# Blue green algae



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

Hi,

I need some help with a couple questions regarding what I believe is blue green algae/Cyanobacteria in my betta’s planted tank. I have a feeling it entered my tank on plants I grew emersed. After adding them, about a week later I noticed small patches of blue green colored spots on my substrate. I have two horned nerites that are doing a beautiful job keeping algae under control, but as I’ve read online before, they don’t seem to like it and they aren’t touching it. 

Currently I’ve been manually picking it off/out of the substrate about every other day. It has not overtaken the tank and is very hard for me to photograph because it blends in with the brown substrate but I’m pretty confident it is BGA.

First question is whether it is harmful to my betta, Buddy? He’s acting totally fine but this is my top concern.

I’ve read online it is very difficult to get rid of. I’ve also read that Marcyn usually does kill it and is not harmful to fish but I’m not sure I feel comfortable with this. Any thoughts?

Since it’s not “out of control” yet, I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions how to deal with this. Right now my lights are on 7 hours a day and there’s no sunlight hitting the tank. I stopped dosing with Easy Green over the last 2 weeks. I’m continuing with weekly cleanings and spending tedious amounts of time manually removing the little bits of it popping up.

Also, as for the plants I’ve been growing emersed, do I need to trash them. I hope not. I hope there’s a way I can treat those setups or the plants before I add them into another tank but I’m new at this and have no idea. This might be related but last night I noticed these teeny tiny green hairs that look like a moss, when it’s first growing, on the substrate in that particular emersed tank. They are single strands that stick to the rocks and are hard to see unless you’re looking very closely. I’ve looked up molds and fungus and can’t seem to find anything that looks like it. It reminds me of Christmas Tree moss. Or flame moss. They are very short and thin. I picked them all out of there last night. Luckily I see nothing like that in Buddy’s tank. Just curious if this sounds bad?

I really appreciate any help anyone could give me! Thank you so much!! Lauren 🙏😊☮


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

One more thing, my phosphates are zero. I’ve been keeping an eye on their levels over the past week because I read it could be a concern with the BGA


----------



## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

Are you sure it is blue-green algae? Is there a noticeable smell? Blue green algae has a pungent odor...even in small amounts.

It will cause no harm to your betta.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

@imaal Hi! I’m 90% sure. When I’ve pulled it out, it has a distinct blue green color and a slimy texture. I also notice an earthy sort of wet garden odor. Hope that makes sense. I cut a small stem off the driftwood (see pic) and smeared it on this papertowel. You can see the color is blue green and I’d say the consistency is definitely slimy once out. I’ve never dealt with this before and I hope it’s not, but I have a feeling it is and it is persistent. If I didn’t clean it out daily or ever other day it would definitely be coating the substrate and wood bad by now. What do you think by looking at it? Thanks for your help!


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

I actually have a better pic, @imaal. There seems to be an issue attaching the image. When it’s fixed I will send along. Maybe they banned me for sending you that gross pic. I promise that is indeed a stem. Lol


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

@imaal Here it is, thanks! If anyone else has input I’d love to know so I could take care of this before it takes over. Thanks!!!


----------



## Metal Guru (Apr 25, 2021)

You can use Ultralife blue-green slime remover to kill it. It takes about 3 days to work but inside of a week, it will be gone.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Have you tried a blackout? Treatment is three days off but I did a week with no issues to the other plants. You can also spot treat with hydrogen peroxide; turn off filter then treat and leave filter off for 15 minutes. Increasing filter output to max is also good. Cyanobacteria does not grow well where there's a lot of current.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Have you tried a blackout? Treatment is three days off but I did a week with no issues to the other plants. You can also spot treat with hydrogen peroxide; turn off filter then treat and leave filter off for 15 minutes. Increasing filter output to max is also good. Cyanobacteria does not grow well where there's a lot of current.


Hi, Ok, thanks. By a blackout do you mean lights off for 3 days or do I need to cover the tank walls and top with cardboard? Hopefully lights out only. I know it will stress Buddy out being all closed in but he likes the lights off so I will try that. I can keep the room he’s in really dark too. 

