# blue green algae attack



## tapscrew (Jul 1, 2006)

Hi,

I have a 25l nano and everything is covered with blue green algae, i have been dosing with AlgaeExit but the beast remains, will an overdose of flourish excel kill it or is there any other way to get rid of it. 

There is an 11watt light on for 3 hours in the morning and 5 hours in the evening, it gets a fair amount of sun during the day. 

I havent been dosing with ferts or co2 as the tank has only been running 2 months and the substrate is flora base. Help me fix the prob, the tank looks horrible!!!!


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

tapscrew said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a 25l nano and everything is covered with blue green algae, i have been dosing with AlgaeExit but the beast remains, will an overdose of flourish excel kill it or is there any other way to get rid of it.
> 
> ...


First of all, try to keep the sun out of your tank, this only accelerates everything. 
Second, if you've access to a testkit for NO3 and PO4, maybe you can give us your values. You're probably out of nitrates or have high phosphate. This imbalance between NO3 and PO4 can be cause by the fact that you haven't cleaned your filter for a while (no offense) or maybe because the uptake was very high because of the extra sun on your tank. If you didn't cleaned your filter for a while, start with that.

Maybe you can give us you NO3 and PO4 values. For now, you can start by vacuuming most of it away, do a 50% water change and two days later again (again vacuuming most of it away). Also clean your filter (never too clean!) and if you can measure you NO3 and it is low, maybe you can add KNO3.


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## tapscrew (Jul 1, 2006)

Thanks, i will clean the filter and do a few water changes. Will have to buy the test kits to find out the levels. I will also think about resiting the tank so it gets let sun, tho this will be quite anoying as i like to look at it when im in bed!!!


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## tapscrew (Jul 1, 2006)

Tested water po4 0, nitrites and nitrat
ed 0, cleaned filter and did 50 percent water change algae still comes. I clean it off tghen by the next dayits back like a slime slick over eveything especially near the bottom of the tank. Ive dosed with algae exit and ezczrbo but the problem remains. Tall lants are growing well but plants lower down just get swamped


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## csmith (Apr 22, 2010)

You need nutrients in the water for the plants to grow like they need to. Also, I've found increasing flow/O2 helps with BGA.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Isn’t this best treated with antibiotics or hydrogen peroxide?


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## Jon_TX (Jan 8, 2012)

BruceF said:


> Isn't this best treated with antibiotics or hydrogen peroxide?


H2O2 has worked for spot treatments in the past for me, but doesn't solve the underlying issue. I've had it reappear after spot treatments. My issue was fluctuating CO2 levels with a diy setup, and low/zero nitrates.


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## tapscrew (Jul 1, 2006)

I have started dosing ezcarbo daily and added a small co2 hoping plants will start growing better to fight off the algae


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## csmith (Apr 22, 2010)

BruceF said:


> Isn't this best treated with antibiotics or hydrogen peroxide?


That treats the symptom, not the underlying issue.


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## tapscrew (Jul 1, 2006)

Algae still keeps growing ggrrrr!! I am trying a 2 day blackout at the moment, hopefully that will clear it, then i thought to add nutrients and co2 and get a load more stem plants in to try and out compete the algae. ???


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## herns (Aug 28, 2007)

Similar thread that may help you.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=176826&highlight=blue+green+algae


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