How can i make it stop!

[connorlindeman]

I have glanced through the start of this thread, and what was mentioned as being algae became cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria is caused by organics in the presence of light, nothing else. Blackouts work but only temporarily, because the high organic load is still there and will feed cyanobacteria (or problem algae) once light is restored. Reduce the organics. This can involve stocking levels (likely not the issue given the species here), overfeeding, vacuuming the substrate very well at each substantial water change. Light may have to be curtailed, and here intensity and spectrum play into it. Floating plants are very rapid growing and would use nutrients and provide shade. You may already have some, but Vallisneria loves hard water and is native to the rift lakes, and is also fast growing (using more nutrients).

I have floating plants(water sprite, water wisteria)
Only 3 fish in there so they can't be causing much of a problem. I'll try to get some vallisneria. Just did a 50% wc plus vacuum.

 

[connorlindeman]

Should I dose any ferts to help the plants grow faster or will the Cyanobacteria just use it all up to grow?

 

[Colin_T]

the Cyanobacteria will use fertiliser so wait until things settle down.

 

[Byron]

Completely agree. I had cyano twice in my 30 years with fish. Once it was an experimental tank in front of a west window, with no filter or light, so this was no surprise. The other time was in a 4-foot 70g tank heavily (and I mean heavily) planted. I researched and a biologist said it was organics, so I stopped using the liquid fertilizer; I thoroughly cleaned the canister filter, I did 75-80% water changes though still just one every week, and I really dug into the substrate at each. I also removed as much as I could with my fingers before vacuuming it out at the water change (when removed from a surface it sinks to the bottom, easy to suck out). It took several weeks, but it disappeared (each week there was noticeably less) and it never came back.