# Planted Tanks > Fertilisation and Algae >  just something to share about blue green algae.

## zerg66

just thought i would share something because i could not find anything on this method so far..hopefully its not a repeat post on something said before. 

recently discovered a method to get rid of this annoying algae that is actually bacteria. Used 3% hydrogen peroxide you can find from any pharmacy. Simply get a syringe to suck the hydrogen peroxide up and apply directly onto the BGA. You will see it start to bubble. got rid of most of it in my tank within 3 days. my tank was previously infested...

just in case you are wondering, does not seem to have any adverse effect on my live stock (malayan shrimps, rams, SAE and whiptail) or my plants and mosses. In fact i even applied it on the leaves of plants which were covered with the algae. This was done in my tank without removing anything.

word of caution, i dun know if more expensive critters like crsytal shrimps may react badly to it so use it with care.

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## ZackZhou

This method has been around for quite long and number of forumers here had tried and indeed it works well. However, please do not try on pricy shrimps as its a CONFIRM death if the shrimp happens to be around the area when you dose the h2o2.

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## tetrakid

Incidentally, I use the same method to treat my fish when they have initial fungus on the body. 

I simply dab the local spot with salt solution with a dropper. It only needs a short while for the salt to work on the affected spot/s with the fungal organism. But I have to ensure the strong salt sol does not reach the eye/gills. I have used this method with other anti-micro-organism chemicals too. The treated fish must first be transferred to a shallow tray, and only the experienced should try this method, since it can easily harm the fish.

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## dc88

This use of H2O2 to treat fish sickness was mentioned in the book "The Tropical Fishlopaedia" by Mary Bailey & Peter Burgess (on page 314) first published in 1999.

http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=...page&q&f=false

But probably had been a known practice even earlier than this.

And don't know when/who the first started to use this to treat algae infestation .....

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## zerg66

thats the strange thing about this method actually... it seems very effective for BGA and does not seem to harm livestock. so why is there not much on this method out there..However, that is not the point of starting this thread anyway.
Anyone know more abt this cheap and straight forward method of clearing BGA? i'm intending to apply it long term but am abit cautious on doing so as i am not sure how much is too much (rest assured i won't dump my whole bottle of it into my tank lol !).
When i started having this problem and asked around, was constantly either refered to using some strange chemical which i have no clue about or tearing down and restarting the whole tank.

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## barmby

BGA is a kind of bacteria, smelly, and to remove, you need to get rid of it completely. Therefore, more hydrogen peroxide is needed to nuke the tank. Then you will have to follow-up with ample supply of CO2 and nitrate.

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## ralliart12

But the thing is, wouldn't the hydrogen peroxide stay in the water column/tank after it is administered? Besides leaving fish unaffected (as claimed), what are its effect on plants (like moss & HC), & shrimps?

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## zerg66

thats what i guess we are very curious about.. from the little I managed to read about, it should not affect the fauna much.. i kinda doubt it if you constantly nuke the tank with it nothing will be affected.. even though technically its just hydrogen and oxygen..which is the same stuff water is made up of something bound to happen.
I am actually very impressed that bro tetrakid managed to use it to treat fungus on his fish.. if i attempted something like that i;m sure my fish would probably end up being melted..

very curious if anyone has done this method b4 perhaps can share more? ..in my case so far nothing lah.. even spotted some shrimplets yesterday..

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## barmby

just be vigilant. once it tip beyond the threshold level, you will know death is a point of no return, just like adding more CO2 into a shrimp tank

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## felix_fx2

Anything in too much excess will kill.

For most nuke instructions, notice you'll have to turn of filtration. Then turn it off so it is dissipated or rather dissolved into small concentrations.

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## ralliart12

> ...notice you'll have to turn of filtration. Then turn it off so it is dissipated or rather dissolved into small concentrations.


Huh? Turn it off...& then turn it off again?

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## Navanod

> But the thing is, wouldn't the hydrogen peroxide stay in the water column/tank after it is administered? Besides leaving fish unaffected (as claimed), what are its effect on plants (like moss & HC), & shrimps?





