Blue-green algae

[Joe Barta]

Figured I'd throw this into USENET for posterity...

Used Mardel's Maracyn tablets to combat blue-green algae. Dosage as
instructed on package. Cleared it up easily. The blue-green algae came
back several months later, another treatment worked like a charm.

Freshwater, 55 gal tank, fish & live plants.

Note... use Maracyn, NOT Maracyn II.

Also an observation... the algae seemed to take hold during a heat
wave. Maybe likes a tank that's a little too warm?

- - - -
Blue-green algae desription: More of a creeping coating than an algae.
Coats plants, gravel and some surfaces. Has a deep green color with
slightly bluish cast. Almost reminds me of thick cobwebs. Easily
brushed/vacuumed off most surfaces... comes off in clumps. No matter
how much it's physically removed, it seems to keep coming back.
(Maracyn treatment wipes it out though)

[Iain Miller]

"Joe Barta" > wrote in message
om...
> Figured I'd throw this into USENET for posterity...
>
> Used Mardel's Maracyn tablets to combat blue-green algae. Dosage as
> instructed on package. Cleared it up easily. The blue-green algae came
> back several months later, another treatment worked like a charm.
>
> Freshwater, 55 gal tank, fish & live plants.
>
> Note... use Maracyn, NOT Maracyn II.
>
> Also an observation... the algae seemed to take hold during a heat
> wave. Maybe likes a tank that's a little too warm?
>
> - - - -
> Blue-green algae desription: More of a creeping coating than an algae.
> Coats plants, gravel and some surfaces. Has a deep green color with
> slightly bluish cast. Almost reminds me of thick cobwebs. Easily
> brushed/vacuumed off most surfaces... comes off in clumps. No matter
> how much it's physically removed, it seems to keep coming back.
> (Maracyn treatment wipes it out though)

Cyanobacteria - its not an Algae at all but a Bacteria which is why the
Maracyn will kill it (being an anti-biotic). FWIW a 3/4 dose for about 3
days will usually be enough to kill it off.

Causes of BGA are widely debated - some suggest looking to things like
excess Nitrates & Phosphates.

I.

[Robert Flory]

"Joe Barta" > wrote in message
om...
> Figured I'd throw this into USENET for posterity...
>
> Used Mardel's Maracyn tablets to combat blue-green algae. Dosage as
> instructed on package. Cleared it up easily. The blue-green algae came
> back several months later, another treatment worked like a charm.
>
> Freshwater, 55 gal tank, fish & live plants.
>
> Note... use Maracyn, NOT Maracyn II.
>
> Also an observation... the algae seemed to take hold during a heat
> wave. Maybe likes a tank that's a little too warm?
>
> - - - -
> Blue-green algae desription: More of a creeping coating than an algae.
> Coats plants, gravel and some surfaces. Has a deep green color with
> slightly bluish cast. Almost reminds me of thick cobwebs. Easily
> brushed/vacuumed off most surfaces... comes off in clumps. No matter
> how much it's physically removed, it seems to keep coming back.
> (Maracyn treatment wipes it out though)

Blue green algae are one of the oldest plant forms on the planet.......

Some can grow in water nearly 212 F. They grow in hot springs and such.

Bob

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Blue-green algae
>From: (Joe Barta)
>Date: 8/5/2004 10:53 AM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>Figured I'd throw this into USENET for posterity...
>
>Used Mardel's Maracyn tablets to combat blue-green algae. Dosage as
>instructed on package. Cleared it up easily. The blue-green algae came
>back several months later, another treatment worked like a charm.
>
>Freshwater, 55 gal tank, fish & live plants.
>
>Note... use Maracyn, NOT Maracyn II.
>
>Also an observation... the algae seemed to take hold during a heat
>wave. Maybe likes a tank that's a little too warm?
>
>- - - -
>Blue-green algae desription: More of a creeping coating than an algae.
>Coats plants, gravel and some surfaces. Has a deep green color with
>slightly bluish cast. Almost reminds me of thick cobwebs. Easily
>brushed/vacuumed off most surfaces... comes off in clumps. No matter
>how much it's physically removed, it seems to keep coming back.
>(Maracyn treatment wipes it out though)