How do you apply the hydrogen peroxide to the substrate? Do you dilute it first? I have the filter running very strong because I read that online. I started to notice a film at the top of the water so I’ve been removing it by absorbing it with paper towels but turning the filter up has helped with it a lot. I’m not sure if the film is related to the Cyanobacteria? 

Thank you for your help. 🙏 Lauren


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

No need to cover with a towel; just lights off. If after three days it hasn't started to die out I'd suggest another 3-4 days.

You turn the filter off, apply the hydrogen peroxide with a syringe or pipette. Let set for 15 minutes and turn filter back on. You can remove by curling around a clean toothbrush.

If you are getting biofilm the filter is not creating enough surface agitation; once it started disappearing the agitation was at a good level. 

Has turning the filter up bothered Yogi at all? People think Betta need very low flow tanks but I've never found that to be true. As long as a Betta has places to eat and rest and aren't being blown all over the tank filter isn't adjusted too high.

I start them out with the filter adjusted to low and gradually increase. One of my reds purposefully swims to the output and lets the flow push him down; then he repeats three or four times so I know it's intentional.


----------



## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

Ultralife Blue-Green Slime Remover, also sold under the name Ultralife Blue-Green Algae Remover (both are the same stuff) is indeed very effective. You can get it on-line on Amazon, for one. Some folks won't use it because the manufacturer will not reveal the ingredients, though they stipulate it does not contain antibiotics. I was among those folks until I had an outbreak of blue-green gunk while on a business trip. On my return, I treated with Ultra-life and it worked terrifically well with no harm to the fish or the tank's cycle. I find it takes more than three days--more like a week--but, boy, does it work.

If you go the hydrogen peroxide route, there are many tutorials on how to use it on youtube.


----------



## Metal Guru (Apr 25, 2021)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Have you tried a blackout? Treatment is three days off but I did a week with no issues to the other plants. You can also spot treat with hydrogen peroxide; turn off filter then treat and leave filter off for 15 minutes. Increasing filter output to max is also good. Cyanobacteria does not grow well where there's a lot of current.


Blacking out had no effect on my tank.
Spot treating wasn't an option either. Blue-green algae grows unbelievably fast; vacuum it all out on Monday and Tuesday the tank looks like you never did a thing to it.
I'm not fond of chemical interventions but the Ultralife worked as advertised and harmed nothing in my tank.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> No need to cover with a towel; just lights off. If after three days it hasn't started to die out I'd suggest another 3-4 days.
> 
> You turn the filter off, apply the hydrogen peroxide with a syringe or pipette. Let set for 15 minutes and turn filter back on. You can remove by curling around a clean toothbrush.
> 
> ...


Buddy does the same thing! He loves playing around and getting pushed by the filter output. He has so much energy and it’s definitely 100% Intentional and part of his routine, especially around early evening. It also makes him flare if he sees his reflection in the glass while he’s doing it. He has plenty of places to retreat to too. He’s very energetic and is always playing, exploring and bubble nest building. Anyway, turning it up more has been a non-issue with him. He’s up for the challenge lol!

Ok, thank you so much for all your help! I’m going to try the hydrogen peroxide and black out. Today I’m cleaning the tank so we’ll see how things look in a few days.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

imaal said:


> Ultralife Blue-Green Slime Remover, also sold under the name Ultralife Blue-Green Algae Remover (both are the same stuff) is indeed very effective. You can get it on-line on Amazon, for one. Some folks won't use it because the manufacturer will not reveal the ingredients, though they stipulate it does not contain antibiotics. I was among those folks until I had an outbreak of blue-green gunk while on a business trip. On my return, I treated with Ultra-life and it worked terrifically well with no harm to the fish or the tank's cycle. I find it takes more than three days--more like a week--but, boy, does it work.
> 
> If you go the hydrogen peroxide route, there are many tutorials on how to use it on youtube.