> thats what i guess we are very curious about.. from the little I managed to read about, it should not affect the fauna much.. i kinda doubt it if you constantly nuke the tank with it nothing will be affected.. even though technically its just hydrogen and oxygen..which is the same stuff water is made up of something bound to happen.
> I am actually very impressed that bro tetrakid managed to use it to treat fungus on his fish.. if i attempted something like that i;m sure my fish would probably end up being melted..
> 
> very curious if anyone has done this method b4 perhaps can share more? ..in my case so far nothing lah.. even spotted some shrimplets yesterday..


The hydrogen peroxide most people can get their hands on would be the extremely diluted 3-5% type from pharmacies. H2O2, once in the water, is a very potent oxidizer that strips electrons (hydrogen ions) from everything it comes into contact with. This is deadly to the BGA and algaes and the reaction normally produces harmless H2O (water) and O2 (pure oxygen, the bubbling that is observed).

Most larger creatures however, are mostly protected from oxidizer through one form or another of anti-oxidant or catalytic enzyme that can break H2O2 into water and oxygen harmlessly, so at low concentrations, the H2O2 we dose into the tank is quickly broken down by reacting with the dissolved organic waste in the water, bacteria and algae. The tiny bits that make it to the fishes and shrimps will be taken care of by their own enzymes.

I recalled an old lab experiment where we pour H2O2 on a piece of fresh raw pork liver and it started bubbling as mammal have the enzyme for breaking down oxidizers in the liver.

The real danger of dosing too much is there however, and it'll also skew the redox potential (which can kill off all the bacteria in the filters) of the tank so go easy on the thing. When I was battling BBA last time, I use H2O2 and Seachem Excel (which is a reducer, so hopefully I balanced it back?) alternatively. I still managed to zap a shrimp that swam too close and it was knocked out, although it later got up again.

Lastly, this chemical is an explosive precursor and is controlled by the police and only very diluted forms can be sold. If you see any concentrated H2O2 (mostly 30% or higher), especially overseas, do not buy it, thinking that it'll be better or cheaper.

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## benjidog

Wow! 
Hydrogen peroxide = nuclear bomb!

I recently brought a bottle of Ocean Free 'O' Algae.(another quality product from Qiana Hu Corporation Ltd)

I read through the instructions and there is no specifications of the active ingredients. A 125ml bottle claims to treat 2500litres of water. The product claims to treat all forms of algae.

My question is - what is the active ingredient? 
There is no listing of ingredients on the box or the bottle. 
Is it possible that diluted hydrogen peroxide is added?

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## Navanod

Algae removers are normally not hydrogen peroxide based. Instead, copper is commonly used and would be deadly to all invertebrates and bacteria.

However, I googled the product and someone from the MAC forum in malaysia claimed that he used it successfully without any (cherry) shrimp deaths after 6 days. Very little info for this product online though...

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## ZackZhou

> Algae removers are normally not hydrogen peroxide based. Instead, copper is commonly used and would be deadly to all invertebrates and bacteria.
> 
> However, I googled the product and someone from the MAC forum in malaysia claimed that he used it successfully without any (cherry) shrimp deaths after 6 days. Very little info for this product online though...


There is 2 threads over at af thou. The reviews are really had. It was not tested on shrimps, but larger fish. Killed a few of his plecos.

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## Navanod

I ain't surprised. Anti-algae chemical cannot be good news.
There's no sliver bullet when it comes to fighting algaes

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## Nic88

Wow, when i first read this I thought it would kill off all the fish..going to do some research on this! 
Valuable information indeed =)

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## polyho

> There's no sliver bullet when it comes to fighting algaes


So we have to let the algae continue to dominate the tank until one day we reset the tank. Any method to recommend to remove them safety without killing the shrimps? I hate algae!!!

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## dc88

Just focus on growing healthy plants. Algae will eventually retreat. Healthy plant also bring happier shrimp- win win approach.

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## felix_fx2

> So we have to let the algae continue to dominate the tank until one day we reset the tank. Any method to recommend to remove them safety without killing the shrimps? I hate algae!!!


