Algea problems

[edmlfc]

I have been fighting this blue green black slime algea in Annabelle's tank. I tried the black out, I scrubbed the drift wood and wiped down every single plant leaf. This stuff just keeps coming back and I'm sick of it. It also stinks! I read an article that says to use maracyn to get rid of it. I have the maracyn on order and it should be here by Monday. My question is: Do I just follow the instructions on the box? Or is there a certain way I need to dose it? Please remember that there is a puffer in the tank. I'm not sure how the meds will affect her. I'm sure she will be ok but I'm still a little nervous.

[cichlid1409]

maybe this can help...

http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200204/msg00691.html

[edmlfc]

Wow that is excatly what I have in my tank. The black stuff on the back glass and on some leaves, blue green algea growing on the substrate and that smell..... that horrible smell! It explains it way better than I did. As soon as the maracyn get's here I'm going for it! Thanks so much.

[kwc1974]

I had it and dosed according to the instructions....it came back. I dosed again and doubled the dosage, so far so good. I had shrimp and snails in the tank with no deaths. If you dose higher remember to reintroduce a bactiera addive (bio-spria or something like it) the Algea you have is actually a bactiera and the med will kill all bacterial in the tank, good or bad.

It is a pain, I know.

[manifresh006]

Well i did the black out method and it worked BUTTT after you turn on he lights again it will come back water changes and other things helped but at the end of it all just tor everything out and started again I AM NOT telling you to do the same or even suggesting it but just saying how at the end i got rid of it but the way what kind of substrate do you have in the tank???

[edmlfc]

I have seachem's black onyx sand and regular black sand mixed. I tried putting otto cat's in there to help but Annabelle thought they were a tasty treat. Out of 6 I managed to rescue 3. She was too fast for me. I also tried the black out and it didn't last long before it returned. If I have too I'll move Annabelle into a temp tank double dose and then move her back in.

Which brings me to my next question:
If I have to do the double dose thing and I move the main filter from her tank to use on another tank, when I put the filter back on her tank will the algea return?

[edmlfc]

Here's a few pictures:

My sand



My heater (if you can see it)



The log



Close up of the log

[kwc1974]

Do not move the filter, and if you move the puffer to a temp tank you will have to medicate it as well(low dose). This is a bacteria not an algae. It is in the tank then it is in the filter and puffers digestive tract. Also, you can not have any carbon in the filter. Make sure to do a big water change 24 hours after dose and add a bacteria starter( bio spira).

When I did mine I did not remove any fish and all lived, but I like you would not want to risk the puffer.

[edmlfc]

One more question:
Instead of doing a double dose, did you try extending the treatment for 10 days instead of the normal 5? I'm wondering if that would make a difference.

Bio-spira is not sold in the stores where I'm at, I would have to order it. But I could always pull a sponge from the other tanks canister and put it in that tank to jump start it again. I'm not having this problem in the other tank.

And your right I don't want to risk Annabelle, I just got her healthy. I had to pull her from the brink of death not too long ago. I'm thinking that's what started this whole algea problem.

[edmlfc]

Here's an update: I posted at the puffer forum about the algea problem. They talked me into trying the "natrual" way before dosing with maracyn. I promised I would. I took their suggestions and I think it's working!

I changed my lights. After figuring out how long I really had my lights it turns out it's been over a year. Anyway I changed my lights, I added powerheads and another filter. My tank is 6' long and it seems I had some dead spots. So this is what I did:
maxi jet 1200, rena xp3, powerhead 802, eheim 2213, rena xp3, maxi jet 1200.
I took all the driftwood out & scrubbed all the algea off. I scooped up as much as I could off the sandbed. I cleaned all the glass. I cleaned as much of the plants as I could.

Here are my results:
Some of the BGA came back the very next day on the sand bed. Now those spots are turning brown 6 days later. The plants that still had the BGA on them are also turning brown (algea not plants). There are no signs of BGA on the driftwood or the back glass. I am so excited!
Last time I gave everything a good cleaning it was back within a week. My maracyn came in and I'm holding on to it as a last resort. I wanted to thank everyone that helped.
I'll be doing another large water change tomorrow and I'm going to try and get the rest of the algea off my plants. My tank is looking fantastic again!

[fshfrk]

If you have a sump try a algae scrubber to eat up excess nutrients.

http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm210/johncrowder/?action=view&current=DSCN0765.flv

[edmlfc]

I currently don't have a sump on this tank. But I have thought about putting one on. I'm going to see how it goes for now. Thanks for the tip.

By the way, I used the lights from HD. Saved a ton of money!

[fshfrk]

With the money you saved you could buy Annebelle some more of those tasty treat otto cats.LOL (:

[edmlfc]

Hey, wait a minute, that's not funny!

[mistahoo]

I'm gonna bump this old thread for the sake of not making another algae thread, and to keep clutter away from a B/S/T thread.

You can do a lot to battle algae, the best thing is start where the problem is. Bring down your Phosphate.
Nutrients is good for your plants to grow on. You can get some more plants for your tank also cut down on feedings and important your light exposure.
Lots of times when ppl have to battle algae is because of they cutting corners on investing in the right plants from the beginning.
Cycle your tank from the beginning, having a good biological filter with at least 5x or more turn over on the total volume of your tank.
Not to much live stock (1" of fish per 10gallons to start out with) That is not much but you can ad slowly the livestock to your tank that you want.
Of course don't take me wrong, you ask this question you get different answers.
It work for me for the last 30+ years and I learned from the best (Dutch and German aquariums)
You will learn and sometimes the hard way.
If you have a budget it mind to start a planted tank and you wanna do it the right way triple that budget.
Amano shrimp works only in a established planted tank.
I had plenty in my tanks and yes they do multiply only when they feel happy.
I have them breeding by the hunderds in my koi ponds as many ppl on here know.
Cherrie reds will help you too battle some algea.
Still my advise is battle the phosphate first.
Good luck.

Definitely agree with most of this. I started with some algae problems at the beginning during the cycling phase because the lights were on for too long with no plants. I used two molly fry to produce ammonia for the cycle. It took quite a while to get where my tank is now. After adding the hornwort and all kinds of plants (courtesy of mnemenoi), the algae was being choked by the plants while I had a 12 photoperiod (Photoperiod is still 12hrs as of now). My filter is running way more than 5x turn over rate for the tank it's on (~60-79gph on a 5gal) and it's loaded with bio media and purigen. Definitely start with a little bit of fish and keep from overfeeding. 1" of fish per 10g is a little exaggerating. You could get away with much more at the start. It depends on the waste load of the fish (some produce much less than others). I only planned to spend about $80 on my 5gal, but ended up spending about $200-$250ish over a good period of time (tank was started in September). I slowly added shrimps after the molly fry and then a few guppies. Removed them all and went with new shrimp, a few weeks later added about 16 fish. Right now I have about 32 (?) fish and 14 shrimp in the tank. Yes, I know it's way too overstocked; a lot of the fish are only temporarily being kept in the tank until I have their new setup ready and running. Not experiencing any algae or any problems because the over-filtration and tons of plants. If there is any algae, it gets eaten by the amanos, nerites, and o-cats.