Thank you very much for your help! I’m going to look into it and see how things go and if I need a heavier treatment, consider using it. I’m hoping since its still in the manageable stage I can catch it before it overtakes the tank. I appreciate your help!


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

Metal Guru said:


> Blacking out had no effect on my tank.
> Spot treating wasn't an option either. Blue-green algae grows unbelievably fast; vacuum it all out on Monday and Tuesday the tank looks like you never did a thing to it.
> I'm not fond of chemical interventions but the Ultralife worked as advertised and harmed nothing in my tank.


Thank you very much! I’m going to look into it. I appreciate your help. 🙏


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> No need to cover with a towel; just lights off. If after three days it hasn't started to die out I'd suggest another 3-4 days.
> 
> You turn the filter off, apply the hydrogen peroxide with a syringe or pipette. Let set for 15 minutes and turn filter back on. You can remove by curling around a clean toothbrush.
> 
> ...


Hi, @RussellTheShihTzu and @Feanor I forgot to ask if I should have removed my bio media when I did the H2O2 treatment. I used about 6.5ml in my 1”10 gallon but now I’m concerned. I read online that it can kill the beneficial bacteria and I did not remove it. Thanks.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

Hi, the 4 days have past and yesterday when I turned the lights back on, my plants do look like they suffered a little bit. Some have lost a bit of their bright coloring like the scarlet temple and cardinal plants. I’m growing them emersed as well so I will add those soon to brighten things back up. I trimmed off dead leaves, did a small water change and will do a cleaning tomorrow. As far as the BGA, I see none so I’m very pleased with this. 

My question is regarding my emersed tubs and the plants in it. I can’t really find online any information regarding signs that the emersed set could have the BGA and what it would look like if different in a non-submerged situation, or if I am I still looking for the blue slimy consistency? It may have come in on plants I ordered about a month + ago. I do not see anything suspicious in there and in fact gave a plant to my Mom for her tank and she has no BGA. Is there a test I can buy? 

Thanks for your help!


----------



## Feanor (Nov 13, 2020)

Glad you were successful with the BGA in your tank. If you spot any new ”nests“ I‘d immediately spot treat those so they couldn‘t take over. Increasing the water flow would also be beneficial as they don‘t like to be disturbed.

You could always leave the bio media in the filter.

I think you would spot the BGA on the emersed substrate if there were any. But I rather assume you don‘t have them there.

With purchased plants in rock wool however, it is more likely to be the cause.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

Feanor said:


> Glad you were successful with the BGA in your tank. If you spot any new ”nests“ I‘d immediately spot treat those so they couldn‘t take over. Increasing the water flow would also be beneficial as they don‘t like to be disturbed.
> 
> You could always leave the bio media in the filter.
> 
> ...


Hi! Thank you so much for your help! I left the bio media in and I’m still not seeing any BGA remaining fingers crossed! A few leaves on the bottom my cardinal plants and ludwigia were dead or had a little blue on them so I cut them off. I actually trimmed off a lot of leaves on my stem plants that were touching or nearly touching the substrate so I could really get in there land make sure the BGA was gone. 

One thing I’m still noticing is a bit of an odor. I don’t even know how to describe it. Earthy? It’s not offensive but when I smell the water closely, it’s definitely there. My parameters are all normal and I’ve been checking them daily. 

Overall and so far, the treatment was a success. All my plants are happy again now that they have light back on!

I had no idea about the rock wool so thank you for that tip. I did a peroxide dip on the few plants I added and ordered the other day. I think I’m going to make that priority for now on to avoid any more problems. 

I have a snail question too but can start a new discussion.

thank you again!!!


----------



## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

YogisMom said:


> One thing I’m still noticing is a bit of an odor. I don’t even know how to describe it. Earthy? It’s not offensive but when I smell the water closely, it’s definitely there.


The odor produced by blue green algae (cyanobacteria) is pungent and most people find it unpleasant. The odor you describe may be the result of a microscopic amount of cyanobacteria remaining, and because there's so little of it left the odor is less unpleasant.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

imaal said:


> The odor produced by blue green algae (cyanobacteria) is pungent and most people find it unpleasant. The odor you describe may be the result of a microscopic amount of cyanobacteria remaining, and because there's so little of it left the odor is less unpleasant.


