current recommended antibiotic for cyanobacteria??

[Alice B]

I have two Garras and they dont do a thing to Cyano thats visible.

I try not to get Cyano. I should have picked up my phosphate remover when I was on the north side today. I find it very helpful when cyano appears, but don't have any at my house. One thing is for certain, my plecos are stupid about eating toxic cyano, and any algae eater that isn't that dumb has a better survival chance.

 

[Spyro]

so we have no news on potassium nitrate dosage? And I got some replies in another group. On the one tank I take care of that I've been fighting black cyanobacteria since both their algae eaters died, with phosphate remover and a CO2 generator, I'm getting them either a Panda Garra or 2, or a Siamese (aka Chinese) Algae eater. Tired of the fight, hoping I can save my own albino BN's but no way I am sending one near black cyanobacteria

In that same group I learned a few things which I will share, as this group has older and perhaps wiser fishkeepers in it. The one that cured her tank, reduced light (which I've done), feed less (which I am) and used Flourish. I looked up Flourish Excel on a search and it sounds a bit dangerous but with black cyano or red cyano the fight is so long. It looks like they make a potassium product as well. I may just be adding some things to fight my red cyano instead of just using peroxide and a CO2 generator. Or course one thing Flourish does is to provide carbon, which CO2 does too. I would post a link to Seachem's FAQ on the product but I am not sure if that is ok.

You can't really overdose Potassium to have real negative effect.
So start with small dose and increase accordingly. You just need to monitor your Nitrate levels to not get too high.
I would also stop using any algae killers (if you do) as algae competes with cyanobacteria for nutrients and space to attach itself.

As far as fish goes:
Cyanobacteria is very broad term encompassing thousands of different bacteria species. Some are poisonous to fish some are not. Some the fish won't touch some they'll happily munch on.
In my case (reddish/purplish cyanobacteria):

My Bristlenose and Platy just eat it with no adverse effect. Other fish also takes bites of it.
So much so that I don't even care about it anymore. It's just like algae (food for B Pleco, Platties, etc).
P.S. it might have negative effect in larger quantities (I don't know about that)

It all depends which kind you have.
Seachem excel (liquid carbon) will also kill it. Especially if you target clumps of it and spray it directly with syringe. But that stuff can have some nasty side effects on plants, fish and is carcinogenic.
That could be another option if you can't find Potassium Nitrate:
Target with Excel to suppress the outbreak and see if algae eaters you mentioned will keep cyano down to manageable levels.

Good luck

 

[Alice B]

I found a potassium aquarium additive in my old box of plant stuff from aquarium plant club (which may have disbanded during covid, haven't heard from them). but it also has phosphate in it. It is called Activate for plants and is made by Aquavitro.

And I have found excessive phosphate seems to cause cyanobacteria, most colors of it. When it comes to black cyano, I lost an albino bristlenose and a common pleco in the100 gallon tank I care for from eating it. I've been beating it back with phosphate remover in the canister and a CO2 generator running on sugar and yeast (which is a bit of a nuisance) I actually need a good phosphate kit. I gave one away, deciding between Salifert and ASF. API starts at 1 ppm and I want a more sensitive test.

I'm not sure whether my save or the red cyano killed my albino male, but I have pulled all plecos except the clown pleco (who NEVER cleans anything but his driftwood) out of the tank with red cyano. Not much left, And I have CO2 running - which seems to be what Seachem excel is supposed to be...

I bought a bottle of the Excel before I read that it is carcinogenic. I have a cupboard. I think it is going in it. I and melanoma of the skin have been dancing now and then, don't need carcinogens if not necessary

LFS is supposed to get Panda Garras in about 2 weeks.