[trilinearmipmap]

Sorry if my post was a little obnoxious, sometimes when I am tired and have a headache I can be an ornery bastard. Now that I have had my workout I feel more human.

I don't have any science to back me up. I have advice from experts and personal experience.

In the past whenever I have had cyanobacteria issues (in a freshwater planted tank) one of the main causes has been low to zero nitrates and the cure has been either supplement nitrates or increase feeding. Depending on the light and CO2 levels, a nitrate level of 5 ppm to 20 ppm is the general consensus target.

The other major contributor to freshwater cyanobacteria from my experience has been low flow.

Erythromycin is a quick cure but the cyano comes back if the root causes (low nitrate and stagnant flow areas) are not addressed.

Most experienced plant people, and in particular Tom Barr who is generally recognized as a FW plant expert, do not feel that elevated nitrates or elevated phosphates will cause algae, as long as light, CO2, flow, macronutrients and micronutrients are all available. That has been my experience too.

Anyway the fundamental issue is, on a discussion forum people should discuss, if someone wants to claim this or that additive will cure algae, fine with me, discuss it and debate it and in the end we will find the truth, with a lot of zigs and zags along the way.