BGA eradication and prevention.

[chris81]

HI guys,

Next week im planning to flood my aquarium which is currently running emersed method since august. About 3 days ago i however noticed a black tread like thing growing on some of the substrate and glosso leaves. On consultation of this forum i deduced its most probably the dreaded BGA. Now the most common treatment for it is erythromycin which is no longer available in MAlta because of wide spread resistance to it. I am a pharmacist so i have clarithromycin and azithromycin anti biotics available. Now clarithromycin is not water soluble while azithromycin is and both have a smiliar spectrum of activity. SO would you guys suggest that i use azithromycin 2.5mg in a liter of water and spray substrate using a mister for this week prior to flooding. Would i cause plants any damage??

Just on a side note would it be wise to use 2.5mg/L of azithromycin on alternate days as a prevention for about a week after flooding?? Just to be sure. I know resistance would be an issue but would it be worth the risk??

Thanks a million.

Chris

 

[chris81]

I have also come across individuals sugggesting ten drops of tea tree oil in a liter of water. Has anyone ever tried this.

Thanks again.

 

[Tom Barr]

I'd black the tank out for 3 days prior to flooding.

Then add KNO3 etc from then on.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[chris81]

Thanks a million Tom,

I will do as you say. Today i did spray mist some azithromycin on the affected areas. Will see how it goes. I read articles that state that nitrate deficiency is the reason that BGA flourishes. I will be trying reconstituted brighty (as suggested by this site). Brighty K daily and Brighty special lights 3 times a week (without ammonium) and micros by seachem twice a week with weekly half water changes.

Hope all goes well. WIll keep all posted.

Thanks again for help

Much appreciated as always!

 

[Philosophos]

I believe tea tree oil is pretty broadly biocidal, it'd work. I've also seen some publication in journals about the allelopathic effects of the terpens found in it, though I haven't seen anything about dose besides levels in excess of 1,000ppm solutions. From what I can tell the density of these compounds doesn't excede 1g/ml and I doubt if 10 drops would be more than 1ml, so you'd probably be starting in around 500ppm.

No idea on the antibiotics. I've tried a couple others and found them ineffective, but I'm not sure about their spectrum beyond being gram negative.

 

[chris81]

Cyanobacteria are Gram negative bacteria and azithromycin has a more poweful gram negative spectrum than erythromycin so in theory it should work. However i ll keep you posted as what has happened in vivo. I will still be doing a three day blackout prior to flooding so as to make sure all starts on the right footing. I would love to test with tea tree oil too, but i ll leave that as a last resort in case another outbreak of azithromycin resistant BGA emerges after trial!! (Hope not)

Cant wait to flood now, it has been too long!!!