Dealing with Blue Green Algae in Canada

[Greenspace]

First post, been following for a while and recently got back into the hobby after 20 years. Such a great community to have!

I have a 6 gallon low-tech planted tank with a single female betta and a nerite snail that been running for about 4 months. I had a second nerite snail that died about 4 weeks ago and since then I've had a BGA outbreak that I'm having trouble getting rid of. I clean it off the plants, gravel, sand, driftwood every week when I do a 50% water change and it always comes back. I've tried UltraReef Slime Remover to minimal effect.

The issue is in Canada you can not purchase fish antibiotics at a pet store. The sale of these products is restricted. Technically if a fish gets sick and needs antibiotics, you need a vet's prescriptions. I could try to order from the US but it may or may not get here.

So without erythromycin or the like as an option, what's your best thought?

- 5.8 gallon
- heavily low tech planted aquascape with driftwood
- Tropica Aquasoil covered with gravel/sand
- Locally collected rocks mostly consisting of Gneiss and Quartz
- 50% water change each week, 1/2 dechlorinated tap water and half RO water
- Chihiros C2 6 hours at 60% with 1/2 hr. ramp up.
- HOB filter with Seachem Matrix and sponges, and recommended dose of Purigen
- Reduced my fertilizing to once a week NilocG Thrive C
- 5ppm Nitrate, PH 7.4, 0 Amm or Nitrite. Temp 24C/75F

I'm at a bit of a loss what to do. Test the tap water for phosphates, or use only RO water? Black out? Thank you for any insights you might be able to provide. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Greenspace
Spelling, photo added

[Fishbros]

That must hard when a fish gets sick or anything like that.  Hopefully vet care is cheaper there then it is here in the U.S.  Here is an article I found on the Co op blog that has some natural ways to get rid of BGA 

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/blue-green-algae

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @Greenspace

I see you found my post as to how to progress using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).  If you have questions just ask.  Very nice 'scape btw! -Roy

[Greenspace]

^Yes I saw that. Going to try that, thanks!

[Patrick_G]

@Greenspace, nice looking tank! Is that pic before or after you cleaned the algae?

[Marcelo]

Have a look on this product: Ultralife Blue Green Slime Stain Remover

I had issues when I left my tank alone for 14 days ! After hours looking for what to do  I found this product. I had fishes, Nerites and shrimps and nothing happened with them.

 

 

[Mmiller2001]

H2O2 kills it immediately without hurting the BB. Follow Seattle's instructions and you'll be good to go.

[Robert]

If you can get Chemiclean that will work. Reef keepers use to to kill Red Cyanobacteria. I have used it in my nano planted tank with success. 

[Greenspace]

On 7/7/2022 at 7:11 PM, Patrick_G said:

@Greenspace, nice looking tank! Is that pic before or after you cleaned the algae?

Thanks. After I cleaned it. 😀

On 7/7/2022 at 7:36 PM, Marcelo said:

Have a look on this product: Ultralife Blue Green Slime Stain Remover

I had issues when I left my tank alone for 14 days ! After hours looking for what to do  I found this product. I had fishes, Nerites and shrimps and nothing happened with them.

 

 

I have been trying that. It hasn't really done much. I've seem maybe a bit less growth in the BGA but hasn't gotten rid of it.

[Patrick_G]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:12 AM, Greenspace said:

Thanks. After I cleaned it. 😀

Ok, that makes sense. 

[Torrey]

On 7/7/2022 at 3:02 PM, Greenspace said:

50% water change each week, 1/2 dechlorinated tap water and half RO water

What are your water parameters straight out of the tap?

Nano and pico tanks can be a bit frustrating when there's a problem, because it is easy to knock them out of balance and it takes forever to get them back in balance.

The H2O2 method that Roy wrote eventually eliminated the cyanobacteria (BGA) in both my pico tank and my 4' tank. None of the other 11 tanks ever got it, and I'm not sure how it started (to prevent it in the future). It did follow a reduction of KH in my osurce water (tap water). I haven't gotten my pico tank completely back on track yet (~3 gallon tank) and plants aren't fully recovered (I underfed the plants, and snails and shrimp did their clean-up job), but the cyanobacteria has yet to come back.

Lessons I learned:

1. Go slow

2. Don't let the H2O2 come in contact with fish or inverts (I learned to cup my hand around the area I was treating to keep animals out)

3. Sometimes it's worth it to take a plant out to clean. If I run into cyanobacteria again, I'll test the Reverse Respiration method on plants I remove from the tank to clean.

Mostly, lots of patience and test my source water before every single water change because I suspect the change in source water amplified some other imbalance in the 2 tanks....

[Greenspace]

^Appreciate the advice.

Ya, I may purchase some phosphate and other test to check my tap water, other parameters are tested daily by the water company and posted online. Other hobbyists in the area are also testing and sometimes post to group forums, which is helpful. This time of year with runoff we do have a bit of ammonia, nothing my tank hasn't been able to deal with.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Greenspace

[JoeQ]

Not much to add other than every time I see this thread i laugh & think to myself "Ohhhhh man, Canadian BGA is sooooo much worse than American BGA" 🤣

Edited July 8, 2022 by JoeQ

[Greenspace]

Just cleaned as much BGA as I could and did @Seattle_Aquarist's H2O2 method. Fingers crossed.

[Torrey]

On 7/8/2022 at 4:46 PM, Greenspace said:

Just cleaned as much BGA as I could and did @Seattle_Aquarist's H2O2 method. Fingers crossed.

It's a sustainable approach, if you take it slow. Also, Guppysnail's Reverse Respiration *seems* to do something that makes the plants more resistant to the cyanobacteria? If there are any plnats you can remove and soak overnight in seltzer water (fully submerged, in full dark), that appears to have stopped it coming back in my T4' (windelov kept growing BGA, my test plant is not growing it back. Getting ready to test on more... trying to get a better microscope to get before and after pics).

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 7/8/2022 at 3:46 PM, Greenspace said:

Just cleaned as much BGA as I could and did @Seattle_Aquarist's H2O2 method. Fingers crossed.

Hi @Greenspace

The the 'painted' areas bubble (fizz) (sometimes vigorously) a few minutes after you hit them with the H2O2?  That is how I determine if I had the light on high and long enough before I dosed.
 -Roy

[Greenspace]

I wanted to provide an update. Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and comments given our limited options here in Canada.

I seemed to have the best luck with Chemiclean. Shortly after I tried this method the BGA was pretty much gone. This and persistent cleaning of the tank and regular maintenance/water changes.

Since then I lost my female betta. Whether or not that was due to my BGA interventions I'm unsure. She got sick suddenly, perhaps bloated from overfeeding and had balance issues. I really don't know.

Since then I had some brown algae/diatoms that I could not get rid of until I was encouraged to get shrimp. With the betta gone, in little less than a week (away on holidays), my Orange Sakura Shrimp did an amazing job of getting rid of all the algae, so much I have to be careful to give them enough food or they start to nibble at the plants.

I also have been accidentally over fertilizing the tank. I was not measuring the dose correctly (NilocG Thrive C), needless to say the plants are super lush. A bit higher nitrates but I think I caught it in time. Everything seems to be coming in balance.

Yesterday I added a few male Red Guppies. They're settling in nicely and I think I can start to relax and enjoy the tank. 🙂

Edited September 16, 2022 by Greenspace
spelling

[JoeQ]

Looks great, congratz!