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Re: BG algae
FORWARDED MESSAGE:
>Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 09:42:38 -0800 (PST)
>From: Roxanne Bittman <rbittman at spock_dfg.ca.gov>
>To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
>Subject: Bluegreen algae
>
Jonathan complained that he had persistent BG algae problems. You might
look at my recent post on what appears (still) to be a successful attempt
to use the
Sears and Conlin method to get rid of BGs.
I had BGs in a 40g tank. I tried many things, including encouraging snails,
cutting down on light, removing fish load, increasing water changes, and
adding
Jobes plant sticks for ferns and palms to the substrate, and NONE OF IT
WORKED. My idea was to reduce the phosphate levels so that the higher
plants could outcompete the BGs...however, no luck.
So, I resorted to using Maracyn (erythromycin) as per package instructions
(others have used less and it may also have worked for them) for five days.
The
BGs disappeared. At the same time I began to add KNO3 to the water since the
nitrate levels were only 4mg/l. I raised the KNO3 levels to about 12mg/l and
kept it there.
Since I did these latter two things, the BGs have completely disappeard and
the
higher plants are doing very well - in fact, never better. It is my feeling
that, once you have BGs established, it can be very difficult to get rid of
them
without help (i.e. antibiotics). There is quite a discussion on this in the
archives from around Sept-Nov 1997.
Good luck,
Roxanne Bittman