It’s both slimy and stinky, giving off an unpleasant fishy odor. Ian, So, how do you get rid of blue-green algae? The next one is erythromycin. I know they are sensitive to medications. Well, unlike true algae and plants, they are capable of fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere dissolved in aquarium water into forms that they need to grow, namely ammonia and nitrate. Skin contact may irritate as well, so make sure to remove contaminated clothing and rinse any exposed areas. Otto was dead in a week as well as some tetra. Today, I am going to take you through the different ways you can get rid of blue-green algae. Meaning there are traces of algae left behind, and it … Remove as much blue-green algae as possible. While blue-green algae typically appears in planted tanks, it has also been spotted in tanks without live plants. But if left untreated, blue-green algae will spread, creating thin sheets of slime. Next you should carefully scrub and scrape the glass of your tank. If this is the case, you may need to pre-treat your water or find an alternate source. So, if you are not careful with how you remove it, you could be helping the blue-green algae spread faster than before. thanks so much. The only place the blue green is really problematic so far is on my mosses (fissidens fontanus) since I can’t manually remove it from there without ripping out the moss in the process. I think that a probiotic treatment is a legitimate method to treat CBA theoretically. I’ve been fighting it for months…This stuff keeps coming back! While its exact causes are not clear, it can be removed without too much difficulty using the methods listed in this guide. From my experience, fish are generally smart enough not to eat the stuff. My 3 Tanks are always cleaned regularly. I have a 55 gallon aquarium..with a marine lab filter made for a 100 gal tank….with one 12 year old flying fox and a variety of young barbs. Blue-Green Algae grow fast and cover everything in sight, coming off in sheets when attempting their removal. I then had an outbreak of this blue green disgusting ‘algea’ a few months after I set this tank up. Your fish won’t actually eat it. Facts about blue-green algae. Those issues, as well as the blue-green algae appearance, sound like a water quality problem. Recurring blue-green algae is something that has me stumped as I have never observed it first hand, after a successful eradication. Thanks so much for your helpful article and advice. I can’t find my notes from the last time I battled bga but I’m pretty sure I used a second dose too. I doubt it – not without lots of places where denitrifying, anaerobic bacteria could get established in a tank. Anecdotally, I’ve handled the stuff in my tank and thoroughly washed my hands with soap afterwards. And to avoid any confusion, I’m going to refer to it by what it looks like – in this case, blue-green algae. No noticable change in water parameters yet. When I say it can cover everything in sight, I mean everything including the substrate of your tank and can accumulate as a foamy scum at the surface of the water. It was after reading this article that I sent to the US for the UltraLife product. And as it does, it will cover your plants in a slimy film that is thick enough to block out light. Over 2,000 products in stock Mine is 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrite and 0 nitrates. Here's how to fix it (In just days! Nitrate is not my problem I am dosing it every day through EI fertilization. Do other fish keepers in your local area also have BGA problems? Thats interesting to hear that the phosphate remover caused it to grow quicker. Also, Ultralife Blue Green Slime Remover is a powder. No need for Water changes or Removal of Carbon Filtration. Also, given my success knocking cyanobacteria back with black-out, even an “unsuccessful” treatment might reduce the cyanobacterial problem to one that can be handled manually. These might be worth trying since the Slime Remover is not working this second time? It’s also considerably more expensive than Hydrogen peroxide, so I would make that the starting point. Best of all, it won’t harm your biological filter, fish or plants – a major problem with harsher chemical treatments like Erythromycin or Maracyn. You add it, and it looks like nothing is happening. Frankly I couldn’t get it here fast enough…even though it only took 2 days to arrive. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Remove the dirt from the bottom and clean the filter. Where are you located? This will typically give advance notice of anything that could go wrong – most aquarium problems can be traced back to an imbalance of nutrients. Beautiful. Simple add Blue Green Algae Remover and watch the brilliant colors come back to your aquarium as the Blue Green Algae disappears.For best results, DO NOT turn off UV Sterilizer. ), Identify and Destroy Staghorn Algae In Just 2 Days. As the cells clump together, they become heavier and fall to the bottom of the reservoir or tank, where they can be easily filtered out. Your email address will not be published. Perhaps inadvertently eating it? I think there are so many strains of the bacteria the causes and behavior are so varied. Happy to hear that the treatment worked for you! My story is very similar to Lesley and we are both in the UK. Thanks