Pure shrimp tank? 
Lighting control will work.
Focus to have sufficient and not excess to grow what little plants you use in a shrimp tank. The no choice left overs still have to be manually remove intermittently.

Planted tank. 
Your hobby is growing plants, NOT killing algae. A planted tank with plants growing well and healthy will keep algae in check at low or Nil. Algae is bloom is a indicator somewhere is not in balance and optimum for plant growth.

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## Navanod

The really quick and easy answer would be to spam large floating plants like frogbits.
When you start seeing the frogbits turn yellow and die, it means the algaes are also suffering from nutrient starvation. Throw away most of the dying frogbit and then maintain.
Note that any other plants would also likely die though...except maybe some of the more hardy mosses

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## ralliart12

> Incidentally, I use the same method to treat my fish when they have initial fungus on the body. 
> 
> I simply dab the local spot with salt solution with a dropper...


Is your "salt solution" mixed with Hydrogen Peroxide?




> ...Anyone know more abt this cheap and straight forward method of clearing BGA?...


I'm also very interested to know how to clear BGA, because as you can see (focus on the unplanted soil near the top of the photos):





I'm in trouble  :Embarassed:  (_& furthermore, the photos are color-corrected, i.e. they are decently close to what I see in real life_).




> ...When i started having this problem and asked around, was constantly either refered to using some strange chemical which i have no clue about or tearing down and restarting the whole tank.


I will actually be quite wary about introducing unknown chemicals into a closed environment. & I can't afford to tear down this tank anymore, i.e. done it once already.




> BGA is a kind of bacteria, smelly, and to remove, you need to get rid of it completely...


Is that the main reason why algae eaters (in generals, the snails, the Amano shrimps, otos, & the SAEs) wouldn't consume it?




> ...Therefore, more hydrogen peroxide is needed to nuke the tank...


Any *residual* effect from this "_much more_" Hydrogen Peroxide? I believe Hydrogen Peroxide oxidises to form water (H2O) & oxygen when introduced into water; actually, I'm curious to know, in a water*less* environment, what does it do? Evaporate almost instantly?




> ...Then you will have to follow-up with ample supply of CO2 and nitrate.


I'm considering to apply this in a dry-start method implementation, so I believe supply of CO2 isn't an issue, i.e. the infected area (the topsoil) is in direct contact with the air. However, explicitly supplying nitrate will be a challenge. & furthermore, wouldn't excess nitrates give opportunities to other algae forms? What role does nitrates play into this BGA elimination?




> ...I am actually very impressed that bro tetrakid managed to use it to treat fungus on his fish...


Actually I do not know if his _"salt solution"_ contains H2O2 though.




> just be vigilant. once it tip beyond the threshold level...


If there's _no_ fauna & _only_ flora, may I know how do I determine the "threshold level"?




> ...H2O2, once in the water, is a very potent oxidizer that strips electrons (hydrogen ions) from everything it comes into contact with. This is deadly to the BGA and algaes and the reaction normally produces harmless H2O (water) and O2 (pure oxygen, the bubbling that is observed)....I recalled an old lab experiment where we pour H2O2 on a piece of fresh raw pork liver and it started bubbling as mammal have the enzyme for breaking down oxidizers in the liver...


I wonder what will happen (chemically & physically) if I mist it on substrate that's _not_ underwater?




> ...The real danger of dosing too much is there however, and it'll also skew the redox potential (which can kill off all the bacteria in the filters) of the tank so go easy on the thing...


Oh no, I wouldn't want that, i.e. theoretically, after doing dry-start implementation for a while, I'm supposed to have some amount of beneficial bacteria in my substrate.




> ...Lastly, this chemical is an explosive precursor and is controlled by the police and only very diluted forms can be sold. If you see any concentrated H2O2 (mostly 30% or higher), especially overseas, do not buy it, thinking that it'll be better or cheaper.


I got mine from Guardian pharmacies. Actually, is there a reason why they are kept in such _dark_ bottles? & do their shelf life decrease exponentially once the cap is opened?

