Help Please... Algaegeddon !

[StevenF]

Like Rooster I also have been struggling with algae.  First it was a hair algae issue. But dispite all my efforts hair algae remained and Cyanobacteria and green spot algae also appeared. The duckweed in my aquarium slowly died and my plants were growing very slowly or not .  at all At one point I purchased a phosphate test kit and discovered\ phosphate were high.   Don't know how it got high but cycling more water got phosphate down,perked up the plants, and unfortunately it also speeded up the growth of Algae.  
 
Then I read this post   I did have heavy mulm buildup in the gravel but I didn't think that was a problem.  I started vacuuming it out and.  After a week of several water cycles with vacuuming the substrate the algae growth has slowed dramatically.  Green spot algae disappeared hair algae slowed dramatically but Cyanobacteria was still there.  I am now 3 week in and things are still slowly improving.  
 
I personally don't think it is strictly a organic issue.  In my case I think I had a lot of phosphate  in the mulm that was in a form the test kit wasn't detecting.   In any case removing the mulm has helped out a lot.

 

[Rooster]

@Stevenf
 
Dont forget to clean your filter... as soon as you start disturbing the gunk - thats the first place it heads for !
 
Mine was clogged within a day or so during the blitz....

 

[StevenF]

Yes a clogged filter can be a pain, but my plants have done well enough at removing nitrogen that I removed the filter some time ago.  Now I just have a pump to circulate and  aerate the water.  The pump just has a screen to stop any large derbies from getting in.  That might also explain why I had so much mulm.  

 

[Byron]

Like Rooster I also have been struggling with algae.  First it was a hair algae issue. But dispite all my efforts hair algae remained and Cyanobacteria and green spot algae also appeared. The duckweed in my aquarium slowly died and my plants were growing very slowly or not .  at all At one point I purchased a phosphate test kit and discovered\ phosphate were high.   Don't know how it got high but cycling more water got phosphate down,perked up the plants, and unfortunately it also speeded up the growth of Algae.  
 
Then I read this post   I did have heavy mulm buildup in the gravel but I didn't think that was a problem.  I started vacuuming it out and.  After a week of several water cycles with vacuuming the substrate the algae growth has slowed dramatically.  Green spot algae disappeared hair algae slowed dramatically but Cyanobacteria was still there.  I am now 3 week in and things are still slowly improving.  
 
I personally don't think it is strictly a organic issue.  In my case I think I had a lot of phosphate  in the mulm that was in a form the test kit wasn't detecting.   In any case removing the mulm has helped out a lot.

 
The "gunk" in the substrate is pure organics, so removing that will (or should) affect the cyano directly, though once this has appeared it can be stubborn.  I have twice completely removed it from the same aquarium solely by increased "cleaning" of substrate and/or filter, with 50-60% water changes weekly, and limiting fertilizers.  Resorting to antibiotics as some will recommend is not wise, as these affect various bacteria, fish and the bioogical system in many ways that can easily cause other problems.
 
Algae can take advantage of almost anything that causes a change in the balance.  But organics will certainly feed it too.  It is difficult if not impossible to test for any substance, such as phosphates, and conclude that is the cause.  Phosphates will rise with excess nutrients, organics, etc., so again it is wisest to target the underlying cause, not one aspect.  Your vacuuming with water changes did just that, hence the improvement.  Testing nitrates and pH can sometimes help with this, but of course the goal is to prevent, not remedy after the fact.
 
Byron.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

A troublesome spot of cyanobacteria can be spot treated with hydrogen peroxide...  You need to turn off the pump though, as you want the water to be calm during the treatment.  Depending on the size of your tank, how much can be used safely with your fish.  But a few mls of H2O2 shot directly onto the BGA kills it completely in that spot.  
 
(Using a small amount also will not affect any nitrifying bacteria in the tank at large, though it will kill some near the treatment area.)
 
But, this is not a method to 'fix the problem' or to be used too frequently... but once the cause is taken care of, it can eliminate any stubborn spots quickly and easily.   (I would recommend removing as much as possible manually first, and just using the H2O2 on any that remains after that.

 

[Rooster]

A troublesome spot of cyanobacteria can be spot treated with hydrogen peroxide...  You need to turn off the pump though, as you want the water to be calm during the treatment.  Depending on the size of your tank, how much can be used safely with your fish.  But a few mls of H2O2 shot directly onto the BGA kills it completely in that spot.  
 
(Using a small amount also will not affect any nitrifying bacteria in the tank at large, though it will kill some near the treatment area.)
 
But, this is not a method to 'fix the problem' or to be used too frequently... but once the cause is taken care of, it can eliminate any stubborn spots quickly and easily.   (I would recommend removing as much as possible manually first, and just using the H2O2 on any that remains after that.

 
Thats what Ive been doing...  I bought a bottle of 9% H2O2 and dilute that 3:1 with tank water, then "wash" the patches with a syringe... very effective it is too, but not a cure.