Hair Pulling Out Time

[Big_eyes]

Recently I suffered the issue of the cynobacteria to which I ended up pulling out all of my plants from my well planted tank.

I'm still having issues though in that it still seems to be growing around the bottom of the glass and on the sand. I keep cleaning it all away but it still comes back. I've had the joy of cleaning out tonight to find my bogwood is covered in it too and the sand is sticking to it in a big mush like fashion.

It's becoming a pain! the top of my sand substrate is just big clumps where this stuff seems to be gluing it together.

What do I do?

 

[RadaR]

There are several reasons as to why you have BGA.

Low nitrate levels
Dirty filter/substrate that contains lots of decaying matter that leaches ammonia
Not enough water changes (high build up of organic waste)
Low circulation

Address each of the issues and BGA shouldn't bother you again.
Follow James' advice in this link

 

[Big_eyes]

I do have quite a regular large water change regime, usually about 30-40% twice a week mostly.

Is that too much then? Is that where the low nitrates are coming from?

Would I starve this stuff off if I bought tonnes of plants and planted to the extreme? although I don't and don't plan to run any co2 system. Possible?

I did a massive clean last weekend and stood running a net through the sand to pick up every bit of anything that I could find. Which seems to have helped. The stuff is still growing slightly but nowhere near as quick as usual. I've also only been running my lights for 4 hours a night which I presume is helping.

I would love to have some plants though without the worry of this coming back

There has been a big story in our local paper recently about blue green algae being in our waters to a degree that dogs are dying from it Could it be that it is coming into my tanks through the water too??

 

[RadaR]

I do have quite a regular large water change regime, usually about 30-40% twice a week mostly.

Is that too much then? Is that where the low nitrates are coming from?

It's good you are doing such good water changes because this removes ammonia and spores/bacteria. However, you may be right. The water changes could be reducing your nitrates too much. A solution? Dose nitrates after you water change. Simple.

Would I starve this stuff off if I bought tonnes of plants and planted to the extreme? although I don't and don't plan to run any co2 system. Possible?

Loads of plants would help starve the algae of ammonia but what about the other potential causes? Dirty filter, flow?
How about reducing your light intensity as well? (E.g. two light tubes down to one). Definetly wouldn't have to add CO2 then.

There has been a big story in our local paper recently about blue green algae being in our waters to a degree that dogs are dying from it Could it be that it is coming into my tanks through the water too??

Obviously it's hard to say, but there is a chance that the tap water has more spores/bacteria in it than before. If the conditions in the tank didn't support the bacteria then you would be fine and you'd see no difference, however they seem to love your tank. Therefore the extra cyanbacteria wouldn't be helping. Should this convince you to not use your tap water? No it shouldn't. Make the tank conditions great for plants and bad for algae, hey presto, potential BGA in tapwater would be of no concern.