What type of algae is this?

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Tobykourtney

Tobykourtney

Aquarium Advice Addict
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Feb 16, 2013
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I've been fighting with this stuff for the past few months and I'm about to the point of giving up. Someone help please

image-3377508859.jpg
 
Looks like BBA. Can we get some tank specs? Tank size, lighting, photoperiod, ferts, co2, water change schedule, nitrates? How have you been fighting it so far?
 
Billbug68 said:
Looks like BBA. Can we get some tank specs? Tank size, lighting, photoperiod, ferts, co2, water change schedule, nitrates? How have you been fighting it so far?
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75 gallon with 2-1 gallon diy co2 and drop checker is always in the green. I have a dual t5ho aquaticlife with 2 10 k bulbs I dose flourish comp and trace 2 times a week. Nitrate is 10. Nitrite 0.ammonia 0. Ph 7.8-8. Gh and kh 7-10 usually.lights are on from 12-3 then from 6-10. 20% pwc every Saturday. I've cut the lighting period down added the siesta period.i started using a syringe to put excel on infected areas. My next step is going to be to cut Down on ferts to once a week.
 
I'd say your main problem is the DIY co2. Even though your drop checker stays green, it just simply not enough for a 75 gallon. Most people say don't bother with DIY on anything over 20g, but personally I wouldn't use it on anything larger than 10. Pressurized co2 is the best investment I've ever made for my tank.

Other than that, keep on spot treating, trim off leaves that are badly affected, clean the tank and filter well, and think about using dry ferts rather than seachem. PPS pro Method is amazing, customizable, and really simple. I don't think cutting out your ferts is a good idea. You'll be starving your plants, rather than encouraging them to out compete the algae, and will put your tank even more out of balance. Once you can get ferts, lights, and co2 in balance, algae problems become very minimal.
 
Billbug68 said:
I'd say your main problem is the DIY co2. Even though your drop checker stays green, it just simply not enough for a 75 gallon. Most people say don't bother with DIY on anything over 20g, but personally I wouldn't use it on anything larger than 10. Pressurized co2 is the best investment I've ever made for my tank.

Other than that, keep on spot treating, trim off leaves that are badly affected, clean the tank and filter well, and think about using dry ferts rather than seachem. PPS pro Method is amazing, customizable, and really simple. I don't think cutting out your ferts is a good idea. You'll be starving your plants, rather than encouraging them to out compete the algae, and will put your tank even more out of balance. Once you can get ferts, lights, and co2 in balance, algae problems become very minimal.
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Ordered pps pro it will be here Thursday and I can't afford pressurized at the moment I don't see how my co2 is low though my tank looks carbonated lol
 
Tobykourtney said:
Ordered pps pro it will be here Thursday and I can't afford pressurized at the moment I don't see how my co2 is low though my tank looks carbonated lol
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It may not be low, but it may not be stable either. The problem I found with DIY is that it is effected by room temp, so co2 production fluctuates through the day. Another cause of this may be, your co2 concentration is high from lights out, but then once the plants start using it when the lights come on, the diy system cant keep up to keep the levels up. Also, you may have got it when your tank was more unstable, and it's just really hard to get rid of once it blows up. I've had it once and beat it, it takes a lot of work though. I'm just throwing out ideas, but BBA is almost always contributed to high light/long photoperiod, and unstable/lack of co2.
 
I only had 1-1 gallon diy co2 in the beginning so it could very well be that but I've staggered the 2 now so 1 gets changed every week so it should be much more consistent now. I don't no if you can tell from the picture but its turning red then white and then dying off its just very very very slow and frustrating.
 
Tobykourtney said:
I only had 1-1 gallon diy co2 in the beginning so it could very well be that but I've staggered the 2 now so 1 gets changed every week so it should be much more consistent now. I don't no if you can tell from the picture but its turning red then white and then dying off its just very very very slow and frustrating.
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Yeah, it can be frustrating... Believe me, I know... Haha :)
 
Tobykourtney said:
Do you know how long the excel method takes to kill it off completely ?
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It all depends on how severe it is, how long it's been going on... You still need to manually remove as much as possible, trim badly effected leaves, and keep that filter clean. You can try adding some amano shrimp and some Siamese algae eaters... Those are two known species to help keep any kind of hair or fuzzy algae at bay...
 
I would do that but a breeding pair of jack dempseys would kill them off pretty quick :-(
 
Billbug68 said:
It all depends on how severe it is, how long it's been going on... You still need to manually remove as much as possible, trim badly effected leaves, and keep that filter clean. You can try adding some amano shrimp and some Siamese algae eaters... Those are two known species to help keep any kind of hair or fuzzy algae at bay...
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I really didn't think of this before but would jd fry eat algae?
 
Billbug68 said:
Indeed... Sorry I couldn't be of any more help...

Think of all that money you're spending on sugar that could be going toward a pressurized system... :brows:
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Just purchased a regulator off greenleaf aquarium for paintball co2 and bought 2-20 oz paintball bottles now just gotta wait for it to come in the mail :)
 
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