cyanobacteria on ADA soil

[stonedaquarium]

hi guys, i would like to solicit some advice on what caused the growth of cyanobacteria on my ADA soil (mind you i got the soil second hand) I was cycling the tank and noticed that the ammonia was high as i filled up the tank... I i thought of placing some plant trimmings to try to eat up the ammonia in the tank, along side a does of stress zyme to introduce a colony of nitrifying bacteria to the tank... as i introduced the plants i also added a light, this was all done yesterday...

today when i got home i noticed cyano bacter growing on the substrate... 2 questions come to mind... (1) what caused it and (2) what could get rid of it? good thing i have no plants or fishes in the tank when this arose...

your help and insights all are welcome and much appreciated

 

[dundadundun]

pack that tank with plants.
don't overdo it with light.
make sure you don't bottom out on nitrates.
keep up on filter/tank maintenance.

if necessary... some extra water movement can help keep it from being able to settle in.

 

[stonedaquarium]

the tank is still cyclng though... also if i pack that with plants wont it spread throughout the plants?

 

[dundadundun]

the plants will make better use of the lighting and available ammo helping to prevent outbreaks/complications.

cyano is capable of fixating nitrogen. doesn't need much to survive. therefore thrives in low/no no3 conditions.

 

[stonedaquarium]

right now i reduced the light... got a couple of plants coming in friday so i would be planting them in and working on my hardscape at the mean time while the tank cycles. i also placed some stem plant cuttings to compete with the cyano bacteria... and reduced the light... hopefully that works... will also start EI as soon as the plants get planted in.

 

[mellowvision]

that's the thing with high nutrient substrates, you really need to add plants immediately, and pack it with plants, otherwise the substrate provides just what algae needs to take off. And cyano. Especially if the substrate is used and has already been infected.

 

[stonedaquarium]

mellowvision you suggest i shut the tank down then intead of letting it cycle? i can shut it down till the friday... coz thats when my plants would be arriving along with the light. dunno if that works... ?

 

[plantbrain]

mellowvision you suggest i shut the tank down then intead of letting it cycle? i can shut it down till the friday... coz thats when my plants would be arriving along with the light. dunno if that works... ?

No, just do a water change about every 3 days for the next 1-2 months......once the plants fill in good, you are fine.

This is what I suggest and ADA does as well.

 

[stonedaquarium]

aights hopefully that works... i still got me a pack of erythromycin just incase it gets worse

 

[plantbrain]

aights hopefully that works... i still got me a pack of erythromycin just incase it gets worse

Save it, you will just get it again in a few months if the conditions are run down.

So just stay on top of things, otherwise algae, poor plant growth........