# My first major algae outbreak!



## SkinniMini (Mar 26, 2006)

I don't even know where to start...
Here are 2 links for some pics I took tonight..from what i've read so far, it looks like BGA, but why is it black on my watersprite, & other plants?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/beSteelmyheart/algaepics001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/beSteelmyheart/algaepics002.jpg

It started on my gravel over the past couple of weeks or so..I would turn the gravel or vac it, in hopes of getting rid of it to no avail. Now it's spread onto my plants & the more I look, the more I see.
This is happening in my 20 high, w/65w coralife 6700k, left on 8 hours. I've been running the hagen unit, which doesn't really do much for my co2, but I've never had this before, either, this is a well established tank, fish & plant wise. My plants have always grown well, some better than others(like my houseplants, some grow like mad, & some I have no luck with at all)
My ferts have been all screwed up lately..I bought some Seachem macros & have been trying to follow a scedule with them(too much to type out)but my problems seem to go along with this, I was doing a _hell _of alot better by just adding the usual excel, occasional flourish & iron, & some fleet a few times a week. I always do my weekly waterchanges & maintenance.
According to the schedule, I've been adding way more iron that is called for on the bottle directions, could this be a problem? I have Flourite substrate.
My nitrates out of the tap are like 12.5 & the tank always tests the same for that. I don't have a phosphate test kit yet, but it's on my list.
Do I have to do a blackout on my tank? How do the fish react to 4 days of darkness? What about the plants? Do I have to heavily prune infected areas? Before, or after the blackout?
To tell the truth, I have been kind of restless with my tanks, & am ready to "nuke' them which means I'm sick of the way they look & am ready to just go in, wipe them out & rescape everything.
I've been wanting to get some greg watson ferts, but to be perfectly honest, the calculator still confuses me.(I'm sure it's a simple, easily answered question, it always is)
Ugh!
Any thoughts from the algae gurus?


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

It seems that you have been a little inconsistent with your dosing schedule, which can contribute to algae problems. Another cause of algae is a out of balance tank, without knowing your exact water parameters it is hard to say where it is. I would guess that you are not getting enough steady C02 in the tank with the Hagan unit. The C02 should be kept at between 20-30ppm. Two other parameters that should be kept in balance is nitrates and phosphates, with N03 being kept at 10ppm and P04 at 1ppm.

This site http://www.aquariaplants.com/alqaeproblems.htm as 4 options on treating BGA. I've tried the E-mycin with great success and would recommend it. The blackout is another good option that works, but I've never personally tried it.

Iron should not be overdose, only use the recommended amount suggested by the MFG. I myself use less, 1mm per 10 gallons once a week. If you are using a macro nutrient along with separate iron dosing, your plants will be getting plenty of iron.


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## rachpreach (May 23, 2006)

get a syringe and fill it with hydrogen peroxide and spot treat the areas with BGA. it will be gone the next day! worked for me!


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I suggest using the test kits as paperweights. Then, start dosing nitrates, phosphates and traces per a schedule like the EI schedules. And, as Trena said, you need to stabilize the CO2 at a higher ppm in the tank. Or, you might just use Flourish Excel instead of the CO2, or in addition to the CO2. But, don't let the ppm of CO2 vary all over the map, or that will invite the algae to bloom.


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## SkinniMini (Mar 26, 2006)

Yep, it seems like my whole life has been slightly out of balance lately, & my tank is becoming a reflection of it, but it seemed like everything was better before I started in with all of these different ferts & this different schedule.
I tried the 2litre soda bottle co2 method, using 2 recipes & couldn't get anything to happen-i wasted 2 days & 4 cups of sugar & went back to the Hagen. The first time I admit my cap setup was lame, but I made some good ones at work, & tried it again, using the aseptic method & recipe from a great website mentioned here..still nothing. I'll have to buy a bag of sugar & try again. 
I'm not ready for pressurized co2, I don't even have the ferts right yet!
I guess i will have to make preparations for a black out & will be doing some heavy reading in the meantime.


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## rachpreach (May 23, 2006)

If its not a bad case of bga just squirt it with some hydrogen peroxide. Just try it!


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## SkinniMini (Mar 26, 2006)

rachpreach said:


> If its not a bad case of bga just squirt it with some hydrogen peroxide. Just try it!


I thought about that but it is in spots everywhere, here & there. I pruned alot last night, but am still seeing it. Last night i turned & vac'd the gravel but today it's back. It just seems like too much now for that, plus I don't want to just start putting chemicals in there, I have to figure out how to balance my tanks.
I'm ready for blackout mode, I took out my Hagen & added it to the other one on my 15, I cleaned my filter out, have my bubble stone going, fish are fed & as soon as the timer/lights go off, I'll unplug it & cover the tank. I'm looking at it in a positive light, figuring that it's another learning opportunity.


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## Chris S (Feb 27, 2006)

I have a tank with BGA right now too I'm going to watch this post for your progress


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

SkinniMini, how much water movement do you have in your tank? This may not solve your problem, but after adding a powerhead to add extra movement to my water, my blue-green algae problem went away overnight. Anyone else experience this?


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## SkinniMini (Mar 26, 2006)

Usually all I have is my Aquaclear filter..
I have an airstone setup that I run a little bit occasionally to break up the yeast scum on the surface & help circulate the water-I normally don't run it because of my co2.
I guess my reasoning for running the airstone now is to keep a good circulation going, & what the heck, I took the co2 out for now.
That's interesting about the water current, though, I hope it helps, although my algae problem started in the gravel which is kind of an open area below the outlet of my filter. Hmmm...


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

BGA is one of the easiest algaes to get rid of. Do alot of water changes by vaccuming affected areas. If you could increase your biofilter do that as well. IME BGA comes into play when your biofilter is weak and you have alot of waste in the tank. I don't know what aquaclear filter you have nor how heavy your fish load is. Fish load and fish food in many high light tanks needs to be light in order to minimize algae issues.


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