does anything eat blue-green algae?

Paccula

Paccula

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Dec 14, 2004
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Vancouver, BC, Canada
I was reserching alae eaters lately, but haven't heard of any who will eat the blue-green stuff (I know its actualy a type of bacteria). I'm not looking for somethign to control it in my tank, I have a bit but I think I've just been way over-fertilizing my plants that's why, I've toned it down so it shouldn't grow as much. I am just really curious to see if there is such a creature that uses it as food (fish, shrimp, anything).
 
Im pretty sure theres is nothing that will eat that stuff. Have you tried a 3 day blackout?

Theres also a medication that can be used which will work, but you have a problem that must still be solved. One or more of your readings must be off. 0 Nitrates for example can be a cause, or of course excess phosphates.

What are you water conditions?
 
its probably exess fertilizers. probably the phosphate, like you said. I'll see what cutting down on that and K will do, I bet that'll fix it. I had only a tiny bit of brown algae before I started fertilizing. (and a few dead plants :P but now my java fern is growing like CRAZY!)
in a day or two I'll test everything else again, I just did a water change
 
A form of flying fox (not sure of the exact kind) in our tank are loving the blue-green algae, our rubberlip pl*co has eaten it before also.
 
Ems said:
A form of flying fox (not sure of the exact kind) in our tank are loving the blue-green algae, our rubberlip pl*co has eaten it before also.
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really? I hear SAE (which are similar/related? to flying foxes) will eat beard algae that most fish would never touch, but not that they eat blue-green. the best way to tell the difference between the two is that b-g is slimey and comes off surfaces easy, and beard is stuck there for good.
 
I've never heard of any fish eating cyanobacteria. There are only two ways I know of to rid a tank of BGA:
1. You can try doing a 3-5 day complete blackout. Thoroughly vaccum the tank and do a 50% water change both before and after the blackout.
2. If that fails you can use a 1/2 strength dose of EM (Erythromycin). This method is controversial, may affect the bio-filter and can be stressful to the fish.
 
Paccula said:
really? I hear SAE (which are similar/related? to flying foxes) will eat beard algae that most fish would never touch, but not that they eat blue-green. the best way to tell the difference between the two is that b-g is slimey and comes off surfaces easy, and beard is stuck there for good.
Click to expand...


Its definitely blue-green algae.
 
Ems said:
Its definitely blue-green algae.
Click to expand...

that's good you have little helpers in your tank :cool:

I've reduced fertilizers and haven't seen any new growth in days. I wasn't too worried about the b-g algae in my tank much, mostly I was just curious if any creatures ate it in genoral! but thanks everyone for the advice
 
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