# Defeated cyanobacteria - BBA coming back.



## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

It seems like I'm constantly battling algae in this 75 gallon tank. Get rid of one kind, up pops another. The tank isn't really "planted." It has two anubias barteri on driftwood (in 75 gallons), dual T8 fixture, no CO2, inert substrate.

So I got rid of cyanobacteria by cleaning up ALL visible cyano, followed by a water change to remove any floating bits of it, followed by a 3 day blackout, followed by another water change, followed by 50% weekly water changes with KNO3 dosing. Haven't seen another speck of it.

Now BBA is cropping up. All over rocks, driftwood. It's everywhere. I'm doing 50% weekly water changes with my well water, I'm feeding fairly sparingly. There's no CO2 injection, but there's lots and lots of surface agitation (BIG koralia pointed at the surface.) I don't dose anything except KNO3.

I've heard that BBA is soft water only. Should I get some CaCl and MgSO4? I don't have a GH test kit, but I could take some water to an LFS to be tested. Would putting a cuttlebone in a filter work?
Obviously the first step is to kill the BBA. I'm going to do it with excel, but I need to know what to do to keep it from coming back.
Reasons I've heard for BBA:
CO2 (I have no control over this + if CO2 is the issue then why do NPTs work?)
Excess of calcium/absence of calcium (which is it?)
Organics (hello, 50%/week WC?)


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

BGA is pretty easy to take care of.

Erythromycin. Also known as "EM".

1. Manually remove/suck with a hose all BGA you can.
2. Dose the EM at a dose of 200 mg per 10 gal. of water. The Algae should start to form bubbles on its surface about 10 min. after you dose the EM. That's a sign that it has been hurt.
3. Wait 1 day.
4. Manually remove/suck with a hose all BGA you can. At this point the alge would look obviously damaged (diff. color, diff texture). Do a 30 water change.
5. Done.

Works about 99% of the time. The key is not to underdose the EM and make the BGA get used to the medicine.

Nothing else works as good as EM - water changes, playing with ferts etc.

--Nikolay


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

Where can one obtain Erythromycin. Also known as "EM".


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Anywhere:

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16818

...But you MUST get the "Also known as EM"...

--Nikolay


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

niko said:


> Anywhere:
> 
> http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16818
> 
> ...


Just ordered some Thanks Niiko


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## potatoes (Jun 25, 2010)

Is EM a selective antibacterial or will it kill even the benificial bacteria and damage your biological filtration?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

No.

From my experience. Gram positive bacteria or not that's my experience.

--Nikolay


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## ckarr (Nov 20, 2010)

EM is safe to use when following the label. I've used it in reefs tanks, it even works at 1/2 dosage. It will fix one problem, cyano, but as posted here isn't the solution to the main problem, excess nutrients, and something else often grows to take it's place. How old are your bulbs? Is the BBA growing everywhere or on just certain wood or rocks? Have you tested your nitrates or phosphates, tank and source water? I'm intrigued by the calcium theory, thanks for giving me something to go searching about.  Keep us posted on your progress.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Jschall,

The original post is about BBA, not BGA. I apologize for highjacking the thread.

50% water changes a week getting rid of organics? Not necessarily...

Here's the deal:

BBA does not disappear if you play with the water chemistry. Unless you achieve pH shock that is (a pretty rare and in a way exciting event). I do believe that BBA shows up and persists because of organics.

If you had BGA before then something went wrong with the biofilter. Now you have BBA (which definitely like organics). Big water changes don't get rid of the BBA? Ok then it looks like your biofilter is not taking care of the organics.

No matter how much you change the water if the biofilter is not working well you are fighting a losing battle.

I'd do this:

Increase circulation throughout the tank. 
Continue with the water changes.
Suck all visible mulm, plant debries, etc. every time I do a water change.
Get a big load of patience.
Read more about filtration.

Here's food for thought:
- There is a right way to arrange the circulation in a planted tank (and not only planted). Ask Amano about it.
- There are best materials to provide for the biofilter. Look for info on "Poret", "Matala", and "Kaldness" and then decide what you know about filtration media and if your 50% water changes are supposed to save the day.
- There is a correct volume of the biomedia in relation to the tank volume.
- There is a correct flow rate through the media.
- There is a correct size of the media.

Above all - don't forget to keep the war with BBA fun 

--Nikolay


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

@ niko- I just tried to send you a pm but you are full...


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Get some plant in there to suck up some of those nutrients. Limit light. Are you not wanting plants in there? If no plants then as Niko says you have to get rid of nutrients and limit light.


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## JERP (Feb 4, 2003)

perhaps some additional carbon filtration would help.


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