krisw wrote:Rico, if your nitrates are 0ppm, that's the problem. You're not dosing enough. Nitrates should be in the 10ppm range, plus or minus 5ppm. Make sure that you're dosing your KNO3 and KH2PO4 in properly ratio'd amounts, as only dosing nitrate might throw that balance out of whack, and cause other issues. I usually dose nitrate 3-to-1 with phosphate. Of course, first, are you 100% sure that your nitrate test kit is not old? 1/2tsp KNO3 per day should definitely register something in a 56G aquarium.
BGA can be caused by too little or too much nitrates.
If you're overrun, Erythromycin will definitely reset it for you. If you're leery about antibiotics (and who wouldn't be), you can try spot treating with H202, but don't overdo that either!
True, True. I've done the doubling up on the ferttz to increase nitrates. This stuff is growing so fast, I leave in the morning, and it is visibly spread to different parts of the tank when I get back. I've used Maracyn to treat sick fish in the past, and it is powerful stuff. I still consider myself new to planted tanks (3 tanks, 18 months or so), and guess it'll always be a learning process. I think that what I will do is remove all plants and treat seperately, remove as much as possible by hand/vac, and then use the Maracyn at 1/3 dose. When I used it to treat sick fish, I never had to use the full dose and it was quite succesful, and after keeping fish for maybe 3 years, the only one that have died were because of attacks from other fish
. I won't do the 3 day blackout/cover with plastic bags/airstone simply because I have about $300.00 worth of Veil Fin Platinum Pinoy Blue/ Pinoy Blue angels in here, and travel often. The HP can be done, but even using the recommended safe dose (if there is such a thing), it might do more harm that the Maracyn to the fish. What might have caused this? Well, I use PPS, but because of the livestock, I still do 50% water changes. Add that to having an Eheim 2028 (on a 56G tank), the water is pristine for the fish, but then add plants, fertz, CO2, and the environment is ripe for the green smelly goop to be happy. So this is the plan:
Remove plants and treat seperately with HP
Remove all hardscape and treat with HP or diluted bleach
Remove as much BGA manually from tank
30% WC
Check all parameters
Add Fertz (EI dosing for this tank)
Add KN03 to increase Nitrates to 30PPM.
Use Maracyn at 1/3 dose (it'll also kill those pesky MTS!) for 3 days
check parameters daily for 3 days
50% WC on 4th day
Add carbon to filter
I might reinstall UV sterilzer to tank (never hurts anyway)
Hope for the Green GOOP Goddess to depart
Smoke me a Montecristo
Sip some JW Gold
Sip some more.
Did I forget something?
Of course, tips are always welcome!