That makes sense. Thank you so much! 🙏


----------



## swee777 (Aug 2, 2019)

This post is so helpful. I am going through a bad case of cyano. I did the blackout but it didn't help much. Mine begins to look like a blanket on the gravel, plants, wood and smells like wet garden soil. I can remove every bit I find and within two days it is back. I have resorted to vacuuming the gravel every two days. Water changes are 30% (sometimes more) every 6 to 7 days.
After my betta died, I totally stripped tank, cleaned plants, changed gravel and thought things were better. Unfortunately, I kept my same plants.
Light is only on 6 hours. I can trace mine back to when I added moss balls.
I am at the point of trying erythromycin, and going to make a decision this week. Thanks for posting this. Very helpful.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

swee777 said:


> This post is so helpful. I am going through a bad case of cyano. I did the blackout but it didn't help much. Mine begins to look like a blanket on the gravel, plants, wood and smells like wet garden soil. I can remove every bit I find and within two days it is back. I have resorted to vacuuming the gravel every two days. Water changes are 30% (sometimes more) every 6 to 7 days.
> After my betta died, I totally stripped tank, cleaned plants, changed gravel and thought things were better. Unfortunately, I kept my same plants.
> Light is only on 6 hours. I can trace mine back to when I added moss balls.
> I am at the point of trying erythromycin, and going to make a decision this week. Thanks for posting this. Very helpful.


Hi, I totally feel your pain. It’s so frustrating. Did you try the hydrogen peroxide? I spot treated with a syringe those areas and kept lights out for 4 days. First I cleaned the tank and cut off a lot leaves that touched the substrate because those were covered in the BGA. It really did work, so far. 

I worry SO much about adding any chemicals to my tank but did exactly what I was told and it worked. It’s been almost a week now and still none that I can see. My betta, Buddy, was not affected at all. If you give it a shot, it can’t hurt.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

swee777 said:


> This post is so helpful. I am going through a bad case of cyano. I did the blackout but it didn't help much. Mine begins to look like a blanket on the gravel, plants, wood and smells like wet garden soil. I can remove every bit I find and within two days it is back. I have resorted to vacuuming the gravel every two days. Water changes are 30% (sometimes more) every 6 to 7 days.
> After my betta died, I totally stripped tank, cleaned plants, changed gravel and thought things were better. Unfortunately, I kept my same plants.
> Light is only on 6 hours. I can trace mine back to when I added moss balls.
> I am at the point of trying erythromycin, and going to make a decision this week. Thanks for posting this. Very helpful.


I’m sorry to hear about your betta passing too. I lost one, Yogi, last December and it was so sad.


----------



## swee777 (Aug 2, 2019)

YogisMom said:


> Hi, I totally feel your pain. It’s so frustrating. Did you try the hydrogen peroxide? I spot treated with a syringe those areas and kept lights out for 4 days. First I cleaned the tank and cut off a lot leaves that touched the substrate because those were covered in the BGA. It really did work, so far.
> 
> I worry SO much about adding any chemicals to my tank but did exactly what I was told and it worked. It’s been almost a week now and still none that I can see. My betta, Buddy, was not affected at all. If you give it a shot, it can’t hurt.





YogisMom said:


> Hi, I totally feel your pain. It’s so frustrating. Did you try the hydrogen peroxide? I spot treated with a syringe those areas and kept lights out for 4 days. First I cleaned the tank and cut off a lot leaves that touched the substrate because those were covered in the BGA. It really did work, so far.
> 
> I worry SO much about adding any chemicals to my tank but did exactly what I was told and it worked. It’s been almost a week now and still none that I can see. My betta, Buddy, was not affected at all. If you give it a shot, it can’t hurt.