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## Navanod

H2O2 will still break down into water and oxygen, when if left on their own, it just needs energy to drive this reaction, hence the dark bottle to prevent light from getting in.

2 (H2O2) -> 2 (H20) + O2

Opening the cap should not impact shelf life as much as temperature would.

You can certainly spray it on the soil, and it'll simply kill everything in that localized area.

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## ralliart12

> H2O2 will still break down into water and oxygen, when if left on their own, it just needs energy to drive this reaction, hence the dark bottle to prevent light from getting in..Opening the cap should not impact shelf life as much as temperature would...


So...advisable to store it in the _fridge_?




> ...You can certainly spray it on the soil, and it'll simply kill everything in that localized area.


There should be no long term (residual) effects on the substrate right? i.e. since all oxidisation should happen almost instantaneously & shortly?

I'm thinking of pouring some (H2O2) into a misting bottle & misting the affected topsoil area with it; any thoughts/warnings?

Secondly, _what will happen if I mist my HC with it_ (the H2O2 solution), in order to clear any BGA that is possibly on the HC but undiscernible to my eyes (since the HC is also green)_?_

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## Navanod

Yes, you can store it in a cool dark place like a fridge. In the diluted 5% form, it wouldn't be a hazard.

I do not think there will be any long term effect by misting the top soil, except maybe some reaction with the soil pellets which should not be a major concern.

On the HC, I'm certain that it'll melt the leaves. The only thing I can think of now is an antibiotic application but then again, you want to cultivate soil bacteria.
Leave the HC alone for now, the BGA is also probably doing the same from the picture.

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## ralliart12

> ...I do not think there will be any long term effect by misting the top soil, except maybe some reaction with the soil pellets which should not be a major concern...


May I know what type of reaction? Will it render the topsoil infertile?




> ...On the HC, I'm certain that it'll melt the leaves...


Is it because I have no water in the tank, that's why the H2O2 will melt the HC leaves? Or even with the tank flooded, direct application of H2O2 on HC leaves will just melt it? _Even so_, why? Why is HC so sensitive? Shouldn't HC, be a "higher-level" organism than algae & be more "resistant"?




> ...The only thing I can think of now is an antibiotic application but then again, you want to cultivate soil bacteria...


So, on the topsoil where I mist the H2O2, I suppose I will lost the bacteria colony there?




> ...Leave the HC alone for now, the BGA is also probably doing the same from the picture.


Actually, not really, i.e. notice on the right hand side of the overview photo, there are more "holes" in the lawn? I suspect the HC around that area is fighting a losing battle to the BGA, otherwise it will fill up those holes already.

Donovan, may I dose undiluted SeaChem Excel on the HC directly? 2 questions:

1. Will Excel rid BGA?
2. Will dosing Excel on emersed HC melt them leaves as (you suggested) H2O2 does?

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## ralliart12

& also, do I need to _physically remove_ the "supposdly-dead" BGA after I attacked them with H2O2?

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## Navanod

> May I know what type of reaction? Will it render the topsoil infertile?
> 
> Is it because I have no water in the tank, that's why the H2O2 will melt the HC leaves? Or even with the tank flooded, direct application of H2O2 on HC leaves will just melt it? _Even so_, why? Why is HC so sensitive? Shouldn't HC, be a "higher-level" organism than algae & be more "resistant"?
> 
> So, on the topsoil where I mist the H2O2, I suppose I will lost the bacteria colony there?
> 
> Actually, not really, i.e. notice on the right hand side of the overview photo, there are more "holes" in the lawn? I suspect the HC around that area is fighting a losing battle to the BGA, otherwise it will fill up those holes already.
> 
> Donovan, may I dose undiluted SeaChem Excel on the HC directly? 2 questions:
> ...


I'm not a chemist but my guess is it'll react with the humic acids in the soil, as well as any iron. It may actually "free" these things up for the plants but that's just my guess.

