gBOYsc2 Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 HELP! I have been having a lot of trouble combating the cyanobacteria that appeared in my tank a few weeks ago. At first I thought it was flow related because it was only in the are that my spraybar didn't reach to. Then I installed a second spraybar to extend the original one. This seemed to only make it worse. So I completely removed the spraybar and also installed a tiny HOB filter to increase oxygenation and help circulation. I also cleaned up the filter and did large water changes in between. Nothing seems to be working. It is starting to creep everywhere in my tank and I cannot figure it out. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thats what I would have done. Hey, you did read the article I sent 'ya :thumbs: I would just keep sneaking up the KNO3. Remember the little bluegreen corpes will hang around - even after they have stopped blooming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 In a small tank, it should be easy to kill. Follow these steps and it'll be gone: 1) Large WC (50%+) 2) Double your normal dose of KNO3 3) Black out completely for 4 days (plants and fish will be fine if they're healthy) 4) Large WC w. extra KNO3 5) carry on as normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gBOYsc2 Posted March 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 I was getting readings of 40-80 ppm nitrates so i dont think that is the cause. Also I have read the blackout method works great but I don't want to just get rid of it, I want to fix the cause of it. Any other suggestions? If all else fails I will definitely do the blackout but that is only a temporary fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 What are your CO2 readings? If they're low, that can cause BGA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Last year I was having lots of issues with BGA. I ended up having to do 2 black outs about 6 weeks apart. The first one killed all the BGA but it came back. I already had high co2, and I adjusted the water flow but I guess that wasn't the cause so it came back. I did a second black out and started to dose kno3 on a more regular basis in a high quantity and that seems to have worked. I also upped my water changes. Its been about 6 months and it hasn't come back. So I would suggest doing a black out, upping your co2, adjust your lights, and then fiddle with the kno3. How often do you do water changes? 40-80ppm of kno3 seems high for a planted tank. How many plants do you have and hows the growth? Maybe describe your setup(how plants, lights,co2 etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubr0ke Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Jvision's advice is on point. It has to be to be nitrates and co2. do as he suggest. I don't trust test kits..even calibrated. solution drop sizes can differ so much.. Also if you haven't already, clean your filter. I would keep the spray bar that you removed...Maybe even add a little hydor. The more flow the better. Plant mass creates a whole new set of problems..lower flow, deficiencies, competition for co2, added organics...Your light doesn't leave much room for error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gBOYsc2 Posted March 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) What are your CO2 readings? If they're low, that can cause BGA. My drop checker always reads light green almost yellowish. I like to keep it a little high. I have the double drop checker which also holds a reference solution as well as the indicator solution so I can accurately read it since I don't have good eyes. With a reg drop checker I wouldn't notice a minor shift in color. Last year I was having lots of issues with BGA. I ended up having to do 2 black outs about 6 weeks apart. The first one killed all the BGA but it came back. I already had high co2, and I adjusted the water flow but I guess that wasn't the cause so it came back. I did a second black out and started to dose kno3 on a more regular basis in a high quantity and that seems to have worked. I also upped my water changes. Its been about 6 months and it hasn't come back. So I would suggest doing a black out, upping your co2, adjust your lights, and then fiddle with the kno3. How often do you do water changes? 40-80ppm of kno3 seems high for a planted tank. How many plants do you have and hows the growth? Maybe describe your setup(how plants, lights,co2 etc) I do 10g(little more then 50%) water change every Sunday and do EI dosing, so KNO3 every second day. The tank is literally jam packed with plants, there is absolutely no substrate available to plan anything else. The growth was great until the cyano started to cover surfaces of the plants. The setup is 20g. I have 48w of T5HO. 1 6500k and 1 650nm (Roseate) bulb. Pressurized CO2. EI dosing with dry fertilizers. I have Rotala nanjenshan(which is where the cyano started), Diplis diandra, Hemianthus micranthemum, Pogostemon helferi, and Hemianthus callutrichoides. Jvision's advice is on point. It has to be to be nitrates and co2. do as he suggest. I don't trust test kits..even calibrated. solution drop sizes can differ so much.. Also if you haven't already, clean your filter. I would keep the spray bar that you removed...Maybe even add a little hydor. The more flow the better. Plant mass creates a whole new set of problems..lower flow, deficiencies, competition for co2, added organics...Your light doesn't leave much room for error. Doesn't a spraybar create a more gentle flow, which would be less in a sense? I do have a Hydor Koralia Nano kickin around. I used to use it when the system was run in a 50g. The problem is it would create waaaaaaay too much flow for my fish and would blow them around everywhere. They like really gentle flow and don't seem to do well with a strong flow. So I installed a small HOB with about 30 gph flow rate. I guess I am left with one option..... THE BLACK OUT! Any suggestions how to do this? Black garbage bags? How about the co2 gasoff? Some will need to escape into the air I imagine or else the water will become waay to saturated no? How would I go about making sure that some of the CO2 in the air above the tank can escape? Thanks for all the help so far. Edited March 5, 2011 by gBOYsc2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 When i did my black outs I taped garbage bags to the sides and then put one over the top but left a few inches uncovered at the back(where my glass lid usually has a gap) uncovered. But my tank was in a darker room, if your tank is in a room thats is bright you could also cover the gap with a piece of cloth so the air can still get through but the light can't. Or since your tank is smaller just throw a dark towel or blanket over it and forget the garbage bags. Leave a gap around the top for airflow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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