I haven't tried HP because mainly I can't use it or be near it. That's the only reason. No spot treating because I kid you not, it would be every spot in the tank. I cleaned the plants/walls/gravel 3 days ago and am already seeing a green film on everything. I love seeing my bright betta Gordy, but man, when the lights are off most of the day, it's hard to enjoy the tank. Interestingly, I have two other tanks and they have low tech LED lights which came with the tank. They don't show any of this. Am seriously also thinking about downgrading the light. I currently have the finnex planted plus. Lower light wouldn't hurt my buce's, anubias and the lot, so it is a consideration. Thanks


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Sort of on the subject, I hope. Finnex recommended I skip the Planted and get the Stingray because my tanks were 12" high and under and because I had low-to-medium light plants. Their Rep said the Planted was too strong and should be used for high-tech plants. One solution is to get risers Finnex Light Risers


----------



## swee777 (Aug 2, 2019)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Sort of on the subject, I hope. Finnex recommended I skip the Planted and get the Stingray because my tanks were 12" high and under and because I had low-to-medium light plants. Their Rep said the Planted was too strong and should be used for high-tech plants. One solution is to get risers Finnex Light Risers


Gosh darn, must depend on who you get. The rep told me "that's a good light". I love the cycles the light can do especially moonlight. I already have it on risers. I think I'm just going to replace the light. I'll look into the stingray. And yes, I'm definitely low tech.  Thanks for that information.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

i buy from Welcome to AquaVibrant -


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

swee777 said:


> I haven't tried HP because mainly I can't use it or be near it. That's the only reason. No spot treating because I kid you not, it would be every spot in the tank. I cleaned the plants/walls/gravel 3 days ago and am already seeing a green film on everything. I love seeing my bright betta Gordy, but man, when the lights are off most of the day, it's hard to enjoy the tank. Interestingly, I have two other tanks and they have low tech LED lights which came with the tank. They don't show any of this. Am seriously also thinking about downgrading the light. I currently have the finnex planted plus. Lower light wouldn't hurt my buce's, anubias and the lot, so it is a consideration. Thanks


Oh no, that really is annoying and stressful to deal with. Especially not being able to resort to the HP. A little bit more actually popped in my tank. I treated it yesterday. It was only a tiny bit but I did catch an odor in there. I did a real good cleaning, spot treated and will go from there. This is really a pain so I feel your pain. I hate lights off too! Luckily I’m away for the weekend so it won’t drive me as crazy! Good luck to you. Please keep me posted.


----------



## swee777 (Aug 2, 2019)

YogisMom said:


> Oh no, that really is annoying and stressful to deal with. Especially not being able to resort to the HP. A little bit more actually popped in my tank. I treated it yesterday. It was only a tiny bit but I did catch an odor in there. I did a real good cleaning, spot treated and will go from there. This is really a pain so I feel your pain. I hate lights off too! Luckily I’m away for the weekend so it won’t drive me as crazy! Good luck to you. Please keep me posted.


Thanks, same to you!
I just cleaned the tank, added a stronger air pump with two air stones, then added Ultra Life. The company says you must add the extra oxygen. Also told me to keep an eye on PH levels. I can add again in 2 days if it still needs another treatment. I'll keep you posted.


----------



## swee777 (Aug 2, 2019)

Just an update; I put the second dose of Ultralife in the tank today. I was already seeing a reduction in BGA/cyanobacteria within the first 24 hours. My Finnex stingray just came this evening, so I'll try it out in the morning. I'll keep you posted and post pics in a couple of weeks.


----------



## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

swee777 said:


> Just an update; I put the second dose of Ultralife in the tank today. I was already seeing a reduction in BGA/cyanobacteria within the first 24 hours. My Finnex stingray just came this evening, so I'll try it out in the morning. I'll keep you posted and post pics in a couple of weeks.


Glad it's working for you. Normally I'm not a fan of dumping chemicals and/or meds into my tanks but I make an exception for Ultra Life. This stuff is really effective...remarkably so. 

BTW, when I used it I made no adjustment aeration-wise. My HOB filters and the bubbling of my sponge filters apparently supplied sufficient oxygen. Also, I monitored ph closely and it didn't budge at all.


