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Re: BGA Battle
Jeff Bodin wrote:
>
>I am beginning to believe that BGA is not driven by incorrect NO3 levels or
>P overkill, but by accumulation of DOCs (Dissolved Organics). My conclusions
>to this is because have been battling with BGA for several months now and
>have a situation very similar to Roberts: No measurable P, or NO3
>"out-of-whack" to drive the growth of the Algal/Bacteria. I too have a very
>heavily populated tank (both fish and plants).
>
>I was using H2O2 daily for a couple of weeks about a month ago, and although
>I never eliminated it the BGA did knock it down to almost unseeable levels.
>Plants also exploded in growth during this period, and one plant that I
>could not grown (R. Macrandra) suddenly stopped melting and took off.
>
>Then I went away for a couple of weeks (no H2O2 dosing). When I came back,
>the BGA was voraciously back and growing as fast (daily) as I removed it
>(and R. Macrandra started dissolving as soon as the BGA began taking off). I
>believe the H202 is working not by oxidizing the BGA, but by oxidizing the
>DOCs floating around in my tank, and maybe by increasing the re-dux (now I'm
>stretching my knowledge)......
>
Bluegreen algae is known to produce a number of toxins (allelochemicals),
and I am wondering if these toxins are released into the water and if they
support the BGA by damaging other plants and possibly inhibiting snails,
small annelids, and other critters that could otherwise eat the BGA. I
have found that if I cut off all the light, after about a week, the BGA
becomes edible by ramshorn snails, and they start eating it up, growing and
laying eggs all over the place. According to my toxin hypothesis, during
the week in the dark the BGA stops producing the toxin, and the toxin is
not persistant in the water, so it is broken down and not replaced.
Perhaps the BGA is actully producing the organics and the ogranics are
responsible for the damage to the R. Macandra. Perhaps the H2O2 is
destroying the organics, and, without the organics, the BGA gets eaten up
or dies away from other causes. I wonder of a UV sterilizer would destroy
the organics. Has anyone had BGA go away or become edible by snails when
there is a UV sterilizer in operation? I have seen this happen in one of
my tanks, and I am waiting to see if it happens in another.
Paul Krombholz, in cool, dry, central Mississippi.