# Green Dust Algae finally fading out... =)



## litesky (Feb 9, 2004)

I posted an issue I had earlier last month in the "Erythromycin use?" thread. However, someone suggested that another thread would be better. So here it is:

Basically what happened: I had a DIY CO2 for awhile on my 29 gallon. When i finally went for pressurized system, green dust algae broke out all over my tank. I thought that was pretty ironic. I thought getting pressurized would help me with the war against algae, but it didn't. So how my green dust algae broke out is still a complete mystery to me. After a 50% water change, green dust would completely cover my tank walls and plants by the third of fourth day. Something had to be done.

I also had these other problems:
- Black beard algae was growing around my microswords.
- Blackish Algae that I commonly see growing on anubius leaves have been growing at the tips of my cyprus helferi (not too sure what this one is called)

So I read up on some information about green dust and found out from Tom that maybe a blackout would be a good idea. So that was what I did. I first did a water change, scraped the green dust off the glass walls, making sure that it didn't fall back in to the water. There were still some more green dust at the bottom near my substrate, but I wiped and sucked that out with the vac. Added new water. Blacked out(I only left the lights out, I didn't cover the tank) for one whole day. Turn the lights back on the second day, but instead of my normal 12 hours, I set it down to 8 hours. Did another 50% water change after that immediately does KNO3 and PO4 without Flourish. I then dosed flourish the second day. And then KNO3 and PO4 the third, flourish the fourth...alternating back and forth. I left my lights running at 8 hours a day for the first week and noticed that my plants started growing taller rather than out. I kind of got annoyed with that and on the 8th day after the water change, I did another water change, clipped some plants and reset the light timer to 12 hours.

I also upped my KNO3 and PO4 dosages.

Green Dust and Black Beard gone! and hasn't returned for 1.5 weeks now. However, my cyprus helferi tips are still having trouble with this blackish spottish algae and it is also destorying the lives of the blades. I'm going to wait another few weeks to see if the problem will continue to persist, because it's only the second week. 

Anybody want to make any suggestions? I will continue to update because I know some people have been having a hard time with the green dust algae recently. Good luck to the rest of you.


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## pacolopezmujica (Jun 19, 2005)

*Reply*

Have you turned the CO2 on again?
Did the Green Dust tinted your fingers? 
I have a new thread Green Dust Algae.
You can see a photo there.
Did it look like that?
Thanks
Paco Lopez


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## Gumby (Aug 1, 2005)

It sounds like you're having the exact same problems I am. That black spot algae is wiping out almost all of my foreground plants. I don't know what to do about it or even what it is.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Basically if you harass any algae, they will go away if you stay on top of it and keep the ferts up.

Light is useful, but can make plants leggy as mentioned.
I use this mainly for GW or BGA.

But GD is good to use am quickscrub, followed by sucessive water changes, nutrients, good CO2.

3 folks have had their GD go away with no other changes than CO2 mist.
I have managed to induce some GD finally by inoculation, I'm still not sure about it or it's causes. 

I supopose some could try the Excel or H2O2 method in conjuction with several scrubs and water changes.

But multiple scrubs/water changes, back to back for 1-2 days in between, less light can likely beat it alone. That assumes good nutrients/CO2.

While GD is annoying, it not harmful to plants or the scape. 
BBA defintiely is.

Cyperus is prone to BBa and black spot algae. I trim off any infected leaves, with ample CO2, the plant grows rapidly with nice new leaves and does not continue to get the other algae.

I have noted that poor circulation, poor CO2 will increase the likelyhood of GD in a high light tank.

Once a tank stabilizes well, GD seems to not come back.
Some folks run their UV and or diatom while scrubbing, this alone can likely clear it up, as long as you keep up on the scrubbing every day for a week or so or every other day etc.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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