----------



## swee777 (Aug 2, 2019)

imaal said:


> Glad it's working for you. Normally I'm not a fan of dumping chemicals and/or meds into my tanks but I make an exception for Ultra Life. This stuff is really effective...remarkably so.
> 
> BTW, when I used it I made no adjustment aeration-wise. My HOB filters and the bubbling of my sponge filters apparently supplied sufficient oxygen. Also, I monitored ph closely and it didn't budge at all.


How many treatments did you end up doing? Also, can this be used as a maintenance treatment once per month? Just checked my PH and it is very slightly lowered. Tested it twice and it is minimal. Good to know about the oxygen/sponge filters. Thanks.


----------



## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

swee777 said:


> How many treatments did you end up doing? Also, can this be used as a maintenance treatment once per month? Just checked my PH and it is very slightly lowered. Tested it twice and it is minimal. Good to know about the oxygen/sponge filters. Thanks.


I did two treatments on three different tanks. 100% effective on all three tanks with no ill effects. BTW, one of the tanks was full of Nannostomus fry, which are about the most delicate (and tiny) creatures nature ever devised. Didn't lose a one. Personally, I wouldn't use it for maintenance. When it comes to chemicals and meds, I'm of the less-is-more school.


----------



## swee777 (Aug 2, 2019)

imaal said:


> I did two treatments on three different tanks. 100% effective on all three tanks with no ill effects. BTW, one of the tanks was full of Nannostomus fry, which are about the most delicate (and tiny) creatures nature ever devised. Didn't lose a one. Personally, I wouldn't use it for maintenance. When it comes to chemicals and meds, I'm of the less-is-more school.


Wow, that says a lot. I'm going to leave the tank for a week and see where it goes. I may have some other type of algae on the plants as there seems to be some type of film. Thank you. 💗


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

swee777 said:


> Just an update; I put the second dose of Ultralife in the tank today. I was already seeing a reduction in BGA/cyanobacteria within the first 24 hours. My Finnex stingray just came this evening, so I'll try it out in the morning. I'll keep you posted and post pics in a couple of weeks.


Hi! Thank you for the update. I’m so glad the treatment is working! I haven’t noticed a huge increase in the lingering BGA in Buddy’s tank but the smell is still there. I’m so bummed my bacopa looks really sad and lost a lot of its bottom leaves and looks a little funny but I will give it some time. Did you remove Gordy from the tank when you added the Ultralife?


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

Hi,
I know the Ultralife seems to work well for people dealing with BGA. I’m wondering if anyone has had or heard about bad experiences with this treatment as far as the safely of my betta goes. I’m worried about using it but would really like to stop this BGA issue. 

it is not an extreme case by any means, but it keeps popping up. I’ve done two rounds of the H2O2 spot treatment with lights out for a few days. It works but then comes back about day 5 after tank cleaning. It’s starting to drive me crazy. It ia extremely hard to photograph because I have to zoom in so much but here are some pics.

I’ve already had to chop down a bunch of bacopa and red ludwigia because the leaves were so coated with it and dying even after spot treating. I’m just feeling desperate and I don’t want to crash the cycle in my tank with erythromycin and of course I don’t want to harm Buddy or the snails.

I’m wondering if UltraLife is the way to go at this point.

@Feanor. Hi, do you think I should start a new discussion for this since it’s been a few weeks since I updated it? Thanks!

thank you. Lauren


----------



## Feanor (Nov 13, 2020)

YogisMom said:


> @Feanor. Hi, do you think I should start a new discussion for this since it’s been a few weeks since I updated it? Thanks!


Sounds like a good idea - I´d hyperlink this thread however so members can have a look into everything tried and done so far.


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

Hi,
I figured I’d put a quick comment in about the BGA issue I have been furiously fighting in Buddy’s tank (soon to be old tank). 

I had a water alert in my town where our tap water is currently unsafe to drink, cook with and for pets a couple weeks ago. Since then, I’ve done frequent water changes with Poland Spring. Also, I added a couple of Anacharis stems to his tank.

