Found another leech and the threaded BBA Black Beard Algae!!

[PattyCakes81]

Hi guys,
Like the till title says, leeches and now it looks like I have like BBA (Black Beard Algae). The BBA is all over the plants. Don't know what to do.

The parameters are fine:
Ammo 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20

Need your help guys. I don't want to lose any fish or all my plants.

 

[Rivercats]

Didn't you ask this in another thread and I'm sure I gave you instructions for spot treating it. You also need to run lights 6 hours daily until algae is gone. What lights and bulbs do you have? What size tank? Do you use liquid carbon or CO2? What kind of plants?

 

[Rivercats]

This is the exact thread you started the other day.... http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...he-threaded-bba-black-beard-algae-271006.html. You have a lot of light for a 10g and you run it too long. Try running 1 or 2 bulbs for 6 hours daily. You can spot treat BBA with Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution. Pull up 3-5ml of Peroxide in a syringe for every 10g water, hold syringe right up to algae and slowly squirt. You have to turn your filter off before treating and leave off for 20 minutes after. If you have a lot of BBA you'll have to treat an area daily until it's all treated. The algae will start turning red, pink, or white in about 24 hours which means it's dying.

You also need to either run CO2 or staring using a liquid carbon with that lighting. You also need to be dosing ferts weekly. Your tank is not balanced between light/CO2/ferts which is why you are having algae issue.

 

[PattyCakes81]

Didn't you ask this in another thread and I'm sure I gave you instructions for spot treating it. You also need to run lights 6 hours daily until algae is gone. What lights and bulbs do you have? What size tank? Do you use liquid carbon or CO2? What kind of plants?

Sorry. I was trying to look for that other thread but could not find it. I try searching for it. even try looking at all my posts. I guess the App was acting up on my end.

Thank you! going to reduce the time to 6 hours now. I have a 20 gallon high tank.

I have a Exo Terra 3 bulb light fixture. with three 10 watt daylight compact fluorescent bulbs. they have been in use since January.

I have the following plants:
Amazon sword
Echinodorus Parviflorus
Java moss
Christmas moss
Anubias petite
anubias nana
java fern regular and Windelov
anacharis
dwarf hairgrass
Crypt mi oya
At this I am not providing any carbon source.

I also noticed that my temperature was at 81°. have a set on 76° now. I also added another small bio filter to create some more circulation. just in case if there isn't enough.

 

[Rivercats]

Since you have DHG you have to keep the higher light which means you need to be dosing at least 1ml liquid carbon for every 5 gallons of water. Just watch the cory's as I "think" that species sometimes gets irritated with liquid carbon. Or you can do DIY CO2 or pressurized which with your stock might actually be a better option. Just try keeping nitrates at 10-15ppm max and lighting at 6 hours but even with that you are going to have to do liquid carbon or CO2 to get your tank balanced so your algae problem goes away.

 

[PattyCakes81]

Since you have DHG you have to keep the higher light which means you need to be dosing at least 1ml liquid carbon for every 5 gallons of water. Just watch the cory's as I "think" that species sometimes gets irritated with liquid carbon. Or you can do DIY CO2 or pressurized which with your stock might actually be a better option. Just try keeping nitrates at 10-15ppm max and lighting at 6 hours but even with that you are going to have to do liquid carbon or CO2 to get your tank balanced so your algae problem goes away.

What diy CO2 do you recommend? Do I still need to dose ferts? Sorry for all the questions but when I saw my plants in this condition, I really freaked out.

 

[Rivercats]

Sorry I don't do DIY CO2 but you could start another thread about it as a lot of people on the forum use it. You want to dose ferts just like always or stopping could cause even more issues. You'll find CO2 and shorter photoperiod will help a lot.

 

[PattyCakes81]

Sorry I don't do DIY CO2 but you could start another thread about it as a lot of people on the forum use it. You want to dose ferts just like always or stopping could cause even more issues. You'll find CO2 and shorter photoperiod will help a lot.

I have never dose any ferts. Could that be one of the problems too.

 

[jlk]

In respect to the leeches, are you finding any bites or missing scales/scratches on your fish?

 

[PattyCakes81]

In respect to the leeches, are you finding any bites or missing scales/scratches on your fish?

No. Makes me wonder what happen to the other fishes that died.