In this article I'm going to go over the definition of cyanobacteria, talk about what it is, the dangers and how to kill it.
Cyanobacteria can also be known as blue-green algae, but it's a bacteria. In fact cyano means blue or darkish blue. In the 2016 Olympics the diving pool changed color and looked a little bit green or blue. This is probably due to this bacteria.
You can see it in fish tanks, ponds and lakes. Not all of them are toxic and there are even species that are known for creating toxins that sometimes are not. Scientists are not even sure what causes some to be deadly and others not.
For a time it was thought that 10% of them where toxic, but now it's estimated that 40-70% of them are deadly.
At this point you may be wondering how to kill this bacteria. Maybe you have a fish tank and notice it. The classic solution is antibiotics, but they kill off healthy bacteria. It's just like with humans as well where antibiotics can kill off healthy bacteria in the digestive system.
The good news is that results happen very quickly, but the negative is that the dead bacteria create food and thus can spur on more growth.
One of the best ways to kill them is to eliminate their food which is excess nutrients and organics. There are products that you can buy that do this. It takes a little longer, but just like with losing weight sometimes the slow and steady method is better than the quick method where you yoyo back.
According to a study published in the journal "Environmental Monitor" humans are responsible for the increased growth of this bacteria. Leave it to humans to mess up the environment right?Just like a disease it's best to prevent it then try to treat it. To prevent this bacteria from growing it's best to control excess runoff of nutrients into water, increasing the water flow into lakes, and mixing in phytoplankton.
To prevent this bacteria in a fish tank it comes down to good maintenance. You can reduce the amount of light that the tank gets because the bacteria need light. You could do partial water changes, clean the tank routinely and ensure there are not too many nutrients in the water.
If you are wondering how dangerous this bacteria is well the toxic ones can kill fish, pets and wildlife. Humans don't like it as well.
You might be wondering what does it do to humans. Results vary depending on the species, how much contact someone gets and if they drink it or if it's skin contact.
If you swim in waters with this bacteria it could result in eye irritation, rashes, blisters around the nose, mouth and asthma.
If you drink water with the bacteria symptoms could be stomach pains, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, head pains and muscle pains.
Depending on the species it could even cause kidney disease. There is even a species that produce a toxin that effects the nervous system, leading to lethargy, confusion, memory issues and at high doses could even lead to death.
Cyanobacteria can also be known as blue-green algae, but it's a bacteria. In fact cyano means blue or darkish blue. In the 2016 Olympics the diving pool changed color and looked a little bit green or blue. This is probably due to this bacteria.
You can see it in fish tanks, ponds and lakes. Not all of them are toxic and there are even species that are known for creating toxins that sometimes are not. Scientists are not even sure what causes some to be deadly and others not.
For a time it was thought that 10% of them where toxic, but now it's estimated that 40-70% of them are deadly.
At this point you may be wondering how to kill this bacteria. Maybe you have a fish tank and notice it. The classic solution is antibiotics, but they kill off healthy bacteria. It's just like with humans as well where antibiotics can kill off healthy bacteria in the digestive system.
The good news is that results happen very quickly, but the negative is that the dead bacteria create food and thus can spur on more growth.
One of the best ways to kill them is to eliminate their food which is excess nutrients and organics. There are products that you can buy that do this. It takes a little longer, but just like with losing weight sometimes the slow and steady method is better than the quick method where you yoyo back.
According to a study published in the journal "Environmental Monitor" humans are responsible for the increased growth of this bacteria. Leave it to humans to mess up the environment right?Just like a disease it's best to prevent it then try to treat it. To prevent this bacteria from growing it's best to control excess runoff of nutrients into water, increasing the water flow into lakes, and mixing in phytoplankton.
To prevent this bacteria in a fish tank it comes down to good maintenance. You can reduce the amount of light that the tank gets because the bacteria need light. You could do partial water changes, clean the tank routinely and ensure there are not too many nutrients in the water.
If you are wondering how dangerous this bacteria is well the toxic ones can kill fish, pets and wildlife. Humans don't like it as well.
You might be wondering what does it do to humans. Results vary depending on the species, how much contact someone gets and if they drink it or if it's skin contact.
If you swim in waters with this bacteria it could result in eye irritation, rashes, blisters around the nose, mouth and asthma.
If you drink water with the bacteria symptoms could be stomach pains, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, head pains and muscle pains.
Depending on the species it could even cause kidney disease. There is even a species that produce a toxin that effects the nervous system, leading to lethargy, confusion, memory issues and at high doses could even lead to death.