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Thread: blue green algae

  1. #1
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    blue green algae

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    what is the best method to clear these algae?
    tried to remove by hand but comes back after 2-3 days.
    thomas liew

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    stop fertilising, light duration shorter..do more water changes.
    Cheers!

    Benetay

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    that's the best way
    change your water
    if you're despo you can use antibiotics, but be sure to complete the course, or you might get resistant bga
    alternatively, you can try the powder that comes in green bottles
    kills bga too
    but will probably be bad for your fish

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    ----------------
    On 2/20/2002 12:29:08 AM

    what is the best method to clear these algae?
    tried to remove by hand but comes back after 2-3 days.

    ----------------
    tawauboy, have u noticed the water where bga grows is stagnant? Try to get some water movement there.

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    Erm... Control of Algae in a Planted Tank suggests that the low nitrate levels encourages BGA. Maybe you want to treat it by balancing your tank nutrients instead of medicating. I don't know if it'll work but thats the direction I'm taking with my tanks for now.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
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    actually algae like BBA, BGA r a cause when there is low/no level of certain nutrients in the water

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    the bga is on quite a lot of the plants.
    especially slow growing plants.
    i am changing water 50% weekly.
    think this started when there was whitespot in my tank.
    used medication and that stunted the growth of a lot of plants.
    now they are recovering slowly and bga is on them.

    i also notice very fine threads about 1.5mm long floating in my tank.
    is this the spores or something related to bga?

    i only add the trace elements from sera.
    have 9 sae.
    thomas liew

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    ----------------
    On 2/21/2002 12:06:52 AM

    tawauboy, have u noticed the water where bga grows is stagnant? Try to get some water movement there.

    ----------------
    wks,

    how much water movement?
    thanks
    thomas liew

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    I share my story:

    After 3 months without success at removing my 65g tank of
    Cyanobacteria by regular water changes, I decided to try the
    anti-biotic method as a last resort.

    I used 3 erythromycin 200mg tablets and ground them up in some water and poured the contents in. That is about half dose of the recommended 200mg / 10 gallons.

    I still continue with my weekly water changes and after 2 weeks, I don't get any smell from the water anymore! Whew!

    I have quite a heavily planted tank. If there is any death of
    bio-filter bacteria, I think any spike in ammonia is absorbed by the plants. So far there's no death to fish and plants remain healthy (except for an outbreak of BBA, I wonder if this is some side effect).

    Hope it works for your tank too.
    koah fong
    Juggler's tanks

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    The BBA is probably a side effect as the nutrient balance in your tank was disrupted when you were treating the BGA.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

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    ----------------
    On 2/21/2002 11:06:43 AM
    I have quite a heavily planted tank. If there is any death of
    bio-filter bacteria, I think any spike in ammonia is absorbed by the plants. ----------------
    Erthromycin does not kill filter bacteria. It is a myth propagated by mis-informed hobbyist. There are different classifications of bacteria, one of which is the reaction of chemical stains on the bacteria cell walls, known as "Gram Staining". Erythromycin affects gram postitive bacteria and leaves the filter bacteria which are mostly gram negative. I dun think you will be interested in how erythomycin selective affects gram positive bacteria only.
    Anyway here is a link to followup.
    http://www.myfishtank.net/articles/bga.php

    Juggler, what does Diana advocates about BGA (or alage in general)?? Still cannot get my hands on that book.

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    On 2/21/2002 11:45:38 AM

    Erthromycin does not kill filter bacteria. It is a myth propagated by mis-informed hobbyist. There are different classifications of bacteria, one of which is the reaction of chemical stains on the bacteria cell walls, known as "Gram Staining". Erythromycin affects gram postitive bacteria and leaves the filter bacteria which are mostly gram negative. I dun think you will be interested in how erythomycin selective affects gram positive bacteria only.
    Anyway here is a link to followup.
    http://www.myfishtank.net/articles/bga.php

    ----------------
    we are, we are
    always good to know more things
    i always thought gram-positive meant no cell membrane, but cytoplasm
    while gram-negative was cell membrane AND cytoplasmic layer

