# bga



## Malok (Mar 26, 2006)

What is an effective way of getting rid of it i really dont care about the plants in there but i have a rhom in there

could i have gotten it from to many wpg i have about 2


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

BGA's abitch. and you need to deal with it fast or you might have a dead fish on your hands. 
Cyanobacteria (Oscillitoria splendens) - Details and Treatment
Latin Name:	Cyanobacteria (Oscillitoria splendens)
Common Name(s):	BGA
Algae Description:	BGA is technically not an algae but more of a bacteria that has the capacity to photosynthesize just like other algae or plants.

It looks like a thin blue/green (it has also been reported as being black/purple) layer that can cover about everything in the tank or be localized on just the gravel for example. It comes off very easily, usually in thin slimy sheets.

Some people also say that it has a rotten smell if you take it out and smell it.
How to Treat:	It has been postulated that the cause of a BGA breakout is lack of Nitrates in the aquarium.

But to get rid of the existing BGA, two different types of treatment are available:

- Erythromycin (antibiotic) treatment.
- 3 or 4 day *complete* blackout (tank covered, not just lights off).

Remember to make sure your Nitrate levels are above 0 mg/l (10-20 mg/l is best) or the BGA will just come back.

***Edit***
I copied this txt from www.aquaticplantcentral.com under their alage section. 
I don't want anyone thinking I tried to claim this writing as my own. I was being too lazy to type this out myself.


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## thebluyak (Apr 14, 2006)

Also, if you get a powerhead and point it at the algea and get your nitrates up it will dissappear. I still seem to get BGA only in the front of my tank and I dose postassium nitrate every other day so I dont know where mine is coming from


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

Oscillatoria is only one genus of a very large and diverse class of Cyanophyta. 
Here is more info on that one:

University of Paisley - Oscillatoria

But as I said, there is a number of other genus too, like Nostoc and Anabaena.

Harry


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

manually remove it every time you see it forming, dose more nitrates, try to get more circulation in your tank, like theblueyak said.
That has been the only way I have seen it disapear fast


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## Malok (Mar 26, 2006)

thanks ill try every thing


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## mdrs (May 1, 2006)

i've been fighting bga as well. and on dippy's instructions, i took out ALL the plants and cleaned off as much as i could. the leaves that were too covered, i cut off. then i raised the nitrate level to about 30ppm and kept a close eye on it. haven't really seen any regrowth in about three days. took me about three hours and cost me a lot of new growth but you know what they say about prevention...


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

mdrs said:


> i've been fighting bga as well. and on dippy's instructions, i took out ALL the plants and cleaned off as much as i could. the leaves that were too covered, i cut off. then i raised the nitrate level to about 30ppm and kept a close eye on it. haven't really seen any regrowth in about three days. took me about three hours and cost me a lot of new growth but you know what they say about prevention...


Great job.. Keep us posted on progress on that, ok? Remember to attack it with extreme prejudice every time you see it..


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## Malok (Mar 26, 2006)

powerhead and blackout bga gone


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## mdrs (May 1, 2006)

Malok said:


> powerhead and blackout bga gone


good to hear. have any pics?


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## mdrs (May 1, 2006)

update on the tank situation:

after all the work, i'm glad to say that i've had almost no new growth of BGA at all. my thanks to dippy for his advice and all the free plants he gave me. TONS of em. it's nice to live close to this guy.

View attachment 122114

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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

MRDS
I like what your doing with your tank. I never thought of tieing the zoster down like that. I have some planted and some pinned to a rock.
The tree effect you're going for is going to loook great!


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## mdrs (May 1, 2006)

BlackSunshine said:


> MRDS
> I like what your doing with your tank. I never thought of tieing the zoster down like that. I have some planted and some pinned to a rock.
> The tree effect you're going for is going to loook great!


thankyou. i appreciate that. it's certianly a work in progress but i (as dumb as it sounds since this is my first and only planted tank) wanted to try duplicating outside scenes like Amano does soooooooo well.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

well your off to a good start. only suggestion I would spread those swords in the last pic out a little. they seem a little cramped. I know each of my swords has about 18" radius to themselves. they are space whores.


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## mdrs (May 1, 2006)

BlackSunshine said:


> well your off to a good start. only suggestion I would spread those swords in the last pic out a little. they seem a little cramped. I know each of my swords has about 18" radius to themselves. they are space whores.


yeah you're right about that. the reason that i don't have them spread out is because my fish will attack them if i don't. don't know why. took me a while to train the oscar to leave the plants alone as it is. horrible beast.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

yeah I noticed my FH biting at my swords yesterday. I'm not sure if hes attacking the BBA on the leaves or the swrod itself. either way I'm jnot happy bout it.


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