Help killing black beard algae

[_skyla_]

I've recently in the last few weeks had some of my plants and rocks covered in bba what can I do to get rid of it? I heard that using exel can get rid if it but that it also can melt some plants like vals and I have some in that tank. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Florio]

I've recently in the last few weeks had some of my plants and rocks covered in bba what can I do to get rid of it? I heard that using exel can get rid if it but that it also can melt some plants like vals and I have some in that tank. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Uhm pretty much yea, I had some, didn't know it at the time but I was using exel as my co2 and it went away. If you dose exel for a week some of your plants will melt but they will be ok after.

Other things you can do is I think I google that you put in peroxide or something like that, don't quote me on that, google it first.

Exel is just easy though, go for it.

 

[_skyla_]

Ok thanks ill get some exel when I can and hopefully that does the trick and my plants don't die

 

[Florio]

Ok thanks ill get some exel when I can and hopefully that does the trick and my plants don't die

Yeah most of them will be fine but some plants will melt, but it takes around 4 weeks for them to totally die. Hopefully the bba is gone by then.

 

[aqua_chem]

How much light are you using? BBA is often caused by an imbalance between CO2 (or liquid carbon supplements like Excel) and light levels. Adding Excel can go a long way towards addressing this imbalance fortunately, but not always.

Also, to eliminate BBA currently in the tank, you can spot treat with Excel or hydrogen peroxide (my preference).

 

[sobersteve323]

Spot treating and removing leaves that I couldn't clean got rid of bba for me. It might take sometime but it's effective.

 

[aqua_chem]

Spot treating and removing leaves that I couldn't clean got rid of bba for me. It might take sometime but it's effective.

For the record, did you spot treat with Excel or H2O2?

 

[sobersteve323]

For the record, did you spot treat with Excel or H2O2?

Excel. Was doubling the maintenance dose each day. I think the pruning and removing did more in shorter time though.

It definitely seems my lighting without co2/excel caused the bloom in the first place. Haven't had a problem since I started dosing the maintenance dose and excel is the only I've changed.

 

[Rivercats]

If you have plants that are sensitive to Excel go with Hydrogen Peroxide. All I use is 2-3ml of Peroxide to every 10g of tank water, pull it up in a needless syringe and slowly squirt on the algae as close to it as you can get. Also be sure to turn your lights and filters off for 15-20 minutes when spot treating with Peroxide. If you have alot you can do an area a day. This way you don't have to worry about any plants melting.

 

[_skyla_]

How much light are you using? BBA is often caused by an imbalance between CO2 (or liquid carbon supplements like Excel) and light levels. Adding Excel can go a long way towards addressing this imbalance fortunately, but not always.

Also, to eliminate BBA currently in the tank, you can spot treat with Excel or hydrogen peroxide (my preference).

The light in a T8 30watt day grow bulb. I have it on from about 9am to 6pm.
I only currently dose comprehensive weekly with water changes and are using API root tabs.

 

[_skyla_]

Spot treating and removing leaves that I couldn't clean got rid of bba for me. It might take sometime but it's effective.

I have removed some of the leaves of the amazon sword but its just the finer leaved plants and java moss along with the driftwood and rocks that are covered in it. Ill try the exel on Wednesday when I get paid and see how it goes.

 

[_skyla_]

If you have plants that are sensitive to Excel go with Hydrogen Peroxide. All I use is 2-3ml of Peroxide to every 10g of tank water, pull it up in a needless syringe and slowly squirt on the algae as close to it as you can get. Also be sure to turn your lights and filters off for 15-20 minutes when spot treating with Peroxide. If you have alot you can do an area a day. This way you don't have to worry about any plants melting.

Thank you for that information ill try the exel for a week and see how it goes and if its damaging my plants too much ill try the hydrogen peroxide the only plants i think that I have that are sensitive to it are the valls

 

[Rivercats]

It will also help alot if you only run your lights 6 hours till the algae is under control. Then slowly increase your photoperiod but I wouldn't go higher than 8 hours.

 

[_skyla_]

It will also help alot if you only run your lights 6 hours till the algae is under control. Then slowly increase your photoperiod but I wouldn't go higher than 8 hours.

Thanks ill try having them on from 11:30 to 5:30pm and see if that helps I'm removed some leaves from the java fern and rearranged the plants a bit I'm currently doing my weekly pwc. I lost a guppy this morning though I think it was just her time she was heavily pregnant though well the poor thing was always heavily pregnant and constantly popping out fry.