Bolbitis And Why Is It So Susceptible To Brown Cyano Algae?

[Stan510]

I have it doing very well low tech...but its the only plant in the 240 gallon that has a brown algae that you cant even scrape off..it tunnels into the plants cell walls. I have tried Maracyn and yes,it worked very well...the brown dying off totally and the fern responded with fast new lush growth. Weeks later and a few water changes and the cyano is back. This is one Goldilocks plant needing much help from water changes and iron added.
I must have accidentally reintroduced cyano after having it die off after Maracyn a couple of months ago.

 

[Stan510]

By the way,I found that Maracyn not only kills off blue green and brown algae..it does kill black brush algae also. Keep making big water changes to hold it off for good.

 

[tiger15]

My bolbitis is the only plant that is coated with what looks like brown diatom algae in older leaves. Are you sure you have brown cyano instead, which is slimy and a bacteria.

 

[Stan510]

Erythromycin will kill the brown cyano on Bolbitis. You notice you cant even scrape it off with a fingernail? Its like it gets into the plants cell walls. Antibiotics absorbed by the plant works. In low tech tanks...water changes and doing your best to get a flow of water over it as Bolbitis has a great ability to collect detritus..uncanny. A good flow keeps the leaves clean.
Don't let others guilt trip you on using the medication to cure valuable sick plants. Fish stores everyday sell it to customers to use on $5 fish...using it to save a $100 or more clump of Bolbitis heudelotii is not medication abuse. Tell them I said so.

 

[tiger15]

Erythromycin will kill the brown cyano on Bolbitis. .

Do you have a pic of the cyano? I am not convinced that you have cyano, which is slimy, typical blue, green to purple, and can come off easily.

http://gwapa.org/wordpress/articles/algae-in-the-planted-aquarium/#bga

 

[Stan510]

Soon. Next water change I should prune off a few leaves with it. Its growing fast...so is the brown. No other plant in the aquarium has this problem. None.

 

[Stan510]

I decided to try Hydrogen Peroxide. So far it's working. In fact I just waited too long and let the bad algae to almost set back the Bolbitis.
The Bolbitis was started from a runner with a few leaves in January 2020. Now its a bushy clump about 16" wide. No Co2 but I do toss in iron and sometimes potassium.
I would recommend that the HP not be used 100% on plants,especially primitive plants like moss and ferns...safer to use a turkey baster on the plants with power off and aquarium full of water. My first use of HP 2 years ago was a disaster- after draining down the aquarium,I sprayed all plant as they do on youtube vids. It then melted all my mosses and trident ferns and vals. This time,no problems..
Not great photos..but the algae in retreat.

 

[Stan510]

Should add..AFTER you've gone over problem areas with Peroxide,let it do its job for 15 minutes or more...THEN you can drain and make a water change.

 

[Stan510]

It pays to make photos of your creations and then post. You see things you hadn't noticed before. I removed that round rock that was like a sore thumb and stood out in my pics. The Garra's liked that rock..but they didn't really do a thing to the hard algae that grew on it. Now,it's gone.

 

[Stan510]

The Bolbitis is again struggling. I've lowered the water temperature and also have it in less light. That's helped the algae control but I don't see any new leaves,just the old ones slowly deteriorating.
Its the only plant in the aquarium not doing well. The only one. Something is missing(Co2 probably) and whatever it is,I cant do a thing about it.

 

[Stan510]

Ok,a few new leaves have been sent out. Less light and slightly lower temps- nothing huge,but from near 80f to 74f. Its a tough low tech grow and is not going to be a trade with LFS goldmine I thought I could make it. My natural lighting is not like an aquarium at the same light level from on to off...that complicates my situation. So,this is just my experience and probably not what you will see.