We (my town) were lucky enough to now have BG algae in our water supply. = (
Around last December sometimes our village had to do some work on a main well,
(we're "city well"..our town's water comes from several deep and shallow
wells), and used another well to take up the slack...one that they don't
usually get a large % of water from.
Ever since then I have had Bluegreen algae in all of my tanks. No matter how
many times I treat with Erythromicin, it comes back..so why bother putting the
fish through the treatment. So that options out for me.
I treat tanks larger than 1g, with water changes and physically removing as
much as I can with each water change.
As for 1g's (male Betta tanks), I bleach them every other water change. They
get 100% water changes weekly anyway, so it doesn't have a chance to cover
anything like in the larger tanks.
I have told our towns water dept. about the bacteria in our water supply and
that it is a potentially harmful bacteria to humans-depending on the amount in
the water supply...and that most municipalities do *not* test for Cyanobacteria
(Bluegreen algae) in their usual testing. The head of the dept. agreed that
that's not a bacteria that is tested..and then went on to tell me that the
other bacteria levels are all fine.
I guess I had "idiot" on my forehead and didn't realize it. I had just told him
that that is not a bacteria they test for and he agreed, no that they don't
test for that bacteria....so it really doesn't matter at all what the other
bacteria results were.
When doing a bacteria culture the lab is only testing for a certain bacteria.
Not every bacteria in the sample.
I also mentioned to him that I have tried to locate a lab that will test my tap
water for it. However, most labs that test town water supplies do not test for
that bacteria. I hit brick wall after brick wall.
I wonder what our dept head is doing with the information I have given him?
Most likely nothing at all. After all, I did not take many courses water. I am
just a lowly fish keeper.

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Blue-green algae
>From: "Iain Miller"
>Date: 8/5/2004 12:40 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>
>"Joe Barta" > wrote in message
om...
>> Figured I'd throw this into USENET for posterity...
>>
>> Used Mardel's Maracyn tablets to combat blue-green algae. Dosage as
>> instructed on package. Cleared it up easily. The blue-green algae came
>> back several months later, another treatment worked like a charm.
>>
>> Freshwater, 55 gal tank, fish & live plants.
>>
>> Note... use Maracyn, NOT Maracyn II.
>>
>> Also an observation... the algae seemed to take hold during a heat
>> wave. Maybe likes a tank that's a little too warm?
>>
>> - - - -
>> Blue-green algae desription: More of a creeping coating than an algae.
>> Coats plants, gravel and some surfaces. Has a deep green color with
>> slightly bluish cast. Almost reminds me of thick cobwebs. Easily
>> brushed/vacuumed off most surfaces... comes off in clumps. No matter
>> how much it's physically removed, it seems to keep coming back.
>> (Maracyn treatment wipes it out though)
>
>Cyanobacteria - its not an Algae at all but a Bacteria which is why the
>Maracyn will kill it (being an anti-biotic). FWIW a 3/4 dose for about 3
>days will usually be enough to kill it off.
>
>Causes of BGA are widely debated - some suggest looking to things like
>excess Nitrates & Phosphates.
>

The source isn't always inside the tank.
BGA can also be brought in from outside sources.

[Robert Flory]

"TYNK 7" > wrote in message
...
> >Subject: Re: Blue-green algae

> The source isn't always inside the tank.
> BGA can also be brought in from outside sources.
>
BGA is everywhere ..... the closest thing to spontaneous generation I've
ever seen, it literally blows in the wind
Bob

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Blue-green algae
>From: "Robert Flory"
>Date: 8/13/2004 10:27 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>
>"TYNK 7" > wrote in message
...
>> >Subject: Re: Blue-green algae
>
>> The source isn't always inside the tank.
>> BGA can also be brought in from outside sources.
>>
>BGA is everywhere ..... the closest thing to spontaneous generation I've
>ever seen, it literally blows in the wind
>Bob

Spores spores everywhere. = (