Re: BGA

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

> Growth and pearling *really* good, but the
> damn dark slimy sh-t attaches to the *sides*
> of leaves and creates long slimy threads.
> It doesn't attach to greenalgae covered stones -
> only the *sides* of the leaves; The surface of
> the leaves are spotless.
> 
> HELP!
> 
> // Daniel.

Well I guess you have had it with snake oils.
BGA is easy to get rid of in 3 days. Whether or not it comes back will be up
to you. You'll know what to do next time you get it and why it often
appears.
3 day black out. But you have to go in, clean well, trim, remove as much as
you can first. Use a net, get rid of all detrital floating matter etc. Clean
filter. Turn off CO2, do 50% water change(add KNO3 at this time), cover up
so that no light at all gets in.
Remove after 3 days, net up any junk, do a 50% water change, add all
nutrients back into the tank.

Now keep up on the NO3, PO4, K, Traces and most importantly, the CO2.

You noted that the plants did not do well when you used the algicide, most
plants don't since they have the same pathways algae do. That method is no
better than a blackout.

The key is to grow the plants well, not kill algae. You have algae because
your plants are not doing well at some point for too long. Once you correct
conditions in the tank, you need to remove the algae that is already there
and established. THEN correct conditions. Don't correct conditions and
expect the algae to keel over and die, attack the algae by removing it from
the tank. That + good conditions takes care of most all algae issues.
Herbivores top that process off and insure even more plants dominance.

You mention the pH is something you don't know or is somewhere betwqeen 6.0
and 6.5. Well, better take care of that before spending $ on algae kills and
antibiotics not to mention your own time. You cannot do much without
addressing CO2 levels. BBA and other species tells me the tank is too low on
CO2 and NO3 likely or least in the recent past when the algae appeared.
You need good CO2 during the lighting period, not part of it, the whole
period(all 12 hrs etc).

Note:
Blackout will cause the Gloss to become leggy, the other plants will be
fine. 

Regards, 
Tom Barr