Help! I'm fighting BGA but...

[corrado33]

Hey guys, quick question. I went on vacation last week, so I haven't cleaned the tanks for a week and a half. One of my rocks was almost totally covered in BGA. I didn't know it was that until now, as it was just on the gravel before, and it was sort of hard to identify.

Anyway, I removed most of it, but I don't think I should treat it with any anti bacterial stuff. (BGA is some kind of bacteria right?) I have well water, which is what I'm suspecting is the problem. No I don't know what's in the water... Anyway, it's probably a ton of stuff that plants and algae (/bacteria) like because they grow like crazy. I have a full 2.5 inches of growth on one of my plants since I left. And my java fern looks 1000x better than it did in the store.

Anyway, here's the catch. I'm getting an RO-DI system on saturday (or monday, depending on how good fed ex is...) So once that happens, the only thing that'll be in the water is what I want to be in the water. Of course, since I have a few plants I'll want to put something in it. I'll probably just put a bit of tap water since it's chock full of some kind of nutrients. Do you think this will help my BGA problem? Shouldn't the plants out-compete the bacteria for the nutrients? Should I just get a ton of plants (cause that's what I'm gunna do eventually, I like planted tanks). Heck I even have the ability to dose CO2 if I wanted. (Yes we do have a CO2 tank just laying around the house, although I'd need to buy a needle valve and a diffuser.) I don't really have a LOT of light in the tank. I mean I have a 15W plant glo bulb over a 10 or 12 gallon tank (yeah I still don't know), so it's considered "low light". Honestly it's not a HUGE problem cause it's easy enough to keep up with with my weekly water changes, I'd just like to have it gone.

Any thoughts?

 

[neilanh]

Maybe this will help
Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association » Algae in the Planted Aquarium

 

[corrado33]

Hey thanks! I just read the Illustrated guide one I saw on google. It looks like I'll just add some plants and somehow dose nitrate? Do less water changes maybe? Get more fish? If I waited do you think it'd somehow rectify itself with the RO-DI water?

And I always thought we all strived for zero nitrates... In fact the ad at the top of the page is saying that!

So... Add fast growing plants, maybe get another fish or two (My way of "dosing" nitrates, will that work?), and keep manually taking it out. I think the RO-DI will help with the "high organics", as I have a feeling my well water is chock full of them.

 

[cwt]

2.5" of growth in a week? What plants did that? I've seen anacharis and cabomba do that, but most wouldn't, unless there's way too much nutrient in the tank. The BGA sometimes just runs its course (yes, it is bacterial, not algae), and definitely will if you do more water changes. You might want to try a different bulb too... plant glo spectrum is generally very red and I think BGA absorbs that very well.

 

[corrado33]

Ok so 2.5 inches was a bit of an exaggeration. But honestly it's grown a good 2 inches in a week and a half. And it's Egeria densa (brazillian waterweed). (I thought it looked cool at the LFS, and they said it'd be good in my tank (mom and pop place)). I'm hoping it'll grow and I guess (according to wikipedia) it's supposed to excrete anti bacterial something or other. That's not the reason I bought it though. It grew a 2 inch sprout within a week and a half of me buying it.

So cwt, are you saying that I should do MORE PWCs? I thought nitrates were BAD for BGA? Meaning I'd want to let it accumulate a bit meaning I'd do LESS PWCs?

I think I'm going to pick up some more of the waterweed tomorrow, as it can't hurt anything.

 

[corrado33]

Just in case anyone wanted to know, it seems that the plants have solved my problem. Yes a little BGA still grows, but not nearly as much as before. I have a feeling that the BGA will eventually run it's course. I keep manually removing it so I think it'll eventually go away.

Oh and I found out my source of excess nutrients. It was my mom feeding the fish in the morning. She said they always looked "sad" so she would feed them. I saw her doing it one morning and she just dumped a ton of food in there. I don't mind her feeding them, but only when she does it correctly. I corrected her feeding technique so it should be good now.