I read online that Anacharis secretes a substance that BGA does not respond well too. This can prevent and also combat BGA. This might be somewhat anecdotal information but it’s working.

I have seen a dramatic decrease in BGA! I honestly am shocked. Since Buddy is moving any day now I may still medicate the tank when he’s out but we’ll see. Fingers crossed this could be working, whether the water or plant or combo!!!

Knock on wood! I’m hoping this may help someone else since it’s worth trying!

Thank you for reading! Take care!


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

Although this is an older discussion I created, I figure if anyone has persistent BGA, I have a e solution that worked for me to eradicat it without the use of antibiotics or UltraLife slime remover.

First, install a bubbler and air stone or diffuser.

2. Get in there and remove as much as you can manually. Even after I felt it was diminishing, it would rebound, so you really need to pick out as much as you can almost on a daily basis. I used tweezers and was pulling up even the tiniest areas on my soil substrate so that when I cleaned my tank at weeks end, it seemed to be gone. But still, it does come back within days.

3. After removing as much as you can (you can use a little H2O2 on tough spots as mentioned above if you want, (this did not fix it for me) next step is lights out for 5 days. Some plants do not like this especially fussier plants. Anubias and Crypts and JavaFerns and Hygro were not affected. Bacopa, cardinal loeblis, scarlet temple and I’m sure others, do melt but can be revived later by trimming off dead and dying leaves, etc. Yoy may want to supplement food for your snails (I grew algae on some rocks in water on my windowsill)

4. Along with lights out, you’ll want to buy some Anacharis. You can plant and float it. I did both. It secretes a substance BGA does not like. It works and quickly.

5. When lights go back on, do a thorough cleaning and large water change. 60%. I like to add some Stability after large water changes as well. Vacuum or siphon up as much as you can. You will see the dead BGA, and remove all of it. It’s tedious but worth it. Although it’s dead, it can still grow back.

6. While performing another water change or two on a weekly basis, continue to pull out any small areas you may still see on a daily basis. You should notice a huge reduction. Mine was and still is gone. You’ll also notice the smell dissipates. 

7. I’d now recommend cleaning your filter tubes. Add some floss and you can clean your biomedia by shaking it out in a little dirty tank water. Also don’t let your filter media dry out - this will kill any good bacteria. I’d do this a few days after your water change and not on the same day.


8. Keep the Anacharis in your tank as a preventative measure, keep your filter on along with the bubbler. Add some snails if you see a resurgence of your normal algae in case some bacteria was killed off, but this did not ruin my cycle.

So, that’s it. It’s a process and may need to be repeated but I dealt with BGA since May. Had little success over months of manual removal and 3 days lights out. I started this process I’m sharing at the end of August By mid- September no s or BGA in sight. It’s now the beginning of October and I’ve seen it disappear finally. 

To summarize:

Increase agitation with bubbler and filter up
Add Anacharis - plant and float
Consistent manual removal every day
Lights out 5 days
Large water change 60 % after 1 week and then weekly as usual
Add stability or bottled bacteria after large water changes
Clean filter on different day than water change - clean with hot water and do not use soap or bleach

That’s about it. It is work and my results may be different than yours. I run no pressurized CO2 and grow pretty easy plants.

I really hopes this helps someone! If all else fails, antibiotics and Ultra Life slime remover are options. I bought both and planned to use them but really wanted to give it one last effort. 

Good luck! If anything I wrote isn’t clear, I will try to clarify!


----------



## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

P.S. As far as ferts go, I used none during this process and I was on a schedule with them beforehand. I am not experienced in ferts enough to say that was the “right” decision but I did not want any excess nutrients for the BGA to feed on. Whether I’m right or wrong, who knows, but it worked. Now I’m back on schedule.

Also, none of the information I provided was invented by me. I did a lot of research and came up with a game plan based on what I was seeing and reading. The biggest indicator it was and did work is the fact that the smell is gone. Anyone with BGA knows what I mean. 🤢


----------

