Re: Re: Carpeting algae

["Robert H" <robertph3 at attbi_com>]

>>Someone will chime in and tell you to use Erythromycin. I don't think it's
needed since you can use lights off and that's free. BGA is easy to kill
with that method.
Just be sure to help the plants grow so it doesn't come back. You will not
limit it with chemical removers etc.<<

I already beat you to it Tom! I know we have had this discussion before, but
I will say it again. In the past 3 or 4 years, I have had BGA 3 or 4 times,
(never in the same tank, I have over 20 tanks), and each time I treated it
with Maracyn, (which is not a snake oil "chemical", its an anti biotic,
plain and simple) I followed the instructions archived on the KRIB from a
few years ago from the heavies of that time. I treated the tank every day
after first doing a 50% water change and removing as much of the BGA as
possible. Within a week it was totally gone and in each case IT NEVER
RETURNED IN 3 YEARS. And yes, I did examin possible contributing factors and
corrected them. Improved filtration, cut back feeding of the fish, and so
forth. But in each instance it was during a new tank set up, or in one
instance a tank I severly neglected.

I do not understand some peoples adversion to using anti biotics. Its safe,
easy and completely effective. In at least one instance it didn't even take
a week, it was gone in 2 days. It depends on how long you let it go before
treating. Trying your method however, had quite the opposite affect for me.
Lights out either only slowed it down or it came back a few days later. I
battled it for over a month with no progress until I used the Maracyn and it
was gone forever in a few days. The plants suffered greatly during that
whole month I didnt use Maracyn. It choked out all my Didiplis and a couple
of other plants. It killed all my Glosso in a week. I could have saved
myself a lot of trouble just by using the Maracyn right from the start,
(which of course I have done every time since then)

Robert Paul Hudson
http://www.aquabotanic.com
CO2 alternatives