Should I change my lighting?

[JudiJetson]

I think I have Cyanbacteria in my tank (slimy and stinks) and my Otos aren't eating it. I have a 45 gallon tank (24" high) and run Marineland Aquatic Plant LED lights. Description below:

By consumer request, Marineland introduces the Aquatic Plant LED. In addition to the 1 watt 6,500K LEDs, each light comes packed with 3 watt RGB LEDs that provide 460nm blue, 660nm red, and green accent lighting to make your aquatic plants thrive, keeping them healthy and lush. The Aquatic Light LED features our new integrated timer, as well as our newly-designed dispersion lens. Finally, your aquatic plants have the light they have been waiting for, in a modern, streamlined design

Should I be running a different type of lighting to help get rid of the issue? I do also run an upflow algae scrubber. Here's a shot of some manzanita wood I just put in the tank last week:

[madagascariensis]

I have had it in low light and high light aquariums, so I doubt it that your light is a cause. With each outbreak, the cure that worked was to drastically cut feeding(at least by half, if not more) and double the frequency of water changes for at least a week, if not two. With each outbreak I didn't think that I was overfeeding, but nevertheless feeding even less food got the results that I wanted. In order to kill existing Cyanobacteria,spot dosing seachem excel works miracles.

It is no surprise your otos aren't eating it. It isn't really an algae but a type of noxious Bacteria that has the potential to secrete toxins harmful to higher animals.

[Aeonflame]

Increasing your water flow in that area may help. If not, sparingly spot treat the affected area with hydrogen peroxide solution right before your next water change.

[JudiJetson]

madagascariensis, I will up my water changes for the next two weeks and yes I've most likely been overfeeding..even though I only feed once a day. I should probably cut back on the algae wafers that contain pure spirulina.

Aeonflame, would adding a simple airstone to the area help? Also, how do I spot treat the area?

[mizzoutank]

if you have the ability:
remove what is covered in cyno and clean the crap out of it in your tub/outside.

then do the water changes/feeding recommendations to help prevent it again.

[JudiJetson]

mizzoutank, I can absolutely remove the wood and decor and give it a good scrubbing!

[Cermet]

Just 'uping your water changes' will most likely fail unless you are going fairly large water changes already. Try changing close to 100% of the tank water weekly (but use three or four smaller changes to achieve that level; pH stability matters!) Also, unless you vacuum the substrate daily, BGA will be an issue. Try vacuuming the substrate and aim to remove 1/4 of the tank volume daily for ten days to fourteen days (after cleaning out all BGA.) Measure your nitrate levels from time to time - I bet they fall very low. Then after, do vacuumings as often as reasonible (at least every third day) and keep the larger water changes going (at least 50% weekly) and I think your BGA issue will stay away. Watch the nitreate levels (and if possible, phosphate) and if they remain low, you are doing fine; if they climb, increase the vacuuming and water change levels to drive them down. For a planted tank, nitrates of 3 - 5 ppm are good. For a non-planted tank, under 3 ppm is better.

An airstone would help the fish since BGA does use oxygen but it will not aid in removing BGA. I gave up on large water changes (but not vacuuming!) and have had great success by using a nitrate removal system (biologically based.)

[Taurus]

mizzoutank, I can absolutely remove the wood and decor and give it a good scrubbing!

I'd take this a step further and soak your decor in a 10% bleach to 90% water solution. Rinse the decor really good under running water and then soak again in water with a double dose of dechlorinator.

Keep up the large water changes and cut back on feeding. You may also want to consider doing a tank blackout for a few days. Just leave the lights off until the nutrients are back in balance.

[JudiJetson]

Cermet, I am doing 50% pwc twice a week right now. I can do 1/4 water changes daily..the only issue I have right now are Oto fry, while vacuuming the substrate today a couple ended up in the bucket (they're hiding in the gravel) and I was able to put them back in the tank. I haven't been using my python for fear of having them going down the drain. Right now nitrate levels are usually about 5 ppm.

Taurus, I've never soaked my decor but will do so tomorrow. Weird, I'm actually looking forward to it.

[JudiJetson]

Will dosing my tank with seachem excel help? I picked some up to try the spot treating mentioned earlier...which I still have to research on how to accomplish that task. Before Taurus mentioned cleaning with bleach mixture I was actually considering cleaning my decor in an excel & water bath.