how do you safely remove BGA (cyanobacteria) in shrimp tank?
- Thread starter AquaPonixRox
- Start date
When I got it in one of my 10g's all I had to do was keep the lights off for a couple days. It was a pretty mild case though.
well my reading confirms the light black out can help, as well as erythromycin, do not know how inverts would take the drug , but i do know that the bga will die and release what ever toxins and create bio load so water changes would be in line.
but there with shrimps that seems too risky even if the erythromycin is not toxic to shrimp.
but there with shrimps that seems too risky even if the erythromycin is not toxic to shrimp.
I am so glad this question came up, as I am having the same issue with my 5g planted shrimp tank. There is so little bioload at this time, as there are only like 3 RCS in there, so nitrates aren't really a problem. I have been dosing only a half ml of flourish 1x week, just to provide some nutrients for the plants. I was considering a blackout, but was reading on another thread here, that a blackout will not affect BGA, as it is bacterial in nature. I have been doing 2x weekly water change in this tank.
It will be helpful to hear what the other algae fighters and shrimp owners have to say.
I should prob just stop adding the flourish, as that definitely seems to encourage the problem.
It will be helpful to hear what the other algae fighters and shrimp owners have to say.
I should prob just stop adding the flourish, as that definitely seems to encourage the problem.
How bad is the outbreak, and where in the tank? I have had a couple of mild cases, and increasing water flow in the area seems to stop it spreading. It doesn't seem to eradicate it, maybe just dies off eventually, and I can remove it manually. I would avoid the risk of chemicals if I could.
Hi Tetramoon,
I understood that lack of nitrates was associated with BGA (which has happened in my tank); plants would take up most of the little nitrate in a planted tank.
BGA are bacteria, but they do photosynthesise (hence the colour) so I would think a blackout would help; but they may also have other ways of 'feeding'.
When I had bga, I added more inverts, lmao. I had it very bad in a tank. Tried erythro, it came back, I tried the black outs it came back. I added snails (therefore increasing the nitrates) and it went away. Also, nerites will eat it (but are difficult to supplement so should only be added to a tank with sustainable algae)