Algae or Cyno?

[sanjay21]

It's been five days now.If it was me with cyano it would be gone by now.I had it this summer for a couple of days.It comes in from the air;it's every where.This is one of the most primitive life forms and will survive just about any where it can get a foot hold.Black the tank out for three days usually is all it takes along with cleaning and large WC's.Plants will go that long with no effect on them.If it don't work the first time;try it again but this time without peaking so you don't let any light in during that period.I've had this a number of times over the years and the black out method and cleaning always got rid of it.The treatment will also work for algae.

+1
I do the same exact things and works all the time.

[Filip]

My past experience:
I 've covered my completly cyano infestated tank with blankets before my 4 day winter vacation and added heavy surface movement (aeration).
4 days after i got back home to a sparkling clean tank and water .

[Branch]

hi guys, nice to hear from you again Filip. Another thought, don't think it's Cyno as when I syphon the water it's green, could it be too much light? I have two large Interpet Tri Spec LED lights in the 125 gallon tank (6 hrs daily) something tells me it's a lighting issue? C02 now running again so just want to clear the water as the maintenance cleaning the glass, substrate etc is excessive! B

[Willie]

Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue green algae, can fix nitrogen. So they use N2 in the air to produce their own ammonia. Like all plants, they can also photosynthesize. All they really need to bloom is light and phosphate in the water. If the tank is heavily planted, then phosphates are captured by the other plants. Antibiotics can be used to cure a cyanobacteria bloom.

Green algae cannot fix nitrogen. It's basically a single cell plant - so it can photosynthesize. Green algae cannot fix nitrogen, so it needs both nitrogen and phosphate to bloom. Both nitrogen and phosphate are scarce in a heavily planted tank due to competition from higher plants. Antibiotics will have no effect on green alga (or any other algae other than blue-greens).

Because the amount of phosphate needed is minimal, multiple large water changes are needed to dilute out the residual phosphate. In both cases, keeping the tank dark is the best approach. Your plants will be able to survive the lack of photosynthesis much better than algae due to their ability to store carbohydrates to sustain themselves.

Willie

[Branch]

Okay guys I'm going to, against my normal judgement, try the blacking out the tank method. How do ensure that the fish see and eat the food when the tank is dark? B

[bluelagoon]

If it is cyanobacteria nothing will eat them though. Can you post some photos?

The Siamese Algae Eater will.At list the ones I have,would.

[Branch]

Quick question; does the tank have to be completely covered or just the lights off for 4 days as the room isn't particularly well lit anyway? B

[bluelagoon]

In your case yes.This summer when I had it,it was caused by extra hot summer,light and phosphates.When it just started on the floating Frogbit plants I just did a big 80% WC and turned the lights out for 3-4 days and it worked.But in the past I let it get a bit worse and the complete black worked best with no light in the tank at all.That means no peaking.The fish will do just fine for a few days without food.This will work to reduce algae also.You can go the more dangerous route and use erythromycin but antibiotics would be my last approach.

[Branch]

Help! I did what was suggested and have come in today after only 12 hours, checked the tank, and it's completely green can't see the fish due to the cloudyness?! it was totally blacked out and now the problem is 100% worse as although the substrate was showing green deposits the water was clear now it's opaque! B

[bluelagoon]

It's a bloom,the cyano is dying off;must have been quite the build of of the stuff.Put an air stone in the tank.Did you do a large WC.If not do so and cover it back up.Do not clean the filters when you have cyano.

[Branch]

It's a bloom,the cyano is dying off;must have been quite the build of of the stuff.Put an air stone in the tank.Did you do a large WC.If not do so and cover it back up.Do not clean the filters when you have cyano.

Thanks. It didn't seem that bad but if this is the cycle of a die off then it's good right? Water change was done yesterday and I'm storing enough RO water to do a large change when the water clears. The tank is covered and I'll not touch it until the cycle is finished. Any thing else I need to consider? B

[bluelagoon]

Mine as never gotten cloudy.This type of algae seems to like it a bit acidic and doesn't seem affect fish unless oxygen gets depleted.There are many different types of cyano.Some times we cannot eat shell fish food due to the toxins in warmer conditions along the coast.Some call it "red sea".

[bluelagoon]

By the way the time starts over and the past 12 hours don't count>you have a bloom,do not feed your fish;it adds to the issue.

[Branch]

Will do, will let you know how it goes. B

[Branch]

Any idea how long the algae bloom will last? cant see anything in there today at all! B