# Cyanobacteria



## Guest (Oct 21, 2004)

I seem to be having issues with cyanobacteria in my three month old vivarium. It grows on the surface of leaves and on the java moss as well as in the water section of the tank. I've been doing water changes every week or two. I come from a reef aquarium background and know that in some circumstances, nuking cyano with an antibiotic can be effective. Also, sometimes hanging blankets over the tank so that it is in complete darkness for a couple days seems to work.

Does anyone have any opinions about nuking the cyano with an antibiotic such as this: http://www.ultralifedirect.com/red_slime_remover.htm

I've used it before in reef tanks with no ill effects. I doubt it would harm the frogs but I do not know for sure. Any advice about beating cyano would be appreciated. It seems to be smothering some plants


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## Dunner97074 (Sep 19, 2004)

I may be wrong about this but cyanobacter is a result of the wrong light spectrum. What are you using as far as lighting. Yes, completely darkening your tank will kill it but it will come back b/c the problem is with the available light. A full spectrum light would help the problem rather than risk the health of your frogs.
Mike


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2004)

my understanding is that cyanobacteria can be excerbated by any situation such as poor lighting or excess nutrients but it is not necessarily caused by anything in particular.

My lighting is one 5500k and one 4100k 36w compact fluorescent lamps. The bulbs are all very new, under four months.


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

xplodee said:


> I seem to be having issues with cyanobacteria in my three month old vivarium.


I think your answer is in the first sentence of your post. I'm not a fan of futzing around with new setups because they go through all kinds of gyrations as they mature. Give it time and I'll bet the problem takes care of itself.


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2004)

If other people have found that cyanobacteria is common in newly setup vivariums then I won't worry. I'm just looking for other people's experience as I don't recall ever reading that.


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## andersonii85 (Feb 8, 2004)

I usually just wash the leaves of the plants real well with a vinegar/water solution. I do this whenever it needs it. Some of the more sensitive plants will definately go- you will lose some. I have dropped the humidity to around 75% and it doesn't grow as fast. If you find something that works let me know.

Justin


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## EverettC (Mar 9, 2004)

What is cyanobacteria? I think I learned about it last year in school, but do you have any pictures of it?


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

xplodee said:


> If other people have found that cyanobacteria is common in newly setup vivariums then I won't worry. I'm just looking for other people's experience as I don't recall ever reading that.


Well, I'm not going to say that cyanobacteria on leaves is "common" in new vivs but I would say that every viv goes through some kind of population bloom as nutrient availability reaches some level of dynamic equlibrium. For one tank it might be pretty mushrooms, another might be nasty looking but very cool slime mold, another might be something completely invisible to us. Maybe in another, it's cyanobacter. Bottom line is that you put a bunch of organic stuff into a warm, wet container and you are going to get a flush of available nutrients. Somebody is going to eat it and often it is just whoever come to the party first.


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## Dunner97074 (Sep 19, 2004)

Brent,
Well put. I did a little research all over the web last night and in my old text books and came up with the same answers. I couldn't see straight when I was done so I didn't type it, but now I don't have to.
Mike


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