Ok, let put it this way, if the H2O2 is strong enough to kill the BGA, it's going to be strong enough to damage the HC's leaves. If you directly hit a higher organism like a fish with it, it's still going to burn it's skin. HC is more sensitive because of it's tiny size I guess, I'm just speaking from past experience where I tried to "clean" newly bought HC of pests and algae using chemicals like potassium permanganate.

For the bacteria colony, the same rule as above applies. H2O2 is a harsh chemical that leeches electrons. Everything gets hit equally at ground zero.

Seachem Excel undiluted will also damage the HC. Again, if it kills the BGA, it'll also damage the plant. Excel is a strong reducer, a chemical related to formaldehyde (the chemical used to "fix" tissue samples in hospitals and museums so they'll never ever rot).
Instead of stripping electrons like H2O2, it donates (actually, is bombards) electrons onto everything it touches. When diluted, plants and animals tolerate it by blocking it out with their skins/epidermis. A direct hit at ground zero would literally bleach & melt the entire HC.
Same damage as H2O2, except minus the O2 bubbling. Instead of O2, it produces carbon based byproducts that is then used by plants as a substitute for CO2.

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## Navanod

> & also, do I need to _physically remove_ the "supposdly-dead" BGA after I attacked them with H2O2?


I think you should, since BGA can form spores under adverse conditions, then come right back again at a later time.
Don't try to remove everything though, these spores are everywhere in the environment anyway. Just remove what you can see to lower the chances of a revival?

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## Navanod

You know...with all this being said...are you very certain that its BGA?

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## ralliart12

> You know...with all this being said...are you very certain that its BGA?


Any way to tell for sure? But shouldn't H2O2 kill all algae without discrimination?

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## felix_fx2

ralliart12, mind me saying one thing. time to bring in the great flood  :Smile: 
That amount of growth is enough for a kick start using DSM.

btw don't introduce shrimps directly after flooding, wait a day or 2.

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## EricNg

H2O2 will be reduced into normal water eventually... dont have to worry

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## Navanod

> Any way to tell for sure? But shouldn't H2O2 kill all algae without discrimination?


Yes it should kill all algae. But if its normal green algae, then why bother? I'm just hoping to save you some work and cash  :Smile: 
BGA normall forms biofilm, and is a slimy film layer that smells bad...unlike algae

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## BlessChwee

I have patches of green algae on the substrates and I dont know if its BGA. beside using this chemical, is there any other way to get of rid of this type of algae. I saw that not switching the lights for 3 days can get rid and anyone tried this method ?

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## ralliart12

> ...But if its normal green algae, then why bother? I'm just hoping to save you some work and cash ...


Oh, misting the topsoil should be easy, i.e. I have a clean mister bottle sitting idle & since there's no water in the tank _I'd figure I'll simply cover the HC regions with a piece of cloth_ & mist away.

As for the "cash" part, I've a few bottles of hydrogen peroxide sitting around the house doing nothing too. So no worries here.

But thanks.




> ...BGA normall forms biofilm, and is a slimy film layer that smells bad...unlike algae


I don't dare to smell the topsoil, i.e. I'm afraid I may inhale foreign substances into my body  :Knockout: 




> ralliart12, mind me saying one thing. time to bring in the great flood ...


_PM-ed_ you something.




> ...That amount of growth is enough for a kick start using DSM...


I was expecting more (coverage) actually; I have seen DSM implementations on this forums (& overseas forums) that makes mine seem modest, if not a failure (of DSM).

Anyway, Shadow mentioned the leaves *should* rot away too, as they switched into submerged mode, so this (meagre) amount, theoretically also means nothing when water floods the tank.




> ...btw don't introduce shrimps directly after flooding, wait a day or 2.


Actually I intend to kept the tank, "pure-planted" for a few months (up to half-a-year) before introducing the 1st batch of _fauna_.

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## Navanod

Best is you try it at a corner first then. And maybe hit a tiny clump of the Hc to see too?

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## felix_fx2

I will make use of Dsm to let plants take proper root and flood when the spread is some what decent enough.

