Cyanobacteria help?

A

andyjh

AC Members
Feb 18, 2009
574
3
18
Massachusetts
Starting to think this is cyanobacteria, though certainly more green in color than blue. I've cleared it before, but it keeps coming back. It's definitely slimy and grows in waves on the gravel and is also covering plant leaves and driftwood. My lighting is 55w over a 33 gal. flat back hex. Lights are on for 8 hours daily. Does this look like cyanobacteria?.. and if so how do I get rid of it. I've heard about antibiotics, but understand the risk of harming the biofiltration. Opinions appreciated.
Thanks,
Andy

cyano.JPG
 
I've suffered with this a few weeks back; it's annoying isn't it!? Even with the lights off for a couple of days, cleaning every little bit of it, it still comes back. I had no choice but to buy some Erothmycin E.M. from my LFS and within three days of medicating the tank it went away. It hasn't come back since. And to tell you the truth, nothing really happend to my tank water and my beneficial bacteria other than a small nitrite spike which lasted only a day. If you want to take it the safe way, dose small at first and remove your carbon from your filter and keep it in water or somewhere moist. Just giving you my experience, whatever you decide to do hopefully it will help as i know this is a PIA to deal with. Good luck :)
 
That does look like cyno from that picture.
I have tried Maracyn I with temporary luck. It went away for about 4 weeks and returned, but in a smaller amount. Then I added Phosban to my filter in hopes of reducing phosphates and again it was temporary. Just yesterday I finished a 3 day blackout and the first dose of Maracyn I again.
If this does not work I will either reduce water changes or dose nitrates.
I am really wondering what causes it in the first place.
 
BG, are the nitrates in your tank low? Because that's what seemed to cause it for me.
 
I ended up getting a UV. Blackout & lots of water changes didn't work for me. I didn't want to dose antibiotics. It hasn't come back in 1.5 years (knock wood). I got a cheap green killing machine at petsmart & did lots of water changes too.

Man, cyano stinks, you should be able to tell from the smell.
 
fishorama said:
I ended up getting a UV. Blackout & lots of water changes didn't work for me. I didn't want to dose antibiotics. It hasn't come back in 1.5 years (knock wood). I got a cheap green killing machine at petsmart & did lots of water changes too.

Man, cyano stinks, you should be able to tell from the smell.
Click to expand...

Can you tell by just sniffing the water's surface, or do you need to pull some of the algae and sniff it up close?
 
Andy, how is your water movement? I have found that cyano likes to take hold in areas that have lower water movement or dead spots. I would treat with antibiotics and try to increase your water flow.
 
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