Going to try and eradicate my Blue-Green cyano

[BillyZ]

I've been fighting a never ending battle with blue-green cyano (including completely draining and scrubbing the tank, gravel and plants) with zero success. I've been reading up lately on folks having good success with erythromyacin to treat the cyano. I've purchased a package of "Myacin" which says the ingredients are "200 mg of Erythromyacin..." so i'm pretty sure I got the right stuff? I've read a couple other threads here, including the 5 day log by lmw80 and I presume I'll be doing the same as she did.

I'll syphon out as much of the cyano as I can. I don't have carbon in the filters now so that's not a problem. And I plan on adding 1 200mg capsule (opening the capsule and pouring into tank) a day for 5 days. It's a 20 gallon FW tank with 1 Angel, 1 guppy and 1 blueberry tetra. Due to frustration with the cyano, I only have 2 sword plants left in the tank (I tossed the rest in the hopes it would improve my chances of ridding myself of the cyano).

Any comments, suggestions or words of caution before I give it a shot?

 

[TankGirl]

I used Maracyn (mine was in tablet form, tho) for this same problem in my African tank - all over rocks and sand and everything. I used half the dose and the problem cleared up in about 4-5 days. It never came back, and the tank did not cycle, but I have heavy filtration witha biowheel HOB and a canister, so that might have been a factor there. Mine (I believe) was introduced by some valisneria planted in that tank, so probably this came in on a plant, and as far as I know if you dip your future plants you should not have a recurrence of this once you eradicate it this time.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[ferret]

What's this stuff look like? I've found a new enemy in my tank doing some trimming today. Very bright green looking algae on the tops of plants that are close to the water surface and closest to the light.

 

[BillyZ]

hmmm... Maracyn, did I get the wrong thing? The package I got has a web site and an image of the box is there. the instructions on the box say 1 capsule/10 gallons every other day for 5 days.

I think i'm going to do 1 capsule every day for 5 days (20 gallon tank). sound ok?

 

[trenac]

BillyZ... I think you have a different medicine. The one I got is called Maracyn by Mardel it comes in a blue & green box. It contains white tablets that you dose dailey for 5 days (1 tab per 10 gallons). It says on the box that it is for fin/tail rot, popeye and body fungus.

Here is a pic... http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=28133;category_id=2233;pcid1=;pcid2=

 

[BillyZ]

but is it just a different brand? If you look at the back of the box what does it list for ingredients?

 

[lmw80]

As far as I know, as long as erythromycin is the ingredient, it doesn't matter what brand you get.

Just make sure that in addition to siphoning as much of the algae out of the water as you can...take as much of it off the plants, decoration, walls, etc. as you can.

Ferret....here is a good site for identifying algae http://www.floridadriftwood.com/algae_identification.html

 

[TankGirl]

I think it is the same - but I did use half-dose and it worked, and I would definitely recommend using a lower dose than what might be recommended for treating a sick fish.

Ferret- cyano is a slimy, velvety looking "coating" that comes off in sheets, and has a foul smell. It is usually a very rich dark blue/green color, and is a bacteria rather than an algae, though it resembles an algae.

 

[shawmutt]

I also used erythromycin, full-strength, to kill cyano. Now, after I moved the tank, it's coming back. I'll be using it again, but I'll be buying it online this time--much cheaper than lfs prices.

 

[Guest]

I used Maracyn on one tank for cyano with good results.

Cyano sprang up in another tank shortly after (dont swap nets between tanks ). This time, I tried the black out method for five days ( I did'nt want to spent 20 bucks again on more Maracyn).

I personally liked the black out method for several reasons.

1.... It was free
2.... I try to keep chemicals and meds to a minimum in my tanks
3.... black out was easier to clean up. I did'nt feed the fish the entire five days. cyano starts dying, fish get hungry. They eat/clean thier own tank. However, with either method, you still have to do a WC and clean your filter good afterwards.

Simply an option..........Good luck.

 

[TankGirl]

Sounds good to me! I'll give it a try if (when) I get it again.

 

[shawmutt]

black out was easier to clean up. I did'nt feed the fish the entire five days. cyano starts dying, fish get hungry. They eat/clean thier own tank. However, with either method, you still have to do a WC and clean your filter good afterwards.

Not to give you a hard time or anything, and keep in mind I'm still relatively new to the hobby. I've tried the dark method and found that the cyano came right back. I've also added "algae eating" fish to the tank and they don't do anything. I've only used the maracyn method once and that was after I found out that the algae problem I was having in the tank wasn't an algae problem but a cyano problem, but it cleared it up and it never came back until I moved the tank. I've read a few things about cyano, but I'm not sure if they are true:

1. since it's bacteria and not algae, blackouts don't eradicate it, and
2. cyanobacteria is poisonous to fish and they will not eat it

 

[BillyZ]

( I did'nt want to spent 20 bucks again on more Maracyn).

8O WOW... I paid $6 for a package of 10 capsules of 200 mg each (Myacin, not Maracyn). I think if it were $20 a package, I'd try the lights out method too!

shawmutt, do you have a reference or link on the poison comment? I've also noticed that my fish used to occasionaly pick at algae and such, but as soon as the cyano started to appear they never pick at plants or anything any more. Could be poisonous. Of course it could just be the taste... if it tastes anything like it smells blech!

 

[TankGirl]

I have heard that it is "toxic" also, but as a bacteria I would assume it does not have any nutritional value for an algae eating fish, so they would not bother with it anyway, toxic or not.

 

[BillyZ]

Well I finished up the 5 day treatment on saturday and as of now, the tank looks GREAT! I syphoned off as much of the heavy cyano as I could with a piece of airline tubing and replaced that with fresh water. I had no carbon in my filter so I had nothing in there to remove. I dosed one 200 mg capsule of Myacin a day for 5 days straight (it's a 20 gallon tank) opening the capsule and dumping the powder directly into the water. I cleaned up bits of the cyano as it appeard to peal form other places in the tank. I managed to avoid an ammonia spike but I am going to keep watching the water for the next few days just to be sure.

All in all, a VERY easy treatment and appears to have been successful. I'll let you know if it returns. If it does, I'll attribute it to the sheer volume of cyano I had in there at the time. I still see a few very thin and very light patches of it, but I'm going to vacume and clean the tank again tonight. I'm hoping its just dead patches that haven't washed away yet.

Thanks to all who have posted their experiences with this type of treatment! Best $6 I've spent!

 

[lmw80]

Congrats!! Doesn't if feel so good to get rid of it!? It's like a burden lifted off your shoulders.

 

[TracyRee]

Thanks for posting this. It taught me that my "algae" problem is actually cyano and I began treatment today!!