HELP!! What Did I Do?!??!

[Beverly]

Google search: cyanobacteria toxins in aquariums

Near the bottom of the page http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanolh.html , my cyano was red:

Nutritious or poisonous?
The cyanobacterium Spirulina, shown at right, has long been valued as a food source; it is high in protein, and can be cultivated in ponds quite easily. In tropical countries, it may be a very important part of the diet, and was eaten regularly by the Aztecs; it is also served in several Oriental dishes. In the US, the popularity of Spirulina is primarily as a "health food", being sold in stores as a dried powder or in tablet form.

Many other species of cyanobacteria produce populations that are toxic to humans and animals. Blue-green pond scums have been linked to the poisoning of cattle and dogs, and occasionally people. It is therefore not recommended that wild populations be gathered and eaten without some knowledge of the organisms involved.

Cyanobacteria may cause other problems as well; a species of Lyngbya is responsible for one of the skin irritations commonly known as "swimmer's itch."

Pond scum poisoning of farm animals (don't think it applies in my case, but who knows):

http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/ans...est/v1136w.htm