• blue green algae

    From Scott@1:278/230 to All on Sat Sep 25 11:24:00 2004
    Hi, is blue green algae considered to be a serious problem. what I mean is
    if it gets into an aquarium does that mean that a blackout or blackouts must
    be performed to remove it from they aquarium because of the speed that it spreads at and the lack of a working treatment in the UK.

    I have had blue green algae in my aquarium since I first set it up in
    November last year. it started as a small patch on the gravel in the front
    of my tank and very quickly spread over the plants and gravel forming into sheets. I removed the sheets and gravel cleaned weekly but it did not stop spreading and the algae was back in force every three days or so.

    I have a standard juwel 180 aquarium with zero ammonia nitrite nitrate 1ppm phosphate. I have also lowered the phosphate with rowaphos to 0ppm for two months. they only effect that had on the blue green algae was to reduce its growth rate to a quarter of what it was. that also stopped nearly all plant growth in my tank. a blacking out the aquarium for four days while the phosphate was at zero also did not work

    I have tried using blackouts several times. I tried a three day and a four
    day blackout. each time the algae was not visible after a few days. but returned a week or so after finishing. I then tried a six day blackout this also had the same result. recently I tried a four day blackout followed by a three day blackout two days later, I also started using interpet blue green algae treatment a couple of weeks before. that has also not worked and the algae returned after nearly two weeks, a few days ago, low down in the
    gravel at the front of my aquarium. I put it down to the fact that a small amount of light might have been getting to the gravel there, and have
    started another four day blackout but I may try a seven or eight day
    blackout in the hope of finally getting rid of the problem once and for all.

    I have been using tin foil to blackout my aquarium with a towel hanging down the back to help keep out the light that goes through the hagen picture background at the back. I have also been covering all of that with a
    sleeping bag except on this occasion were I have used extra tin foil along
    the bottom of the aquarium. that gets it pretty near dark in the aquarium.

    any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
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  • From Mike Edwardes@1:278/230 to All on Fri Oct 1 07:01:00 2004
    Blue green algae is usually a problem in new tanks, or in tanks with
    too many nutrients, i.e. too many fish or due to overfeeding. if you
    persist, you can eventually eliminate it. Take a look at: http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net/plant/lotech.html

    Mike.
    --
    Mike Edwardes Tropicals
    http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net
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