Maracyn or other erythromycin-based products

Greetings everyone. I have been struggling with cyanobacteria in my 200l freshwater tank off and on for quite a while. I am quite familiar with the normal strategies of dealing with this pest. Blackouts work but hammer my other plants, some of which are very light sensitive. I have decided to dose it with Maracyn or another erythromycin product. However, I am on the East Rand and have been unable to find Maracyn or an equivalent product in my area. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks so much! Bert

PS. I just read some interesting research about the role of aging fluorescent tubes in promoting the growth of cyanobacteria. I will see if I can find the link and post it on the forum.

 

Speak to your doctor to prescribe EM to you. Then go pick it up at a pharmacy. I have been able to get Purmycin capsules this way. 250mg EM per capsule. And it is really cheap because EM is largely ineffective these days for its original intended use, so in fact very few pharmacies stock it but they can order.

Just break open the capsules and add the powder.

200mg/10 gallons
Rinse out the filter media each day
Manually collect as much of the cyanobacterial sheets as you can in a brine-shrimp net
After 48 hours, do a 40% water change and repeat the erythromycin dosage
On the fourth day, siphon again carefully and do another 40% water change

EM is G+ so will not affect your biofilter. Cyano is also G-, but seems strangely very sensitive to EM.