Re: Green slime algae

[Graham Broadbridge]

If the tank was stable before, something must have changed.

Allgae is caused primarily by excess nutrients. New brand of food?
Letting kids feed the fish?


Graham.

"Tom J. Pappas" > wrote in message
om...
> I have a question about my freshwater aquarium, that I'm hoping
> someone can answer. I've had it up and going for 10 years. The last 3
> or 4 months, I've had a problem with a slimy green algae. It grows on
> the artificial plants, driftwood, rocks, and gravel. I have no real
> plants.
>
> I clean the tank once per month. I remove about 30% of the water. Then
> I stir up the gravel and vacuum it. After that I wipe the glass. I
> empty and clean the carbon container, add fresh charcoal, and replace
> the foam sleeve. Water temp is a constant 78 degrees.
>
> I just did all of the above 3 days ago and algae is already forming
> again!!!
>
> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Tom

[Velvet]

"Racf" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Tom J. Pappas" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I have a question about my freshwater aquarium, that I'm hoping
> > someone can answer. I've had it up and going for 10 years. The last 3
> > or 4 months, I've had a problem with a slimy green algae. It grows on
> > the artificial plants, driftwood, rocks, and gravel. I have no real
> > plants.
> >
> > I clean the tank once per month. I remove about 30% of the water. Then
> > I stir up the gravel and vacuum it. After that I wipe the glass. I
> > empty and clean the carbon container, add fresh charcoal, and replace
> > the foam sleeve. Water temp is a constant 78 degrees.
> >
> > I just did all of the above 3 days ago and algae is already forming
> > again!!!
> >
> > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Tom
>
> Sounds like cynobacyeria (I probably misspelled that) or BGA. Search
> google for that or perhaps someone with expertise can comment on it from
> the plant guys...so I will crosspost for you..... Its a nutrient issue.
>
> PS. I would do a lot more water changes than you are to get the
> build-up out of there.......Just 25% at a time about 6 times over a few
> days......thats me though....
>
>

I've had this. The solution seemed to be a few days of total blackout to
knock back the BGA, repeated every week if it reappeared. Coupled with
that, I planted more plants, and let the duckweed cover more surface,
cutting down a bit of light. I have CO2 but not regular or high-volumes of
it (its manually injected into a bellchamber on a daily/as I remember
basis). Initially saw BGA a few weeks into tank life, lasted a couple of
months, been free of it ever since. It seems to dislike the exits of
filters, and to that end I ditched my (lovely) internal 3-stage filters (2
of) and moved to an external canister, but didn't see a recurrance down the
far end of the tank away from the filter exit.

Tank is fairly heavily stocked both fish and plant wise, but seems to be in
equilibrium - only get very occasional bit of black/green hair algae near
the filter exit.

Velvet

[willis stanley]

In article >,
says...
>
> "Tom J. Pappas" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I have a question about my freshwater aquarium, that I'm hoping
> > someone can answer. I've had it up and going for 10 years. The last 3
> > or 4 months, I've had a problem with a slimy green algae. It grows on
> > the artificial plants, driftwood, rocks, and gravel. I have no real
> > plants.
> >
> > I clean the tank once per month. I remove about 30% of the water. Then
> > I stir up the gravel and vacuum it. After that I wipe the glass. I
> > empty and clean the carbon container, add fresh charcoal, and replace
> > the foam sleeve. Water temp is a constant 78 degrees.
> >
> > I just did all of the above 3 days ago and algae is already forming
> > again!!!
> >
> > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Tom
>
> Sounds like cynobacyeria (I probably misspelled that) or BGA. Search
> google for that or perhaps someone with expertise can comment on it from
> the plant guys...so I will crosspost for you..... Its a nutrient issue.
>
> PS. I would do a lot more water changes than you are to get the
> build-up out of there.......Just 25% at a time about 6 times over a few
> days......thats me though....
>
>
>
Small (I repeat small) doses of hydrogen peroxide applied directly to
the slime w/ an eyedropper will kill the slime producing bacteria.
you'll probably see a few bubbles and in a while the slime look like
it's curling up. vac the slime out and repeat until it doesn't come
back. I've done this directly to slime on plants with no damage to the
plant (hygro) underneath. I don't have any snails, shrimp etc. in this
tank so I don't know about their sensitivities but my rainbows, pleco &
krib weren't phased a bit.

[[email protected]]

(Tom J. Pappas) wrote in message >...
> I have a question about my freshwater aquarium, that I'm hoping
> someone can answer. I've had it up and going for 10 years. The last 3
> or 4 months, I've had a problem with a slimy green algae. It grows on
> the artificial plants, driftwood, rocks, and gravel. I have no real
> plants.
>
> I clean the tank once per month. I remove about 30% of the water. Then
> I stir up the gravel and vacuum it. After that I wipe the glass. I
> empty and clean the carbon container, add fresh charcoal, and replace
> the foam sleeve. Water temp is a constant 78 degrees.
>
> I just did all of the above 3 days ago and algae is already forming
> again!!!
>
> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Tom

Blackout is the cheapest easiest route.
Doa 50% water change before and pick off all you can, then cover the
tank well with trash bags/towels etc for 3-5 days. Do a 50% water
change when you turn the lights back on.
Clean your filter and do more water changes(25-50% weekly is good).

Your fish will thank you.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Mephistopheles]

(Tom J. Pappas) wrote in
om:

> I have a question about my freshwater aquarium, that I'm hoping
> someone can answer. I've had it up and going for 10 years. The last 3
> or 4 months, I've had a problem with a slimy green algae. It grows on
> the artificial plants, driftwood, rocks, and gravel. I have no real
> plants.
>
> I clean the tank once per month. I remove about 30% of the water. Then
> I stir up the gravel and vacuum it. After that I wipe the glass. I
> empty and clean the carbon container, add fresh charcoal, and replace
> the foam sleeve. Water temp is a constant 78 degrees.
>
> I just did all of the above 3 days ago and algae is already forming
> again!!!
>
> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Tom

I have eliminated some strains of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), by
treating with the antibiotic erythromycin (available in the fish trade
under the brand name Maracyn, among others). But some strains seem to be
resistant to this treatment. Of course, use antibiotics carefully to
avoid creating resistant strains yourself.

Meph