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    Long long ago ,some1 mentioned using Maracyn2(antibiotics too)for BGA

    Saw it at Wong Loy Kee a few day ago(New stock)

    Good Luck

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    ----------------
    On 2/21/2002 10:24:48 PM

    Long long ago ,some1 mentioned using Maracyn2(antibiotics too)for BGA

    Saw it at Wong Loy Kee a few day ago(New stock)

    Good Luck
    ----------------
    i believe the active ingredient of maracyn 2 is erythromycin

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    i believe the active ingredient of maracyn 2 is erythromycin
    ----------------
    Confirm. Maracyn = erythromycin

    Erythromycin belongs to a class of antibiotics known as "Macrolides" (as opposed to other classes like beta-lactam (e.g. penicillin) and tetracyclin, based on their chemical structure).
    It inhibits protein synthesis in the bacteria cell by attaching to the 50S subunit of the bacteria ribosome (got 50S and 30S), thus blocking the release of the tRNA at the P site (peptidyl site, as opposed to the A site). This prevents translocation and therefore inhibiting protein synthesis.

    No. gram reaction does not mean one have cell membrane the other dun have. ALL HAVE membrane. Plants, animals, fungus, even you. How else does the cell controls what goes in and out of the cell? Gram + means that the structure of the bacteria cell wall of is able to trap the stain crystal violet and is stained blue. While gram - bacteria, although stained with crystal violet, it is washed off during destain and is stained by counter-stain, usually saffarin (pink). Gram + bacteria have thicker layer of peptidoglycan (carbohydrate which makes up the cell wall, this one you dun have).

    So why erythromycin selective in it's mode of action leh? Gram + bacteria cell wall/membrane allows the drug into the cell, while gram - bacteria keep it out, although gram - bacteria's ribosome also affected by erythromycin.
    Why humans dun kanna from the drug leh? Simple. Our ribosome is different from those of the bacteria. Ours is 60S and 40S.

    Sorry to bore you all to sleep.

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    No. gram reaction does not mean one have cell membrane the other dun have. ALL HAVE membrane. Plants, animals, fungus, even you. How else does the cell controls what goes in and out of the cell? Gram + means that the structure of the bacteria cell wall of is able to trap the stain crystal violet and is stained blue. While gram - bacteria, although stained with crystal violet, it is washed off during destain and is stained by counter-stain, usually saffarin (pink). Gram + bacteria have thicker layer of peptidoglycan (carbohydrate which makes up the cell wall, this one you dun have).

    So why erythromycin selective in it's mode of action leh? Gram + bacteria cell wall/membrane allows the drug into the cell, while gram - bacteria keep it out, although gram - bacteria's ribosome also affected by erythromycin.
    Why humans dun kanna from the drug leh? Simple. Our ribosome is different from those of the bacteria. Ours is 60S and 40S.

    Sorry to bore you all to sleep.
    ----------------
    very interesting
    where got boring
    what do you do in RL?
    or is this part of your interest?

    btw the webby u gave stated BGA is gram-?
    how does it work then?

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    "Maracyn = erythromycin"

    I'm keen to try this out,
    any idea where I can purchase it?

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    [/quote]
    btw the webby u gave stated BGA is gram-?
    how does it work then?
    ----------------
    [/quote]
    Gram staining is just a simple method of classifying stuff bacteria.
    Given the dynamic structure of the cell wall, it is not surprising to find expections to general given "rules" of antibiotic range based on gram reactions.
    I am not sure if science has deciphered this out already yet, but if you are interested, maybe you can dig into it and let us know.

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    On 2/23/2002 9:43:38 AM

    btw the webby u gave stated BGA is gram-?
    how does it work then?
    ----------------

    Gram staining is just a simple method of classifying stuff bacteria.
    Given the dynamic structure of the cell wall, it is not surprising to find expections to general given "rules" of antibiotic range based on gram reactions.
    I am not sure if science has deciphered this out already yet, but if you are interested, maybe you can dig into it and let us know.
    ----------------
    ahh, that's ok then
    i just looked at your replies and thought you would know, so i asked [:]

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