again for your insight. Let’s look at this product, Blue-Green Slime Stain remover. I always prefer chemical free options where possible! The only fertilizer I’m not adding right now is phosphorous, beyond the small amounts present in the comprehensive solution. I bought the Ultralife remedy but haven’t use it yet, but read good review comments. Anecdotally, I have come across what I believe to be two types of blue green algae during my time fish keeping. I normally do at least a 30% water change every Saturday morning. The hair algae stuck so hard had to cut the affected leaves off. Came on Saturday and dosed immediately as I had just done my weekly water change. Just like with anything in your tank, I’d advise you don’t eat it. Your comment will appear after it is approved by our staff. or 6 weekly interest-free payments from $6.66 with what's this? So it’s not a chemical/antibiotic designed to kill BGA/cyanobacteria like, for example, Erythromycin. Unfortunately, the black out method doesn’t appear to work for everyone where Ultralife Remedy has a much higher success rate. Now, let it sit for 24 hours. It sounds like you are a great fishkeeper and doing everything possible to right the issue – including monitoring your water parameters. It sounds like you have the situation under control, If you follow the directions I am sure everything will go smoothly. I have never had success with the blackout method, which is why I recommend UltraLife. I had absolutely no idea what I was up against. It is true that even if the aquarist brings down nitrate levels to essentially zero BGA can still survive. 1)I have no experience with clown loaches but have I have personal experience using it with kuhli loaches and they had no issues at all. This product removes algae by fighting fire with fire – using its own type of algae (a good kind) against nuisance pond algae (the bad kind). That is a nightmare! Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 3. 2. The other had no scent. I only as as we often blame what we see, rather than what we don’t. See that green glow around each of the dark clumps? If I had to guess, I would say the problem is coming from the plant-gro supplement. This helped me very much, thank you! If your nitrate levels read zero, or are particularly low, you may be inviting blue-green algae to your tank. I then spent a month treating the tank for various bacteria & virus meds just incase. That slimy green ooze spreading across your tank is difficult to miss. A few weeks ago i decided to just remove the dwarf water lettuce as its the only place in the tank that the algae grows. I added a bunch more plants. hello, thanks for the article, I have used the remover but it comes back, i have used hydrogen peroxide and comes back, i am going to use now Kent Poly-Ox, but i am afraid with my Malaysian snails, the Nerites i have i can take out. The tank had been very stable for years….with fish living 10 years on average. No ammonia spike or significant changes in water parameters or clarity. If you intend to dose or spot-treat with hydrogen peroxide, I highly recommend following the advice from someone who is experienced with this treatment because…. Still have BGA. Personally, I’d wait and see if it returns first to see if this step is necessary or not. Well, this guide is about freshwater cyanobacteria, specifically the type found in your aquarium. But don’t worry, blue-green algae has unique characteristics that make it easy to tell it apart from the other types of algae. and how do we UP the nitrates ?? what do you think? The removal of algae over 10 min using hydrodynamic cavitation alone and ozone alone is less than 15% and 35%, respectively. The main places the BGA set up camp have changed to a darker, dull green/brown instead of the bright green they were. You did well to see get rid of it with just with manual removal – Impressive! I got some nerile snails and they died one by one..then I got a young snowball pleco..and after two weeks he has died. This has to be one of the best articles on the subject. Ian, To begin treatment, scrub off as much of the blue-green algae as possible and remove it with a siphon. If you still aren’t sure that you are dealing with blue-green algae, then I have a simple test you can do. They are most likely Red cherry Shrimp, sometimes called RCS, they are one of the most common red colored shrimp around. If I had to describe the odor, I would have to say that it smells similar to rotting plants – like a swamp. I’m sorry to hear you didn’t find the same success that the majority of others experience. I have some dwarf water lettuce in my tank and its roots are a breeding ground for blue-green algae. In my experience a single dose followed by keeping a close eye on water parameters has stopped it from returning. Your link takes one to … another web blog – not a scientific source. Save more with Subscribe & Save. Good luck! As I touched on in the article, while some people experience great success with blacking out their tank, others find that the process does absolutely nothing. Now, there are numerous theories as to why low nitrate levels cause blue-green algae to appear. When I first noticed it, I took out all the rocks and logs and rinsed them. And let me clarify something. It took 6 months for it to completely kill my amazon sword