green film algae. Not normal algae.

[Dan Steveo]

Hey guys my tank has been seriously overstocked the last 4 months. My kribensis were babies but they grew up. Ended up having 30 adult kribensis and 8 2-3 inch plecos, a few tiny ottos and tetras and 3 2 inch clown loach. The tank had been great till the last few months. There was a bit of algae but I got rid of it.

Now recently (last month) there has been this weird silky film like algae that rubs off with a light touch. It coated everything and grew back very quickly. Within a day there would be a huge mass of it on leaves, glass, rocks and all sorts. It's a nuisance. I have a 140 litre (uk) I believe. I have to measure again. I also have two filters. One is a fluval 305 and I have a fluval 205 aswell. Both contribute to a great current top and bottom. I've recently changed lighting schedule and the amount of fish... Sold 20 kribs...

And cleaned all over. Sooo hopefully it doesn't grow back. I do regular maintenance and water changes, and temperature is the normal 25 celsius.

Any ideas what else I can do? If it grows back... Also what plant food would be good? My plants are doing great but I wanna help them along. Bearing in mind I have sensitive fancy plecs and algae troubles.


Thanks

 

[OrangeCones]

What you describe sounds like Cyanobacteria.

 

[Dan Steveo]

I just did a search and I think you're right, is it harmful and can I get rid of it.

 

[KcMopar]

Cyano is present with high nutrients and can make its own food so its hard to get rid of, it as lives on left over decayed foods and such. Weekly water changes would help keep it suppressed, to get of it antibiotics is the normal coarse of action but, that can destroy your good bacteria to and cause you tank to cycle again and put your fish at risk. If you are willing to keep up with daily water changes you could go that route.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Ah. I'll try and keep a blackout for a while with regular water changes and then cut down on food. After I'm sure my plecs are settled in I'll stop feeding alltogether for a week and lower lighting schedule. Hopefully thisll make an impact... If not I'll have to buy a new tank and transfer bit by bit to that.. I need a new one anyway. Hehe any excuse.

 

[lauraf]

You might also want to take any plants that are really badly affected and treat them with a diluted bleach solution. Cyano is hard to eradicate, so the more approaches you take, the better.

 

[OrangeCones]

If not I'll have to buy a new tank and transfer bit by bit to that.. I need a new one anyway. Hehe any excuse.

Be careful if you do set up a new tank. Cyano spreads VERY easily, even by air spores, to other tanks.

 

[Kiara1125]

You might want to be careful. This is what I read:

Some cyanobacteria produce toxins, called cyanotoxins. These include anatoxin-a, anatoxin-as, aplysiatoxin, cylindrospermopsin, domoic acid, microcystin LR, nodularin R (from Nodularia), or saxitoxin. Cyanobacteria reproduce explosively under certain conditions. This results in algal blooms, which can become harmful to other species if the cyanobacteria involved produce toxins.

These toxins can be neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, and endotoxins, and can be toxic and dangerous to humans as well as other animals and marine life in general. Several cases of human poisoning have been documented but a lack of knowledge prevents an accurate assessment of the risks. Recent studies suggest that significant exposure to high levels of some species of cyanobacteria causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease). The Lake Mascoma ALS cluster and Gulf War veteran's cluster are two notable examples.

 

[Lotus]

A blackout usually works, but you shouldn't feed the fish during the blackout.

I've used erythromycin successfully to treat cyano in a tank in the past. Several brands of aquarium antibiotics have erythromycin as the active ingredient, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. Just a warning, though, it can affect your beneficial bacteria, so you should monitor ammonia while you're using it if you choose to go this route. I've used it as a last-ditch attempt, rather than the first line of treatment. A full week of complete black is usually enough.

 

[KcMopar]

This bacteria is photosynthetic, Its not like algae and dies without light, this bacteria can make its own food by removing N from food and waste on the bottom and surfaces of the tank.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Ah I see thanks guys I'll try blackout first. I don't wanna risk harming my plecos. It seems that it's losing it's ability to grow back as quick so a full blackout would work well but do I have to stop feeding the whole time? It's just my new plecos need food and I have to make sure they're healthy before I leave them a week without food.

 

[OrangeCones]

Your water quality will decrease as the cyano decays. Do you have a test kit to test for ammonia and nitrite? Do you have a dechlor that binds ammonia and nitrite?

 

[Dan Steveo]

I have ammonia test but not nitrite at the moment. I'll get them. And Ill get the treatment as I've heard a blackout isn't that effective. Anyone had experience of it? And what dechlor should I get? Any particular brand? Some links would be great as I've no idea what to look for. I could try
My lfs but eBay is cheaper haha.

I can get the filter media that catches/neutralises ammonia and nitrites and I have two filters so water quality is ace.

 

[KcMopar]

I get cyano in my Salt Water tank when I over feed but, not in my Fresh Water in years though. I just slow way down on the feeding in my SW when I get and it slowly retreats. Mine accumulates on the substrate. My SW also used a scrubber so it filters different then most FW does. For fresh water I have always ended up using antibiotics.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Awesome thanks. Which one should I get?

 

[KcMopar]

Cyano is gram negative so any that say gram negative on the package would work just fine. Also be aware that your beneficial bacteria in your tank will also die and your tank will cycle again so be prepared to do water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite in check.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Ah I see thanks, is it for definite that it will kill all old bacteria? I've read that good bacteria is less sensitive to the antibiotic

 

[KcMopar]

I forgot to say that you need to vacuum really good!!!!! If you can remove the fat tube and suck the cyano through the hose as it will have stronger vacuum force. Vacuuming the gravel through the fat tube is still required though. Cyano is usually due to not doing weekly or bi-weekly water changes or an overstocked tank. High levels of DOC feeds cyano. Judging by you tank contents your plecos would be the cause of the DOC build up. Plecos are not very good cleaner fish really, they pollute more then they do good for a tank. They are pretty fish though, I have one in each of my 150G and 125G tanks.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Yeah they're lovely, however I believe as they're too small the impact won't be that great. I did however have over 30 kribensis in all and have got rid of most recently as they maintenance was far too high. It's a lot easie now even te cyano is growing black slower. I do want to get rid of it though.

I haven't cycled a tank in ages. What would be good advice if I do treat and ammonia starts to build? Just regular water changes? And how long would it take to cycle with that many fish present? And can I still feed them to keep strength up? And should I do daily changes? Or every other day? Or just when ammonia starts to rise? As I don't want to get rid of the treatment too early by emptying loads

 

[Dan Steveo]

Or is it advisable to just do a blackout for a week? I'd rather make sure 100% it's gone, I can do any and all necessary maintenance.