4, 2016)

I am using osmocote tabs and flourish for a liquid fert. I am not dosing iron in particular.


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## thedood (May 30, 2015)

Make sure if you do the blackout it is a total blackout no light 0 nada. Good luck. I HATE dealing with cyano.


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

Flourish contains a lot of iron.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

Blackout will crush BGA harder than most other algaes. Of course BGA is technically not an algae so it is at even more of a disadvantage when it does not receive light. Algae is generally quite hardy and most species can survive blackouts.

I personally have had success using H2O2 on SMALL patches of BGA. For larger infestations I think a blackout would be most successful.
Generally I get BGA when my tank is dirty... If I slack off on water changes/don't clean the tank out well enough/don't clean my filters often enough. A dirty tank coupled with higher levels of light usually leads to some of this stuff popping up. It WILL go away on its own too if you clean your tank up nice. IMO it is very easy to keep controlled and eradicate once it pops up. Others seem to struggle with it though


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## max88 (Jun 22, 2013)

max88 said:


> If you want to use H2O2, check out this http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/23-algae/203684-one-two-punch-whole-tank-algae-treatment.html
> 
> I did this yesterday, by moving all fish to another tank. Now waiting to see the results.


Result is posted here :http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/8895322-post456.html



max88 said:


> Did the one-two punches on Feb 06, 2016. Most algae have disappeared. The side effects caused a goldfish's death.
> This is the list of steps done on a 56G tank:
> 1. Move all fish (6 goldfish and 1 Siamese Algae Eater), and 20% filter media, to another tank.
> 2. Move the remaining 80% filter media to a bucket with existing tank water.
> ...


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