I know there are alot who let dsm grow to fully cover before flooding. But I got no patience  :Razz:

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## BlessChwee

I have posted in another thread asking if mine is gsa but no resposne so can someone here please confirm before I try this H202 method 

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## Shadow

yes that look like BGA to me. BGA have strong smell, smell like first rain of the season, if you know what I mean  :Laughing: .

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## Navanod

Yes, the classic pockets of smelly gases "pearling" away is a dead giveaway for BGA

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## BlessChwee

how much is a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and how should I inject to the affected area with plants ? Do i need to off the filter and do water change after putting in the h2o2 and is feeding as normal for fauna ?

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## Shadow

I suggest to siphon those area infected as much as possible, tun off the filter and do spot treatment on the area. Wait until no more bubble and top up that area with new soil. You can change water after that, the new soil should cloudy your water a bit.

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## BlessChwee

thanks shadow, it's hard to siphon the bga out as it stick to the jhg and it will pull out together. Someone earlier on this thread mentioned about the ocean free 0 zero algae remover and I saw it at polyart just now. I did a Google search and the reviews do give a positive comment. I am now thinking hard which method to use to get rid of these bga in my tank which are hydrogen peroxide direct dose to the affected area, ocean free 0 algae remover pour inside the water column or last resort is 3 days total blackout to the tank. Basing on the photos attached earlier, would appreciate some opinion.

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## Shadow

Just remove the infected jhg. Since bga is bacteria, you can actually use antibiotic. I can't recall the antibiotic name, never use it. This hobby about growing plant noy killing algae  :Laughing: . When the plant healthy, normally algae will stay away.

Also, sufficient water flow will help. What is you tank size and filter flowrate?

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## BlessChwee

my tank is 322 with atman filter of flowrate of 1300 f/h and the rainbar is not long enough to reach the other end of my tank. is it better to add a powerhead at this side but will it affect the co2 dissolve in water.

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## barmby

definitely BGA

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## ralliart12

I sprayed mine with Hydrogen Peroxide & they (the algae) literally changed colour in front of my eyes:

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## Navanod

Is there a feeling of satisfaction? Haha

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## ralliart12

> Is there a feeling of satisfaction? Haha


Huh? Not really. I still do not know the long term effect the H2O2 has on my topsoil & substrate, i.e. maybe next time no plants will grow on that region already?!

& to see the green tinge transform so rapidly into green blobs in front of my eyes, is a bit disturbing. I didn't remove them green blobs btw...

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## Numbskull

I've read that BGA comes as a result of lack of CO2 and nitrates. But i had been dosing nitrates almost everyday and blasting co2 as well, but BGA still occurs. Is there any other reasons?

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## Jalal

Is the tank hit with any direct sunlight? Ammonia spikes can also cause BGA, are your parameters good?




> I've read that BGA comes as a result of lack of CO2 and nitrates. But i had been dosing nitrates almost everyday and blasting co2 as well, but BGA still occurs. Is there any other reasons?

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## Shadow

> I've read that BGA comes as a result of lack of CO2 and nitrates. But i had been dosing nitrates almost everyday and blasting co2 as well, but BGA still occurs. Is there any other reasons?


Water flow, need a good flow to distribute nitrate and CO2. Normally BGA grow in between glass and substrate/soil/sand because limited flow.

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## BlessChwee

I have read in another forum whereby beside using the blackout method and h202, someone dose the nitrogen solution inside and his bga were gone. Wonder if anyone here had tried this method.

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## barmby

> I've read that BGA comes as a result of lack of CO2 and nitrates. But i had been dosing nitrates almost everyday and blasting co2 as well, but BGA still occurs. Is there any other reasons?


Can you take a snap shot of your tank? I will & can have a better grasp of your situation

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## Numbskull

Hi as requested. My hc used to cover the front nicely till invaded by hair algae and BGA. Now only clumps remain as i had removed most of it. I will replant other plants once i know the root cause. The photo is after i had done 80% Water change and remove most of the BGA. Spot treatments of hydrogen peroxide were done on the remaining spots. Some turns red while some turns white.

