Consistent Problem with BBA :(

[Puddle]

Hi all, I have read and read about BBA and can't find anywhere that really helps with how to get rid of BBA without contradicting each other. Since moving, my 40g tank has got BBA and I am constantly picking it off but want to sort it out for good! My NO3 was 5ppm, PO4 0.5ppm, NH4 0ppm. I dosed Nitrate to get it to about 10/15ppm last night as I was seeing a bit of BGA (been there before, thank you for your help then!!). I have 2 x 30w lights which I have recently been running for 9.5 hrs, no CO2 inj and its pretty well planted with stemmed plants (not sure what without looking it up) which seem to be doing ok but since moving I have noticed that they have started to slow up. Tank is not overstocked and I have just got 3 more SAE (I had one already but he's a bit grown up now). I do a PWC every week with gravel siphoning and dose TMG + (the tap water has 0ppm PO4 and NO3) weekly. Does anyone have any ideas what I can do to get rid of BBA, why it may have come in the beginning (prob cos I didnt do so many PWC!) and if I should be doing anything different?!

Thanks

 

[BrianNY]

Unfortunately this is the most aggressive algae there is. All it takes is one spore which can come in with a plant or a bag of fish and the tank will soon be infested. I've tried almost everything. Chlorine dips, picking out by hand, rewashing the gravel, and nothing seems to keep it from coming back.

One thing I've noticed is that BBA does not proliferate in tankes with a high pH. Try getting the pH to around 7.6 for a few weeks and see if the problem isn't solved. You can do this by placing some crushed coral in a nylon bag in the corner of the tank. Good Luck

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

Seachem Excel kills BBA like no other:
Flourish Excel got rid of all my algae - Algae - Aquatic Plant Central

In my non CO2 tanks, which are high PH, I think doing water changes w/o off gassing the CO2 contributed to BBA. So I starting letting the water sit out, or doing WC's after lights out.

If you use Excel and dose with the water change it doesnt seem to be an issue

 

[mgamer20o0]

i agree with excel though it might melt some plants. its sure worth a try.

 

[Puddle]

Hi

Thanks all for your help - After all the reading, I also came to the conclusion that some of it may be due to not degassing the water and will be trying that. I haven't tested the pH (test kit on order as ran out) of tap or tank water since moving, but I am thinking that water changes without degassing aren't helping, perhaps due to fluctuating levels of CO2 from adding the tap water. Where I was before wasn't an issue, I used to put it straight in and it was sorted but now its got a bit more tricky

Last week I made sure the filter was creating more surface movement as since moving it had moved and I was getting stagnant areas in the tank with a filmy layer on the surface.

Out of interest, why does doing WC after lights out make a difference?!

Think I will have to get some Excel to help control it whilst sorting out the root problem...

One last thing, my lights are almost a yr old, would this be contributing to the algae/slower growth of plants?! What length of time would you suggest to keep then on, I used to do 10hrs with no problems but things are a bit different now...

Thanks!

 

[Purrbox]

Bulbs should be changed every 6-12 months, so you're well within the range where an older bulb could be affecting plant growth and encouraging algae growth. I'd go ahead and replace them.

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

Out of interest, why does doing WC after lights out make a difference?

Well if you suspect that the CO2 from tap water causing issues. The instead of letting the CO2 off gas from the new water before adding it. You could just do the WC at night.

The "difference" would be that plants/algae only use CO2 when the lights are on. So doing it at night will off gas itself in the tank by the time the lights come on.

Personally my Tap reads 7.4 PH straight out, then if I let it sit out it is 8.0PH the same as my tanks, So I have lots of CO2 from the tap.

Algae is much faster to adapt than plants, plants like stable conditions so to speak and algae takes advantage in times where plants are slow to react to changes, like a WC with the lights on that introduces lots of CO2 for a short time(just that day).

 

[Puddle]

Hi again,

Just tested tank and tap water, both were:

NO2 0mg/L
GH about 14d
KH 10d
pH 8 (so not helping BrianNY!)

Interestingly, the dip test said NO3 was 200 (!) in tank water (as i said before I added nitrate as I thought it was too low) and about 100 in tap water - however I also tested it using a drop test which says tap is 0 and tank is about 5-10mg/L (However I have just noticed that the drop test is almost 6 months out of date?!) BUT I still have remnants of BGA and the fish look absolutely fine - no recent deaths or any gasping!... should I buy a new test kit?!

Using KH and pH to measue CO2 means both tap and tank water is about 3, so doesn't look like fluctuating levels of CO2 are the issue after all. I know PO4 levels are 0.5 in the tank and 0 from the tap (I referenced this kit so I know its right). I now have some Excel so will try dosing that.

Any other suggestions?!

Thanks!

 

[BrianNY]

Are we talking BGA or BBA?

 

[Puddle]

Both! I have a major problem with BBA but as I believe tap water has NO3 of 0 - I think that's why BGA is surfacing?

 

[marchmaxima]

I have a bit of BBA and used to have BGA. The BGA dissappeared when I cut down the amount of algae tablets for my otos. I was always putting in a full one. I cut that down to half, and since then the BGA has not returned.

My algae tabs were high in phosphates. I'm assuming it was that.

 

[Puddle]

Hi

Thanks marchmaxima - I think my phosphates are fine tho...

