First small signs of BGA

Hi everyone

So I'm relatively new to this fantastic hobby and, with advice off here, things are going well.

I have a 54l tank, 10 neon tetras, 1 zebra nerite and 4 amano shrimp. Two planted Amazon swords and a floating water lettuce. Everything seems nice and happy, fish and others are doing great and I'm a couple of months in now with a fully cycled tank. Water parameters are 0 for ammonia, 0 for nitrite, and about 5 for nitrate.

I've seen a few speckles and a small "cloth" of Blue Green Algae recently. I'm fairly to pretty confident it is this as it matches all descriptions on the web re photos. I've removed most of what I can, albeit it is little bits and very shiny green and slimy!
All that is left to the naked eye is the two very small pieces on the substrate attached - sorry about the picture, but the bright green patches on the gravel is what I can see is left. Like I said, very, very little. (Ignore the rock ornament, it was bought like this and is a green feature to the castle wall if you can make that out in the picture!).

I want to avoid a potential problem, so looking for any advice at this early stage to rid of it/avoid getting it with my current parameters. I understand it's a bacteria, not an algae, so keen to do anything to help. I've got everything fish wise in my tank that I want now, so just want to maintain and look after the fella's in there, and for it to look as best at all times. I don't want an infestation of this stuff!

Any help appreciated, and questions answered of course if necessary! For example, is my nitrate too low? My plants don't really seem to be growing and are a touch brown in parts, but is this contributing to the arrival of BGA?

Thanks

J

I cannot really tell from the photos, but if this was slimy and easily came off in sort of sheets with your fingertips, it is likely cyanobacteria. Cyano is caused by organics in the presence of light. So the first question is, how frequent and what volume are water changes, do you clean into the substrate in open areas, do you keep the filter well cleaned? All the brown gunk in these places are organics. Not overstocking, not overfeeding, and good maintenance should keep it away.

Nitrates can sometimes be indicative of organics but not always. And nitrate at 5 ppm is ideal. Nitrates are detrimental to fish, it all depends upon the level, fish species, and exposure period, but nitrates weaken fish. So keeping them as low as possible will always benefit.

Aquatic plants do not need nitrate, they need ammonia/ammonium as their preferred source of nitrogen. Planted tanks are usually lower in nitrates because the plants take up the ammonia faster than the bacteria with the plus that this does not produce nitrite or then nitrate. If plants are not growing well, it is a matter of light and nutrients. I can't offer much without more data on both, and a photo of the entire tank.

Hi Byron

Thanks for this.
I've attached a picture of my full tank.

I do a 15l water change (54l tank) every week, and clean the open gravel at the same time and wipe down the glass. Filter on the right has been squeezed and rinsed in tank water twice since purchased - 2 months ago. Casing has had nothing as of yet. Big standalone sponge is new in the past week as looking to get bigger tank in the next couple of months and I heard that shrimps love them. I don't mind the look, I quite like my tank to be fair!

My water is soft, ph is 6.8-7.0, hardness about 7.

Hope this info helps. Maybe I don't have a problem, I just thought the sight of it full stop my mean there is a problem...!

J

Forgot to add the picture!

JPW003 said:

Hi Byron

Thanks for this.
I've attached a picture of my full tank.

I do a 15l water change (54l tank) every week, and clean the open gravel at the same time and wipe down the glass. Filter on the right has been squeezed and rinsed in tank water twice since purchased - 2 months ago. Casing has had nothing as of yet. Big standalone sponge is new in the past week as looking to get bigger tank in the next couple of months and I heard that shrimps love them. I don't mind the look, I quite like my tank to be fair!

My water is soft, ph is 6.8-7.0, hardness about 7.

Hope this info helps. Maybe I don't have a problem, I just thought the sight of it full stop my mean there is a problem...!

J

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Yes, cyanobacteria is sign of a problem, but should be easy to rectify. I have dealt with it twice, maybe three times, in the same tank, but haven't had it for several years now.

I would rinse the filter at every water change. And I would increase the volume to at least half the tank, so around 50-70% of the tank volume (meaning the water you see in the tank, as substrate and decor displace some).

How long each day is the tank light on? And do you have data on it?

Thanks again.

Rinse both filters then (in the changed tank water of course) ? I presume this won't rid of any harmful bacteria?

9 hours a day the lights are on, upped it an hour recently to see if I could get some plant growth.

It's a basic hood light (6500Kelvin 6w LED that came with the Aquael Leddy 54l), so minimal but hopefully sufficient for what I have.

Thanks Byron.

J

JPW003 said:

Rinse both filters then (in the changed tank water of course) ? I presume this won't rid of any harmful bacteria?

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In new tanks with inexperienced aquarist, we advise tank water rinsing, but I have not done this in over 30 years. My sponge filters are rinsed under the tap every week. This tank has been running for a couple months so you have a good colony of various bacteria including nitrifying in the substrate. And rinsing alone is not going to dislodge bacteria from sponges or the substrate grains (when you vacuum it). Bacteria is very sticky and adheres to surfaces quite well. And, if chlorine is all you have in the water, it is not likely to kill the bacteria anyway, unless it is very high and over a longer period of time than just squeezing the sponges out a few times. I tend to squeeze them under the running tap until they run clear, or almost as clear as the tap water.