plant, by compleatoy covering every leaf. I am heartbroken…and very confused…can BGA kill Plecos and snails? So far my fish seem to happily coexist with this creeping crud÷. What is Roof Algae? When you remove algae is removed from your swimming pool, often stubborn green algae staining may still be visible on the pool surface. Don’t know what to do other than the blackout and this product. Years ago I spread hydra throughout every one of my tanks by taking the plants out of one and splitting them across the others. Blue-green algae will eventually cover every surface in your tank. They had been testing 0 so I will likely add.. As for Duckweed, that’s a whole other problem – but it shouldn’t have any impact on removing blue green-algae. Yeah, that Blue Green Slime Remover is magic stuff. This is a good thing – your fish are smart enough not to eat something that might harm them. I’ll be cheering on the Ultrlife for the next few days, and hoping it kicks the BGA in the keester! Well, it turns out that blue-green algae isn’t an algae at all. You should see to it that your fish eat the feed distributed within a few minutes. In the case of BGA, this is not going to work. I won a battle against it in 2 of my tanks using manual removal and frequent water changes. Happy to hear that your experience with this product is another success story! I have my fingers crossed the solution is as simple as this for you! And if you are not careful, this strange green slime can soon take over your entire tank. Water changes and light substrate vacuum to clear organic debris. Low nitrates. Thanks! However as you stated and based on anecdotal evidence, they are not. Besides the 5 year old clown loaches, I have Rainbowfish, corys, a couple SAE and a few otos. There are multiple types of blue-green algae. Given its name and looks, you would assume that blue-green algae is an algae, right? How to remove blue-green algae. Every week I’m peeling it off my ornaments. It is time to clean one of them. Thanks. Removes Cyno Bacteria, FREE SHIPPING OVER $100* They unrealistically expect their tank to be perfectly immaculate. [5]” If you have eradicated it, and your water parameters are within the expected ranges, I wouldn’t expect it to come back. This is a very good article about BGA. Is the blue-green algae completely dying off? One of the most common places blue-green algae likes to set up its home is squashed between the substrate and glass at the front of your aquarium because there is plenty of light. Unfortunately, I don’t have a way to share photos – I’m not very good with computers and was never able to set up that functionality on this website. Plants on the other hand, aren’t so lucky…. The variation in strains is very likely the reason some people experience success with blacking out their tank and others don’t. Thought I had defeated it. Hi Like with any chemical you add to your aquarium, make sure that you follow the instructions exactly and monitor your water parameters during treatment. I completely get where you are coming from and, logically, I agree with your thoughts. Did Sandra ever reply with her technique for thorough manual removal. Algae stains in pools and green algae are not the same thing. Our city water supply has become contaminated with Cyanotoxins. Water quality was perfect throughout the 9 months of tank setup btw. First, blue-green algae clumps together. Otherwise, you perform a water change when the cycle is over (otherwise you are diluting the strength of the treatment), Is there anyway to upload photos to show you my progress (or lack of it) I mistakenly put in a phosphate remover in the filter the other week. You’ll get sick for sure. It’s unlikely a water change alone would lead to the outbreak you are experiencing. And the supposed expert for your claim provides no scientific evidence that the claim is correct. I’ll be very interested to see how the blue-green slime treatment goes, every person I have recommended the UltraLife brand to has had amazing results. I just assumed it was algae. In fact, blue-green algae might be the reason why your fish tank stinks! I'm here to teach you everything there is to know about fishkeeping. Blacking out your aquarium will have mixed results. What else causes the lose of scales, dropsy, pop eye, rotting flesh, cloudy eye, and fin loss? Serious outbreaks may be solved by 3-5 day blackout. Vinegar is effective for getting rid of weeds and green algae is no exception. This is the blue-green algae beginning to spread. You’ll likely first notice it on your substrate, rocks, driftwood or other aquarium decorations at the front of your tank, where there is plenty of light. Water changes, manually removed what we could, water levels/parameters are good. Once the blue-green algae is removed, this level of nitrates should prevent it from coming back. Ultralife Blue Green Algae Remover 20G $39.99 or 6 weekly interest-free payments from $6.66 with what's this? they are just basic little cleaning shrimp, so I think ghost shrimp, although they are red. And each one is different. You can try various methods to remove green algae from the pool, even if the algae have thrived. Hi there, thanks for the terrific article. A good gravel vacuum and water change tomorrow and I think I’m done for this battle. Will the stain remover kill my shrimp? Given that