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Re: Blue-green algae




On Sun, 10 Sep 2000, Margaret Elford wrote:
 
> What is the best thing to do for blue green algae?

Blue green algae is pretty much ubiquitous.  Sometimes it's a problem and
sometimes it's unnoticable.  Of course, you want to latter of these cases.
Two choices are to treat it with antibiotics (and to continue treating it
thereafter each time a problem arises, until is gains immunity to the
antibiotic) or to provide conditions where it does not flourish.  There
are other choices, such as treating with copper sulfate.  Recently someone
mentioned on this list that there is a fish (a bitterling, I think it was)
that would eat the stuff.  I haven't heard of anything else that would eat
it.

The "best" approach from my point of view is to provide conditions in your
tank under which the blue green algae won't thrive.  Fortunately, those
can be conditions under which everything else does thrive; unfortunately,
it may require changes in your aquarium setup.

I find it most successful to take a positive approach. Rather than looking
for ways to beat back the blue green algae, look for ways to improve
growing conditions for your other plants.  Take a critical look at your
tank and figure out what can be done to improve growing conditions. I've
found that increasing lighting, improving circulation, decreasing or
rearranging stands of tank-choking plants like Vallisneria, and replacing
stuggling plants with healthy plants all help to control blue green algae.

Of course, the best choice for you will depend on the conditions in your
tank.


Roger Miller