Just tested some tap water that I'd left sat out o/n - the pH went to 7.6 which seems that the co2 then is up to 8 meaning a low CO2 in the tap water? Also the dip test said the No3 reduced (but not sure I believe that).

Therefore - Is it good or bad to leave the water to sit out before a pwc (if the tank is pH 8 with CO2 of 3) if I'm going to add excel, or would it further aid plant growth?

Thanks again, any help appreciated!

 

[Puddle]

Seachem Excel kills BBA like no other:
Flourish Excel got rid of all my algae - Algae - Aquatic Plant Central

If you use Excel and dose with the water change it doesnt seem to be an issue

Hi Can I ask how much Excel and how often you dose with your wc? What they suggest on the bottle?!

Thanks

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

It depends. Make sure you are aware of the certain plants that have issues w/ excel 1st.

Then if your doing it to fight BBA, spot dosing works best IMO.

For spot dosing, just use the normal dose which is 1ml per 10G of water. You shut off the filter/water movement in the tank, use a syringe/medicine dropper to apply it near/direct to an affected plant. Then wait ~10-15min then turn the filter(s) back on.

If your whole tank has BBA, then many do a 2-3x the normal dose(which would be 2-3ml for 10G) and dose the whole tank. Personally I think a combination works best. Meaning that use a 2x spot dose to a direct area, then when you turn the filter back on you get the 2x effect throughout the whole tank.

Also some have posted issues with some fish(not many though) with larger doses. So I would start with a single dose 1ml/10G for the 1st day or 3 just incase. Then move to the 2-3x with the spot dose combo I described.

For fighting algae dose either everyday or every other day with like 2x, within 2 weeks your algae should be all cleared up.

After things are under control then when doing WC's you can use there recommended dose which is like 5x normal, but personally I have only used up to 3x max daily even with WC's

 

[Puddle]

Ok, so I have now got new bulbs (which are lots brighter!) - am dosing excel and I also bought a new NO3 test kit (API).

Yikes - My old Hagen NO3 test kit (5 months out of date!) said it was 10mg/L, the dip test said between 100-200 and the new one said 40mg/L!!!?? I have thrown the old one as don't think its worth using that... am now confused!

Any thoughts?!

 

[Purrbox]

Test strips should only be used as an indicator, they aren't a reliable means of testing. Your new liquid test is probably the closest to accurate. The best thing would be if you could use it to test it against a couple of reference solutions so that you could determine how accurate its results are.

 

[ingg]

New kit sounds right.

BBA comes from two main sources in my experience. Fluctuating CO2, or higher than needed (out of balance) nutrient levels.

Excel works with careful repeated doses - or, if you have it on like Anubias that can be pulled out, pull it out, put excel in a little spray bottle. spray it down, wait 30 seconds, put back in tank... dead bba.

If you want a one shot kill inside the tank, use H2o2... yes, hydrogen peroxide. Shut off the filters. Wait 5 mins. Dose it with a syringe directly and slowly onto the BBA. Wait 10 mins. Watch pretty bubbles. Turn filters back on.

Some say do a water change the next day, others say not needed... I don't honestly, it breaks down to o2 and h20. Dead in 48 hours - but as has been mentioned, one spore missed, and it comes back. A follow up of spot treatment with Excel is a good thing.

I battle it often enough. Comes in on plants, forms in slow flow pockets where CO2 is different than column, etc. It is a winnable battle, be patient and consistent.

 

[Puddle]

New kit sounds right.

BBA comes from two main sources in my experience. Fluctuating CO2, or higher than needed (out of balance) nutrient levels.

Excel works with careful repeated doses - or, if you have it on like Anubias that can be pulled out, pull it out, put excel in a little spray bottle. spray it down, wait 30 seconds, put back in tank... dead bba.

Thanks for your reply! I'll go with the new kit - have been dosing NO3 as well, never mind! With the new lights and regular dosing of excel, the plants should take it up ... or I could do a pwc...:-|

I have quite a bit of BBA on my background and on the driftwood, the plants aren't too badly affected though I may try some spot treatment on the BBA thats there..

I thought dip tests were pretty inaccurate so didnt take too much notice of it, though it does seem that I have a pretty low level of CO2 in my tap/tank water (considering the tap water pH went down after sitting out) - what do people think about leaving tap water to sit out to help increase CO2 levels therefore or would the resulting fluctuating levels of CO2 from pwc not help anything? Would I be better off just adding tap water (which is same as tank in KH and pH) straight plus excel?

Thanks again!

 

[Purrbox]

You want to either have CO2 levels that stay above 30ppm or that are stable if below 30ppm. If the CO2 is both below 30ppm and fluctuating it will just further encourage the BBA.

 

[Puddle]

You want to either have CO2 levels that stay above 30ppm or that are stable if below 30ppm. If the CO2 is both below 30ppm and fluctuating it will just further encourage the BBA.

Thanks purrbox, my CO2 levels are def below 30ppm if the calculator is to be believed, they are more like 3 (about KH 10, pH8.0) considering they went up to 8 (KH10, pH7.6) after standing out 24hrs (though I think that 8 cannot be right for water that has degassed, right?)... so may as well just stick in tap water straight from tap then to avoid fluctuations?!

Must also test my tap water NO3 with the new test kit...