Time to use Erythro on Blue Green Algae

[torque6]

Its been 5 weeks since I've begun struggling with BGA in my tank, first encountered them when i started my first DIY yeast co2. They seem to be in the soil now


A glimpse of my co2 system
--------------------------
DIY co2, powered with qc110 powerhead. 200L/H, @ 2-3 bps with internal reactor, burp point made at 4 cm of the reactor to allow co2 to pressure out when lights/powerhead are switched off. Hoping no co2 is dissolve to push PH further down before next WC.



So far I have made the following remedies progressively.
1- 4 weeks of low NPK+trace dosing
2- 1x 5 day blackout with airstone; steps from James from http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm.
3- 2 waterchanges of 50% at 2 days intervals after blackout period were made last time to remove those algae that had died. This is to avoid both nitrite/ammonia spikes.
4- Put back co2 and continued with usual weekly regime. NPK+trace; 1 small drop each for 10L.
5- BGA came back....

Considering that a few of my hairgrass have already gone yellow and will most like die if i went for another blackout, i have no choice but to use erythromycin .


Took the dosage from here.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/ma...ebluegreen.htm
http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com...aquariums.html
My tank dosage should be around around 40-60mg. As per the doctor's suggestion, i split the tablets in 4 parts and pounded them to powder form as they were encase in an anti-acid shell, helps with dissolvement.

Water parameters before adding Erythro
PH - 6.6
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0

Going to monitor these couple of days and update you guys.


other references.
http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2006/10/...algae-bga.html

[medicineman]

You may experience a partial reset in tank cycle after the treatment. The antibiotic kills most of the bacteria, including the one in symbiosis with BGA as well as beneficial ones.

If you have problem within the substrate, it would be wiser to insert broken pills into the problematic areas. By practicing this way instead of dissolving, hopefully bacteria colony esp those outside the inflicted areas such as the filter are mostly spared.

Sometimes I get this BGA problem on the substrate, esp nearby the glass as well even though my tanks are mostly matured. I split 500mg pill into 2-4 parts and insert them. BGA would be slowly gone in a week or so, usually without the need for another course of antibiotic.

[torque6]

Thanks medicine man, will insert a few into the substract, but i need to remove the pill shell first.

The notion on erythro killing off nitrifying bacteria is still highly debatable. Some aquarist said yes, others no. One of the few articles ive found. Been reading alot of articles on BGA for over a month now, this is my 15th

http://www.myfishtank.net/blue-green-algae-article/

Nevertheless, I do weekly dose of sechem stability with each water change, to keep BB in place to improve cycle time.

Thanks for the advise.

[Quincy]

Hi Torque6 mind if you tell me where you got those erytgromycin? Im currently also battling with BGA too.

[torque6]

Already PM you quincy.

[torque6]

Just an update. lots of dead algae accumulating on the soil, yesterday they were still green and bubbling, now just patches of brown mulm... Will continue with a 2nd dosage of mycin this evening.

[Shadow]

can PM me also? thanks

Always have BBA problem at the side betweenn lapis sand and glass and only in the tank with lapis sand. I guess ADA have plenty of nitrate

[torque6]

Already PM you.

[torque6]

day 3. Not much update. Just added the 3rd daily dose.

[torque6]

50% water change made today, seems all the dead algae are stuck fast to the soil and I can't get them out through siphoning , the left soil towards the tank glass still have fresh green BGA being left in the soil. This i place about 20mg of the tablet into the soil and will monitor.

Tomorrow, another WC. will update again.

[torque6]

5th day .
Did a 50% water change and cleaned the mechanical filters.
Soak the biohome plus and filters in existing tank waters and place them back into the mechanical filters.
Dose 2 drops of sechem stability to ensure BB count.
Dose 35-50mg of erythromycin.

Still seeing small quantity of BGA in the soil which have escape the antibiotics in the water. Looks like another 2 more days of treatment.

[torque6]

Final day, as per advised by the threads that i have done the following , did a final 50%, remove as much dead algae i could find, though they stick really fast to the soil. In doing this i found 1-2 strands of BGA hidden beneath the soil, sigh... will know in a couple of weeks should they return.

Tomorrow back to normal, diy co2 + NPK, hoping now plants have a better foot hold instead of BGA. I will update this thread again .

Many thanks to all who contributed.

[torque6]

Resume everything as per month. 1 weekly drop of NPK+trace. Put back DIY co2. Lights set at 9hrs, interval of 2 with 2hrs break time. Still traces of mycin in the water.

Going to monitor this week.

[torque6]

4th day after treatment, still having residual mycin in the soil, no sign of cynobact sprouting other than my hairgrass growing and creeping, which is a good sign. Hoping my plants have more foot hold against algae this time. Keeping NPK+trace dose to once a week only, about 0.5ML per dose for a 9L tank, while keeping lights at 12W, 9hrs per day with 2hrly interval at lunch time. Co2, DIY so no control but will add less 1/8 yeast with 2 cups of sugar this time to increase duration -> lower the bubble count.

[EdwinL]

Just an update. lots of dead algae accumulating on the soil, yesterday they were still green and bubbling, now just patches of brown mulm... Will continue with a 2nd dosage of mycin this evening.

Hi Torque

I am impressed with you remedy.

Can you tell me where can I get some of the Erytgromycin? I have BGA problems with my tank when I start to intro GEX alike substrates in my tank.

Thank you, in advance.

Cheers,
Edwin

[PlAnTaNoOb]

Antibiotics kills bacteria too. Why not try excel? Normal dose if you want to be friendly to any invertebrates. Double dose if you want it to really work well.

[torque6]

Cynobacteria requires mycin to eradicate, besides excel wouldnt work as much, as its isn't an algae. Besides, BGA already had a foot hold in my tank for close to 4-5 weeks, would have been worst if i did nothing.

[PlAnTaNoOb]

Oops. Sorry, my bad. Misunderstood. Thought it was BBA. In that case CO2 probably wouldn't help much against bacteria.

[torque6]

Yes, cynobacteria is the other way round, it saps and feeds on co2, especially mine since yeast+sugar is considered a waste byproduct which BGA loves, having a oxygenated environment on reversed help me in my treatment.

6th days, no sign or BGA or bubble in the soil, HG are creeping and growing well, tested PH/Ammonia/nitrite, all well and good. Looking forward to a water change this coming weekend.

[yj1]

where to get these antibiotics to treat Blue green algae? i got them growing on my plants.