Maracyn for Algae?

[ostrow]

Hi all:

Another board has a thread about algae that recommends dosing the tank (unclear if they mean once or a full round of treatment) with Maracyn (erythromycin) to eliminate algae.

All the advice is clear: remove carbon, may have small ammonia spike after so do a water change, fish will be ok...

But will this really help with algae control?

And if so, under what dosage for what period of time???

 

[StiX]

I have never heard of this, could u maybe post a link to this thread, or copy and paste the info ?

 

[ostrow]

Ok, but it's the main competition!!!

here's an extract:
erythromycin in case you are wondering is an antibiotic that prevents protien synthesis of protiens from the 70s ribosome in prokaryotic cells (bacteria and some algae). It won't have an effect on the fish because they do not have 70s ribosomes, instead they have 80s(this refers to size and shape). It will have a small effect on the beneficial bacteria also because antibiotics are not discriminate toward good or bad bacteria. My suggestion would be to try and treat the problem without using meds because it is just not natural.

 

[William]

Huh! What you doing on another board ostrow!! just kidding I'll move this to planted tanks for you and see what rose says about it

 

[ostrow]

B) 8) B) 8)

 

[Rose]

Check out this article on algae. it will get you pointed in the right direction. Algae article

 

[ostrow]

Rose:

Some weird sort of two-thread thing happening. Anyway, I'm fully familiar with that algae article. That's why I got the SAEs and the Otos after lots more research. They are eating, but the algae seems to be beating them.

Here's more on the question of this thread, the use of Maracyn:
http/www.everythingfishy.com/43.html
http/www.myfishtank.net/articles/bga.php
http/www.hallman.org/plant/algae.html

Seems to make sense. And I'm wondering...I clearly had the red algae on my crypt wendtii (could see the hairs and they were tenacious on the leaves I clipped off). I also had it on some of the other plants. But I don't see it on the rocks, driftwood, etc. I think I nipped this in the bud.

But the sword has a slimy darkish algae all over it, as do some of the decorations and, after a while, the glass. I'm thinking this is the blue-green slime bacteria these sites allude to as treatable with Maracyn.

We'll see. I may try it.