BBA Algae

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hb3133

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Messages
148
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
Well, the BBA is starting to get out of control and I need more advice. Here is the current tank stats:

10 gallon heavy planted freshwater tank( since June 2006)
soil: Eco-Complete mixed with small layer of gravel
lighting: 2 x 15 watt compact flourescent bulbs (running from 1:30 pm to 10:30pm)
temp: 76 degrees
Ph: 7.4
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 5 ppm (latest reading)
ferts: Flourish(4 times per week), Flourish excel (4 times per week), Flourish Nitrogen (4 times per week), Flourish Potassium ( 4 times per week), Flourish Phosphorus (3 times per week)
plants: 1 Anubais Coffeeolia, 1 Anubais petite nana, 10 dwarf sags, 1 green crypt wendtii, 1 red crypt wendtii, 6 java ferns, 10 anacharis, 1 huge mass of java moss, tons of christmas moss and a small bunch of willow moss.
inhabitants: 50 + red cherry shrimp and 3 otto fish.

The BBA( small black feathery tufts) is growing mainly on the java ferns, dwarf sags and crypts. It started about 3 weeks ago. I haven't change my routine and do 40% water changes once per week. If anybody can help or has more suggestions, please feel free to help. For the past week, I have increase the Excel and Nitrogen to daily doses.
 
in my experience, BBA comes on when phosphates get too high for nitrate levels. they should be a 1:10 ratio of phos to nitrate. if you only have 5ppm nitrate and 1.5ppm phosphate, that'd explain it.

a PO4 test would confirm it. stop dosing Phosphorus and see if it improves.
 
Actually, I'd recommend that instead of stopping your Phosphate dosing, you up your Nitrate dosing. 5ppm Nitrate is awefully low and depending on your test kit could be closer to 0ppm.
 
I'm having the same problem. I've never experience this until I upped my lighting and increased the number of plants in the tank. I added a ton of stem plants recently and they are sucking up the nitrates faster than my fish (and feedings) can keep up with. I have just started to dose nitrate for the first time ever. Hopefully that will eliminate it...
 
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