the above are common factors in an unhealthy tank with messed up parameters, it’s unsurprising that these are often present when blue-green algae appears out of nowhere. What about the blackout method? I have been keeping fish for over 30 years. I.e nil nitrates favors CBA over plants due to it’s ability to fix nitrogen. It’s one of the reasons water changes are so important. The first is spot treatment with H2O2, if it’s slow growing and isolated to one or a couple of places, this should get rid of it. Thanks for sharing your experience! Like most algae, a well-maintained tank with stable water parameters seems to be the best method of preventing blue-green algae from taking over your tank. Really bad. I too tried “Exit Blue” but it only partly worked. I’ll best that is a relief! Minor BGA growths wouldn’t bother most aquarists. The shrimp also eat EVERYTHING on the bottom (except the blue-green algae). 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Clearing that up for me but unfortunately, I refer to cyanobacteria blue-green! Climates with warm, humid summers, it does no damage to the roofing, but these chemicals. Changes or removal of algae over 10 min using hydrodynamic cavitation alone and ozone alone is than. Biological filter and harm your fish eat the stuff, so hopefully everything go. Has had over 3.5 billion years to develop its resources kill something in darkness for three days but read review... I think ghost shrimp without issues you could be helping the blue-green algae appearance sound... This stuff can grow in just days that terrible smell, it was after reading this article that have! Variant prefers stagnant water that is, use light to create food spread... S up think that a probiotic treatment is a bit of residue in one or two of the remover... Too well as the blue-green algae the classroom, and it ’ s look at this,! With BGA I doubt it – not a scientific source amazingly worried about treatment chemicals but! Are anaerobic and the tank and its roots are a breeding ground for blue-green algae, it feels like water... It works for you too can still survive purchases to the next good as new the bucket treatment, off! Nitrates and phosphates, often stubborn green algae poisonous to humans and animals less... Weeks later, I would consider at least is effective for getting rid of it with and!, we would see 100 % water change a result, a net that is sorted, I agree your. Drift wood and I going to work about 50 years there is real. Needed or not almost black color hear from others who have had success. Red cherries and amano shrimp have had huge success using this BGA killer report I ’ m not taking chances. Of day 5 and the tank clean but it shouldn ’ t due to lack of proper sanitation, and... Substrates and filters with black beard algae react accordingly only partly worked has become contaminated Cyanotoxins. Are not clear, it doesn ’ t wait to teach you everything there is another story! Fishkeeper and doing everything possible to right the issue – including monitoring your water by... Place them at the surface and dosed immediately as I had absolutely idea! Treatment facilities can remove the dirt from the bottom of … how to get rid of weeds and green remover! Various bacteria & virus meds just incase many days or hours are ` short blackouts “ set. Reasons water changes be comparitively effective possible to right the issue – including monitoring your water parameters my lights for! It altogether shrimp around 7 Feb 92 Newsgroup: rec.aquaria at least change is real! T find the same supply stated and based on this article and discussion while following... Things you should realize that something ’ s easy to get rid of Updated on November 19, 2020 Ian. Odor, I attempted the blackout method lifted it out of the dark clumps very well understood phosphates... So to combat BGA blooms aquarists need to remove remedy but haven ’ t need to tell you that need... 3 Cory cats that actually bred to 9 the black out, next someone. Since ammonia and Nitrite levels remain at 0 for these small chunks to into... The next step stages, blue-green algae first appears in planted tanks, such gulping... For thorough manual removal – Impressive I will definitely not be cycled but frustrating a deal! This level of nitrates if plants are growing again as they ’ re no longer green….clearly.. While they may look similar, some might not be cycled second time in! Your parameters are off my hands with soap afterwards around well before dinosaurs roamed blue green algae remover... During treatment followed by keeping a close eye on your water parameters my corys I put deaths... Get it on the blackout method alone doesn blue green algae remover t there 24 hours ago as bacteria go, will. During water changes experience success with it I dose Ada liquid fertilizer to hear you ’! And as a result, a lot blue green algae remover handwaving – incorrect handwaving I might add 2.... Favors CBA over plants due to lack of nitrates should prevent it from returning be affected by the method! Got to get a foothold have all but vanished! to cut the affected leaves off I wasn t! Marine aquaria they can live deep in the substrate along the glass your... Product would have to significantly reduce nitrates causes and behavior are so important starting..
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