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## zerg66

ok bro.. i noticed that you should remove the algae after u dose h2o2 as leaving it to rot will result in more BGA..lol. anyway strange thing to note it I have another smaller tank in my room which is not on any form of CO2 and using just a random 15 watt energy saving bulb.. it used to have BGA in the substrate but after adding alot of hornworts and a small driftwood of flame moss i dun see it anymore.. didn;t do anything to the tank at all. btw its my endler/malay shrimp tank which is under very very very low maintenance and using one of those small external filters. water flow is also minimal..
So i guess sometimes letting nature take its course may be the most effective method.. and just in case u guys are wondering. the tank with the BGA i mentioned has BGA again... ahahaha..
What happened from what i noticed was, h202 dose.. kill off BGA, i filtered the water and did a water change, suddenly hair algae too over, manually removed that, change water, BGA appears.. fantastic..
I will most probably strip it down and redo the whole thing again this weekend, all fauna have been moved to my other tank where they seem to be doing very well. half the plants have also been replanted.

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## BlessChwee

> ok bro.. i noticed that you should remove the algae after u dose h2o2 as leaving it to rot will result in more BGA..lol. anyway strange thing to note it I have another smaller tank in my room which is not on any form of CO2 and using just a random 15 watt energy saving bulb.. it used to have BGA in the substrate but after adding alot of hornworts and a small driftwood of flame moss i dun see it anymore.. didn;t do anything to the tank at all. btw its my endler/malay shrimp tank which is under very very very low maintenance and using one of those small external filters. water flow is also minimal..
> So i guess sometimes letting nature take its course may be the most effective method.. and just in case u guys are wondering. the tank with the BGA i mentioned has BGA again... ahahaha..
> What happened from what i noticed was, h202 dose.. kill off BGA, i filtered the water and did a water change, suddenly hair algae too over, manually removed that, change water, BGA appears.. fantastic..
> I will most probably strip it down and redo the whole thing again this weekend, all fauna have been moved to my other tank where they seem to be doing very well. half the plants have also been replanted.


Wah that means using h202 method is not so effective afterall since the bga come back again so fast, did you add in any powerhead to increase the water flow or tried the blackout method instead of stripping down and redo everything as the same bga may attack again anytime when the tank condition is not right. 

I put in anti-algae solution over the weekends and guess what, I discovered some snails died and float on the water and some of my plants melted and some turn yellowish  :Sad:

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## Shadow

All those chemical is only short term solution, unless you address what causing it, it will come back again.

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## ralliart12

> Wah that means using h202 method is not so effective afterall since the bga come back again so fast...as the same bga may attack again anytime when the tank condition is not right...


In all fairness, all solutions will not be effective if balanced tank parameters are unable to be provided & sustained.

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## barmby

Numbskull, the tank is sparse. We cannot help you without planting sufficiently. I believe only the echinodorus tenellus/hairglass/? is growing. Unfortunately, they only cover 10% of your scape. 

Is that Bolbitis in the rear? Bolbitis never 'grow'. :P

You've dosed nitrate and co2 almost everyday - but who eat? of course - the algae from all walks of life will come to life and help to consume : )

I love it when people post their tank picture. They are almost always lack of plants. So it become an anti-algae exercise when all forum friends talk about how to counter it. The solution is somewhat quite straightforward (get more plants)

This type of concept tank needs alot of compensation here and there.

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## BlessChwee

> Numbskull, the tank is sparse. We cannot help you without planting sufficiently. I believe only the echinodorus tenellus/hairglass/? is growing. Unfortunately, they only cover 10% of your scape. 
> 
> Is that Bolbitis in the rear? Bolbitis never 'grow'. :P
> 
> You've dosed nitrate and co2 almost everyday - but who eat? of course - the algae from all walks of life will come to life and help to consume : )
> 
> I love it when people post their tank picture. They are almost always lack of plants. So it become an anti-algae exercise when all forum friends talk about how to counter it. The solution is somewhat quite straightforward (get more plants)
> 
> This type of concept tank needs alot of compensation here and there.