In a tank like the one pictured that is not overstocked or even close to it, and has live plants, you could disconnect the filter or take it out and would be none the worse, so there is no point worrying about tap water rinsing of the sponge filter.

JPW003 said:

9 hours a day the lights are on, upped it an hour recently to see if I could get some plant growth.

It's a basic hood light (6500Kelvin 6w LED that came with the Aquael Leddy 54l), so minimal but hopefully sufficient for what I have.

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The light is good for plants (6500K), and should not be too bright, though my knowledge of LED is minimal. Have it on a timer so it is on/off the same time every day, this benefits fish as well as plants. An hour less might be OK; my tanks are on 7 hours daily and I never have algae issues any longer. I also have floating plants, something I would suggest here (I see one in the right rear corner). White substrate reflects light, which is hard on fish and brightens the tank which can encourage algae and cyano.

Are you using any plant additives? Echinodorus plants (swords) are heavy feeeders, and substrate tabs (Flourish Tabs are the best) really do benefit them, plus the nutrients do not get into the upper water column so algae (and cyano) are not encouraged.

I never thought to rinse the sponges in tap water, so could try that. Makes sense.

I use the Seacham supplement tabs - got six spaced out evenly under the gravel. Had them in for four weeks now.

And you're right, got a water lettuce in there that is thriving!

That's the thing... everything else appears okay. No losses, fish are healthy and happy, snail and shrimp are active, plants admittedly haven't yet taken off, but should in time. Just don't want this bloody thing to ruin it all. I've adopted the hobby, love it, have developed a passion for it now, and want the BGA to just go away!

J

JPW003 said:

I never thought to rinse the sponges in tap water, so could try that. Makes sense.

I use the Seacham supplement tabs - got six spaced out evenly under the gravel. Had them in for four weeks now.

And you're right, got a water lettuce in there that is thriving!

That's the thing... everything else appears okay. No losses, fish are healthy and happy, snail and shrimp are active, plants admittedly haven't yet taken off, but should in time. Just don't want this bloody thing to ruin it all. I've adopted the hobby, love it, have developed a passion for it now, and want the BGA to just go away!

J

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The Flourish Tabs don't need to be all over, just next to plants that will benefit. One tab next to each of the swords in the rear corners, replaced every 3 months, maybe 4 months, depending upon the GH. I replace them every three because I have zero GH and the swords show calcium deficiencies otherwise. These also allow me to reduce liquid fertilizer which further discourages algae (and cyano for that matter). The several tabs might actually contribute to algae/cyano if they are just sitting there (?).

At this juncture, increase floating plants (Water Lettuce will begin reproducing once settled, you may need a liquid fert like Flourish Comprehensive Supplement though, minimally), reduce light period one hour. Maintain substantial weekly water changes, should be fine.

Very nice looking tank,I like the moss balls. I have them in all my tanks. @Byron is a great source for information, I use flourish tabs too, just one by the roots of each plant and flourish Comp. for my plants that draw what they need from the water like my ferns and anachris. You may want to add fast growing plants like anacharis or water sprite. They look good and are easy to care for and are good at absorbing ammonia. I also have a shoal of neon tetra in my 55 gallon tetra tank

Thanks for all your advice Byron, I'll do just that.

Aside filter rinses, I'll rid of the 4 other tabs, just in case. You're right. I do have some Flourish but wondered if I needed it with the tabs, so will dose very minimally.

I'll up the water changes to 50% weekly and keep up the cleaning and see if it reduces or disappears. Fingers crossed.

My water lettuce has already sprouted two new siblings who have ventured off alone so I might just stick with the one so far! Seems to love my tank that water lettuce!

J

Retired Viking said:

Very nice looking tank,I like the moss balls. I have them in all my tanks. @Byron is a great source for information, I use flourish tabs too, just one by the roots of each plant and flourish Comp. for my plants that draw what they need from the water like my ferns and anachris. You may want to add fast growing plants like anacharis or water sprite. They look good and are easy to care for and are good at absorbing ammonia. I also have a shoal of neon tetra in my 55 gallon tetra tank

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Awww, thank you! I don;t think it's much but my children wanted it like that so you do as you're told, don't you! Everyone usually comments on the 2 lego guys that were mandatory!
I'm going to get a big tank for downstairs as I'm now hooked, pardon the pun. I don;t have the room for a 55, but a 125l will fit perfectly in the space I have set in the next couple of months. Juwel or Fluval, which do you think it best?!

Shrimps love those moss balls!

J

JPW003 said:

My water lettuce has already sprouted two new siblings who have ventured off alone so I might just stick with the one so far! Seems to love my tank that water lettuce!

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Good. This is what it looks like when it covers the surface, as it did in a couple of my tanks when I let it.

Wow.

What's that grass like plant in the base? Sagittaria Subulata?

Byron said:

Good. This is what it looks like when it covers the surface, as it did in a couple of my tanks when I let it.

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Sorry, 100 questions! Is that Frogbit at the top too?

J