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Re: Battle plan




> I've done some digging and decided on a battle plan. First I'll try the
> 'natural' approaches
> beginning with seeing if I can help the plants out compete the BGA;
> manual removal, water change nitrate/phosphate testing, susbtrate water
> column fertilisers, more frequent changing of Co2 reactors, addition of
> new plants. and add a few bunches of hornwort.

Try a blackout for 4 days. BGA hates this one.
> 
> 
> If that doesn't halt or significantly slow down the BGA I'll try the
> 'lights out' approach combined with the snails which I've already added
> last night (about 2 tablespoons full of ramshorns snails from my 15 gal
> tank) but will continue to add more.

They eat dead BGA perhaps but not the fresh stuff.
> 
> My concern over that though is that without light the plants won't be
> producing oxygen and the Co2 levels will skyrocket dangeriouslyso is
> that a problem? Should the Co2 be turned off (detached from the reactor)
> during the lights off period?

Sure.
Do the water change before and after and remove as much as you can before
the water change. 
> 
> If that doesn't work I'm going to throw algae at it- make some green
> water and green fuzzy/thread algae in a bucket outside. Actually I
> spotted a lovely little clump of fuzzy green algae today- I think I'll
> leave in there and I was reminded that I had a strip of shadecloth on
> the back wall with java moss growing on it that was regulraly inundated
> with the fuzz but I just recently took it down and put it along the
> front as a groundcover and it has no more fuzz on it.

I would caution against this approach, work on the plant part instead, grow
them, not algae. Unless you like algae in your tank for some reason.
> 
> And failing these 'natural' methods I'll use antibiotics or something
> similar to nuke the algae and reset the tank. I have a unused bottle of
> 'Algae Cure' with simazine sitting around but I've read it can affect
> aquarium plants (so it is on the very bottom of the list!). I've also
> got some Waterlife Myxazin that I've used last year seemingly without
> bad effects and it is a bactericide- I might try that- think that'd
> work?

Use Erythromycin at recommended dosages(no 1/2 doses).
> 
> I can't believe it but I'm actually fondly reminiscing the time before
> when I had a few straggly plants (before making modifications towards a
> fully 'high-tech' planted aquarium) and I had an outbreak of brush beard
> algae!
> Thanks again,
> regards
> Damian.

There is one true path, grow the plants. Quit letting the CO2 go and the
nutrients etc. There's something to said for gas CO2 systems on that note
alone. One less thing to worry about and mess with. Nutrients are pretty
straight forward once the light/CO2 is dealt with(add X amount 1-3 times
weekly of nutrient). The rest is basic pruning, water changes, light
vacuuming of detrital matter, having enough herbivores etc. Plant growth is
what you want and to do this you need to give them what they want and quit
worrying about algae. Focus on the plants. This path will not steer you
wrong.

BGA, GW, BBA etc all need to be removed manually well, then a water change,
correct the CO2, lighting , nutrient thereafter, add herbivores, basic
maintenance, keep up on it. BBA, BGA, GW, Hair algae etc all can be dealt
with. If you have DIY CO2, this requires more work and monitoring.
I use 5 things for dosing.
K2SO4
KH2PO4
KNO3
Traces(TMG or Flourish)
And fish food. Not too hard? The hard part if the DIY CO2, pruning,
trimming.  

Regards, 
Tom Barr