Yes I must agree with you and I planted only sparingly in the foreground with jhg instead of 1/2" apart as there are too much open substrate under the light that create all these unwanted algae problem. Additionally there is not enough waterflow at the other end of my tank and that is why the BGA are growing at this part  :Sad:  

If I remembered correctly, the BGA started to take root after I dose the comprehensive flourish 3-4 times and probably I should have delayed in dosing until the foreground plants are spreaded. 

But ... lesson learnt and gain some experience !

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## zerg66

> Wah that means using h202 method is not so effective afterall since the bga come back again so fast, did you add in any powerhead to increase the water flow or tried the blackout method instead of stripping down and redo everything as the same bga may attack again anytime when the tank condition is not right. 
> 
> I put in anti-algae solution over the weekends and guess what, I discovered some snails died and float on the water and some of my plants melted and some turn yellowish


hmm bro.. i think i can answer ur question in 2 parts... yes it is effective in killing the BGA u see.. but simply dosing h202 on the BGA we see and going back to happy mode where everything is nice and perfect in the world (something i am guilty of..hahaha) will not keep bga away for long.. 
I suspect that even though I did water changes, i didn;t keep it up often enuf or remove all the dead/dying algae, plants. also didn;t clean my filter as advised by alot of threads here and elsewhere. currently have transplanted most plants to my other tank and this tank will be up for major renovation soon over the weekend.. thinking of converting it to a dwarf crayfish tank with little maintenance..lol

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## zerg66

anyway just to share..this was what the tank looked like a just before stupid BGA suddenly set it.. damn sayang..kinda blame myself for not doing anything when i first saw some of the slime on the sand.. happened before but it used to go away on its own previously...guess not always lucky..we fall so we can learn to pick ourselves up again..hahaha.... 
just in case anyone wondering, fauna consisted of 1 male GBR, 3 female wild rams and 1 SAE, with some malayan shrimps

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## BlessChwee

well I am getting mad at all these bga and I bought a powerhead from seaview yesterday and place it on the otherside of my tank and outlet facing towards the side and it push the water from the glass. After dosing the anti algae and plants melted and rot, I pulled out all of them and replaced with cabomba. I noticed that the Japanese hairgrass seem to be stagnant and not like bright green as before. is it also due to the anti algae solution that caused it to be like this.

As there are still lots of open soil exposed to the light, I am thinking to get one more pot of jhg and cover up these vacant area. As there are still bga slimy sheets on the substrate, can I just force the jhg into the soil or must the bga be totally get rid of. I am very scare of using any more chemical into my tank and thinking to try out the blackout method soon.

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## BlessChwee

by the way, there is a stinch of fishy smell in my tank past 2 days and I checked but there are no dead fish inside my tank. Could it be the bba was killed by the anti algae solution and now restarting a bb bloom ?

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## zerg66

quite possible..but i;m not too sure.. what happened to me was that i had a sudden onset of bba growing, scrapped it off my plants and suddenly noticed BGA.. it could be coincidental that it happened this way though. and yeah.. anti algae solution usually give some sort of funny after effect..i suggest u remove the bga problem first before replanting otherwise u will be sibei sian.. perhaps some more experience bros here wanna share?

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## BlessChwee

Hi, come across this and I think it is not those anti-algae solution but sort of anti-bacteria that kills the bga, anyone had tried this or something similiar ? 

http://www.petstore.com/ps_viewitem....ontent=UL10020

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## polyho

yesterday I dose OF "0" Algae solution for the first time after my water change. Some of my tretas start to move to the water surface to breathe despite I turn on the air pump. Guess something must be wrong with the water. So i re-do the WC again and things back to normal. Does anyone has the same experience?

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## BlessChwee

> yesterday I dose OF "0" Algae solution for the first time after my water change. Some of my tretas start to move to the water surface to breathe despite I turn on the air pump. Guess something must be wrong with the water. So i re-do the WC again and things back to normal. Does anyone has the same experience?


Hi, are you still using the OF O algae and any effects on the BGA as I read that some people got success in getting rid of this bacteria.

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