# Weird green stuff



## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

On my leaves, some of them have this weird ( like lite green/neon ) coating that looks clear on them. Any ideas ?


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

probably BGA. Check out the alage finder on APC and see if it looks like some of the pics there.


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

90blackcrx said:


> On my leaves, some of them have this weird ( like lite green/neon ) coating that looks clear on them. Any ideas ?


Yes it is probably blue-green bacteria (Cyanophyta). It comes off very easily, like patches. It should be cleaned off as often as possible as it grows back in no time. Usually Cyanophyta is a certain imbalance (of nitrogen) in quite new setups. They are not common in old tanks.

Harry


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

Its also on some of my rocks, the tank is some what new, I cycled it a few months back.


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

90blackcrx said:


> On my leaves, some of them have this weird ( like lite green/neon ) coating that looks clear on them. Any ideas ?


See the green stuff on the log, my sucker fish have cleaned it up well


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

Also, is it ok to turn the gravel so the green stuff gets covered ?


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## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

just out of the blue i had the same cyanobacteria growing all over my sand. the tank has been running since august. will too high nitrates perpetuate this problem? any algacides reccomended. the tank is planted with vals and swords too.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

lament configuration said:


> just out of the blue i had the same cyanobacteria growing all over my sand. the tank has been running since august. will too high nitrates perpetuate this problem? any algacides reccomended. the tank is planted with vals and swords too.


how high nitrates are we talking here? Cyanobacteria hates a current. try that too


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

40 for my nitrates, I'm going to get a power head.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

90blackcrx said:


> 40 for my nitrates, I'm going to get a power head.


I made a cool discovery today..

you can use BACTERIAL infection medicine to kill cyanobacteria, or BGA!! I didn't know for sure until now.
Do not to use fungal infection meds, or anything else with plants.. Get some Metronidazol or the likes of it, and give that a whirl if what you are doing fails to get rid of it..


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> you can use BACTERIAL infection medicine to kill cyanobacteria, or BGA!! I didn't know for sure until now.
> Do not to use fungal infection meds, or anything else with plants.. Get some Metronidazol or the likes of it, and give that a whirl if what you are doing fails to get rid of it..


DiPpY this is true. Almost any bacterial medicine will help, like the ones meant for fin rot.
But you can also find special meds for Cyanophyta at your lfs.

It is just that in new tanks the Cyanophyta comes back soon after the treatment or until some algae takes that nitze over.

Harry


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## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

how is this bacterial antibiotic differentiating between the cyano and the beneficial nitrite oxidizing ones?


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

Thats what I've been saying. Antibiodics will kill BGA. I do highly reccomend removing your bio media tho. As antibios do not discriminate.

Generally Lack of nitrates are what are thought to cause BGA. As well as excessive organic debris on the tank floor. 
Strange you got it even with 40ppm on trates.

I use Erythromycin with a good gravel cleaning and maybe a blackout. 
You do not want to "turn" your gravel. that could be the worst possible thing because you will be 1 breaking up the clumps into smaller clumps that can travel thru the tank and spread it even more. and 2 covering it up will not kill it it will ust grow back and thicker and have a deeper root in your tank. You need to Vac it out of the tank compleatly.
Erythromycin does work. I'm using it currently in my 10 gal that somehow broke out. There was a large patch and I just thruw the pill in the tank. a large crcle around where the pill landed was cleared out of the BGA in a day. last night after a deep cleaning and water change I powdered a pill and poured it in to get a good spread. I expect my problem will subside by the end of the weekend.


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

BlackSunshine said:


> Thats what I've been saying. Antibiodics will kill BGA. I do highly reccomend removing your bio media tho. As antibios do not discriminate.


How do I go about doing this, I mean once I remove my filter I can just imagine how much dirt will loosen up, and do the emperor filter come apart ?

There are no certain fish's that will eat this either ?


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## mdrs (May 1, 2006)

90blackcrx said:


> Thats what I've been saying. Antibiodics will kill BGA. I do highly reccomend removing your bio media tho. As antibios do not discriminate.


How do I go about doing this, I mean once I remove my filter I can just imagine how much dirt will loosen up, and do the emperor filter come apart ?

There are no certain fish's that will eat this either ? [/quote]

the emporer has to come apart to let you get inside and change the media. just get inside and take out the part of the filter you clean.

you do this so the antibiodics don't kill the beneficial bacterias that you have in the filter media. and no, there aren't any fish that eat this. it's not really algae. it's a pain in the butt for sure, but you'll get a handle on it.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

Some mollys will eat it.

If you have emps remove your biowheels and media carts if loaded. And treat as per the instructions. 
And have your light off for a day and do a real good gravel vaccing. 
couple more days of treatment and then a waterchange/gravel Vac. and you should be cleared up.


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

So can I remove the filter bags and take out the charcoal ? Or are you saying run the filter with nothing in at all ( no filter )

And whats the downside besides looks if I don't do anything.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I don't remove any filter media when I do this.

Plants are my bio media in the tank until the bacteria in the filter can grow back.
Plants are in competition with the filter anyway, and I have tons of plants in my tanks. They will take care of it no problem..

So I would say, if you have a lot of plants in the tank, and you are not overstocked with fish, you should be ok, IMO


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> I don't remove any filter media when I do this.
> 
> Plants are my bio media in the tank until the bacteria in the filter can grow back.
> Plants are in competition with the filter anyway, and I have tons of plants in my tanks. They will take care of it no problem..
> ...


I have about 35 it seems, stem plants ( pic above ) in my 125 gallon tank and they are growing like crazy. So whats this stuff I'm looking for because its starting to become a real issue, besides the glass turning all green, all gravel is turning green. I also have 7 fish, none are above 4 inches yet

Also my plecos won't tough the green stuff.


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

Anyone else before I add this ?


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

So what is the bio media ? The bio wheels ? I did not remove these and I added melafix, I thought the bio stuff was the carbon.

Will melafix cause issues then ?


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

So what do you do with the bio media once you take it out ?


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## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

to prevent an antibiotic from indiscriminantly killing all bacteria in your tank, i would take the porous media from your 2 baskets as well as the biowheel and keep them in water.


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