Please help me kill my BGA!

Hello,

I have a very established 29 gallon planted tank.. About 2 months ago, I
started dosing PMDD... Growth was FANTASTIC for 2 months.. Now suddenly, I
have a major problem with BGA covering everything.. Even after massive
water changes every 2-5 days, and having removed 95% of all of my
plants...it still persists.. I even changed my lighting (it was time to
replace the bulb), and cranked up the CO2 production a bit..

All I could tell was that my KH was a little low (it was 2, and I usually
run it around 4 or 5)... That has been corrected.. but still the BGA
persists..

Ideas for me?

Troy

Shagster wrote:

Now suddenly, I have a major problem with BGA covering everything..
Even after massive water changes every 2-5 days, and having removed
95% of all of my plants...it still persists.

Two approaches...

BGA is a bacteria, so a course of antibacterial treatments with Myacin
will clear your tank pretty well. I just did this a couple of weeks
ago, and my tank looks a LOT better. Note that while this eliminates
the BGA, it doesn't address the underlying causes of it. Which leads to
the other approach...

Do a search on Google groups for Tom Barr, posting with the name
tcbiii. He has detailed a method that involves blackout, which he and
others report very good success with. Look for a thread in
rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants, titled Black Slime Algae, on Oct 28. The
exchange appears heated at a couple of points, but it's actually pretty
informative.


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

Has anyone ever tried dosing Augmentin, or other antibiotic, as an
alternative to Myacin??


"Eric Schreiber" eric at ericschreiber dot com wrote in message
...
Shagster wrote:

Now suddenly, I have a major problem with BGA covering everything..
Even after massive water changes every 2-5 days, and having removed
95% of all of my plants...it still persists.

Two approaches...

BGA is a bacteria, so a course of antibacterial treatments with Myacin
will clear your tank pretty well. I just did this a couple of weeks
ago, and my tank looks a LOT better. Note that while this eliminates
the BGA, it doesn't address the underlying causes of it. Which leads to
the other approach...

Do a search on Google groups for Tom Barr, posting with the name
tcbiii. He has detailed a method that involves blackout, which he and
others report very good success with. Look for a thread in
rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants, titled Black Slime Algae, on Oct 28. The
exchange appears heated at a couple of points, but it's actually pretty
informative.


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

"Shagster" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have a very established 29 gallon planted tank.. About 2 months ago, I
started dosing PMDD... Growth was FANTASTIC for 2 months.. Now suddenly,
I
have a major problem with BGA covering everything.. Even after massive
water changes every 2-5 days, and having removed 95% of all of my
plants...it still persists.. I even changed my lighting (it was time to
replace the bulb), and cranked up the CO2 production a bit..

All I could tell was that my KH was a little low (it was 2, and I usually
run it around 4 or 5)... That has been corrected.. but still the BGA
persists..

Ideas for me?

BGA as in Blue Green slime algae? If you are in the USA go & get yourself
some Maracyn & treat with about a 3/4 dose for 5 days. That should fix it.
Check there are no fish/creatures etc in the tank that will not like it.

rgds

Iain

"Shagster" wrote in message ...
Hello,

I have a very established 29 gallon planted tank.. About 2 months ago, I
started dosing PMDD... Growth was FANTASTIC for 2 months.. Now suddenly, I
have a major problem with BGA covering everything.. Even after massive
water changes every 2-5 days, and having removed 95% of all of my
plants...it still persists.. I even changed my lighting (it was time to
replace the bulb), and cranked up the CO2 production a bit..

All I could tell was that my KH was a little low (it was 2, and I usually
run it around 4 or 5)... That has been corrected.. but still the BGA
persists..

Ideas for me?

Troy

See blackout post I've posted here numerous times.
You ran out of NO3(it bottomed out as far as the plants are
concerned).
You had an increase in growth/biomass etc, then ran out once you had
more plant biomass.

You also needed to add PO4.
PMDD does not include that.

Blackout:
50%water change, turn off CO2/light, cover tank so that 100% of the
light is not coming in, use trash bags(2-3 layers) or towels, add 1/4
teaspoon KNO3,
Wait 3 days.

Do another water change, dose more KNO3 from now on, get some PO4, eg
KH2PO4 of Fleet enema froma drug store also has PO4 in it, dose 2-3m
drops of PO4-2-3x a week. Don't mix with traces(FePO4 will
precipitate)

This will kill the BGA for FREE, take 3 days.
100% effective and also tells you why you got and how to keep if from
coming back.

Antibiotics also work(Cost $, take about the same amount of time, 3-5
days), but do nothing about it coming back again or improves plants
growth, lack of plant growth is why you got it in the first place.

Don't rely on drugs,
Break the habit, be smart, don't start.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Thanks Tom!

" wrote in message
om...
"Shagster" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have a very established 29 gallon planted tank.. About 2 months ago, I
started dosing PMDD... Growth was FANTASTIC for 2 months.. Now
suddenly, I
have a major problem with BGA covering everything.. Even after massive
water changes every 2-5 days, and having removed 95% of all of my
plants...it still persists.. I even changed my lighting (it was time to
replace the bulb), and cranked up the CO2 production a bit..

All I could tell was that my KH was a little low (it was 2, and I usually
run it around 4 or 5)... That has been corrected.. but still the BGA
persists..

Ideas for me?

Troy

See blackout post I've posted here numerous times.
You ran out of NO3(it bottomed out as far as the plants are
concerned).
You had an increase in growth/biomass etc, then ran out once you had
more plant biomass.

You also needed to add PO4.
PMDD does not include that.

Blackout:
50%water change, turn off CO2/light, cover tank so that 100% of the
light is not coming in, use trash bags(2-3 layers) or towels, add 1/4
teaspoon KNO3,
Wait 3 days.

Do another water change, dose more KNO3 from now on, get some PO4, eg
KH2PO4 of Fleet enema froma drug store also has PO4 in it, dose 2-3m
drops of PO4-2-3x a week. Don't mix with traces(FePO4 will
precipitate)

This will kill the BGA for FREE, take 3 days.
100% effective and also tells you why you got and how to keep if from
coming back.

Antibiotics also work(Cost $, take about the same amount of time, 3-5
days), but do nothing about it coming back again or improves plants
growth, lack of plant growth is why you got it in the first place.

Don't rely on drugs,
Break the habit, be smart, don't start.

Regards,
Tom Barr