Bga - Yuk!

[Taybird]

Hey all,

I'm a transferee from the Betta forum, turned my betta tank (One female) into a planted community tank.

I've got an 'algae' problem. I know that because it's BGA, it's actually a bacteria, not an actual algae.
Please see the yummy picture of the gunk that's stuck to my plants.



I've read that the choices are to medicate (Maracyn?) or to adjust CO2 and do a black-out period. My question is this: Has anyone else out there battled with this stuff, and how did YOU make it go away?

I've got a 10gal fully cycled freshwater tank. NH2, Ni, Na are normal, don't know how to check C02 content.

 

[lljdma06]

What is your lighting level and how long do you have the lights on?

By the way, welcome to planted.

 

[revilo88]

Well i tried absolutely everything "environmental". Nothing worked so maracyn was the only decision really, wiped it all out in about 2 days and hasnt returned for over 6 months now.

 

[Taybird]

lljdma, I don't know what the bulb is... it's supposed to be 'plant friendly' (it came with the tank)
My photo period is about 10 hrs. The tank is in a room that gets a lot of (indirect) sunlight, so yesterday, after picking/skimming/sucking the stuff off my plants, I put up a bit of background stuff to shield that side of the tank from the window. I don't expect it to solve the problem, but it might help.

 

[RadaR]

BGA is non CO2 related.
There are several other causes though.
Excess light (sunlight)
Low Nitrates
Dirty gravels/dirty fitlers that leach ammonia (concentrations low enough to not harm fish, but high enough to trigger algae blooms).
Flow/circulation.

One by one address these issues and you should get rid of BGA.
Treating the underlying cause is always better than a silver bullet, which is why I don't reccomend anti-biotics.

 

[lljdma06]

BGA is non CO2 related.
There are several other causes though.
Excess light (sunlight)
Low Nitrates
Dirty gravels/dirty fitlers that leach ammonia (concentrations low enough to not harm fish, but high enough to trigger algae blooms).
Flow/circulation.

One by one address these issues and you should get rid of BGA.
Treating the underlying cause is always better than a silver bullet, which is why I don't reccomend anti-biotics.

Agree, do not use the anti-biotics. It will go away happily if you address the above causes that RadaR laid out. The panel to protect it from sunlight is a good start.

 

[Taybird]

Cool, I'm glad we're on the same page. I am not super-pumped about the idea of throwing antibiotics into the tank (also, I have 2 ghost shrimp, and finding a home for them while medicating is a pain in my.,...)

I will address
Flow/circulation - I have had a current killer over the output of my filter, because when my fish were small, it was too strong for them.
Excess light - by 1) shortening my photo period and 2) as mentioned above, rigging my 'background' to protect the tank from direct light.
Dirty gravel/Filter - changed my gravel today (it was an ugly colour), changed out 50% water (trying to keep some semblance of an ecosystem in there.
Nitrates -..... how does one deal with low nitrates?

Many thanks!
Tay

 

[lljdma06]

Nitrates -..... how does one deal with low nitrates?

By adding them. Most of us here will dose macro nutrients, Potassium, Nitrates, and Phosphorus in planted tanks. I know, this is not what is normally heard in the other areas of the forum, but when you add plants, especially at denser levels, this become needed. The plants need nutrients too.

I use TPN+, or there are recipes to make your own macros in PARC

llj