# Red algae (bba) cry for help



## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

I'm finding it odd that your glosso isn't spreading -- sounds like you have _plenty_ of light... What kind of bulbs are you using? 

As for the BBA, just how bad do you have it? I used to have it on _everything_. It was so thick on my driftwood you could see it flowing in the current. I eventually wrestled it under control, but I've still got it. It just shows up now on a few rocks, a bit on the driftwood, and on the edges of some of my slower growing plants. It seems to favour the current in the tank.

I guess I'm just wondering if it's something you could maybe learn to live with if it's not totally taking over your tank and smothering your plants.


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

I sure thought I had plenty of light, could the bulbs just not be good? They are 6700k bulbs that came with the Freshwater AquaLight. I think I read somewhere that weak bulbs can cause glosso to grow up rather than spread and I know they can give algae an advantage over other plants. But how do I explain the cabomba growing like it was kudzu?
When I got tough with the bba all my crypts, grass and anubias were pretty well coated, the driftwood had a beard and so did the spraybar. Right now my micro sword grass and melon swords are pretty well coated as is the gravel in the front of the tank. Strangely, the algae is primarily in the front and left sides while the back and right sides are pretty clear. The spray bar is mounted top right blowing down 45 degrees across the tank. Intake is back right corner. The tank is heavily planted across the whole back, lightly on the sides and open in front except for the glosso, micro sword algae collectors. In other words, the best circulation has the most bba.
I could live with it like it is but am really worried at the rate of growth. Something must be very wrong but I have no idea what.


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

It does seem to like good circulation. I know, it seems odd...

Wish I could help you out with this. Like I said, I used to have the same problem. I have no idea how I fixed it :wink: 

I guess it just took time for my tank to settle. It hit me shortly after I moved to a new apartment -- it was only a three block move, so I was able to transport most of the water and all of the substrate intact. Apparently it was disruptive enough tho. 

All of my slow growing plants were completely coated in the stuff. I ended up having to toss most of them. Hmm. I guess what I did was load up on fast-growing plants to out-compete the algae. Gradually the plants started to win out and the algae has now been restricted to a few small areas of the tank. It still coats some of the leaves on my sag, but I just nip them off when it gets too bad. I also just got a pair of SAEs on the weekend. First day in the tank they were nibbling away at it -- it was really cool to watch! Haven't seen them touch it much lately tho.

As for your lights, I've read that plants will utilize light from the red and blue spectrums, but not the green spectrum (the fact that plants _are_ green shows that they reflect this light). If you still have the packaging, have a look and see if it lists this information. Just a thought. 260W should be plenty...


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

Another possible clue. Sunlight falls across the left side of the tank for about an hour a day. There is a sliding glass door nearby with thin (sheer) curtains over it. They knock off much of the light but not all and the tank is too big to put anywhere else. My wife agreed I could hang heavier curtains as long as she gets to pick them out. Oh yeah, the substrate is 60/40 fluorite/gravel and the filter is a Rena XP3 (love it).


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

Well, I have ordered a pressurized co2 system and new light bulbs to try battling this algae (always wanted the co2 anyway). I currently have crystal clear water, happy fish and a carpet of black fuzz covering my gravel, driftwood and all but the fastest growing plants. Also threads of algae looking like streamers from some plants. I keep hearing that a balanced tank keeps algae in check but I don't see what my horrible imbalance is other than the not so stable DIY co2.
A couple more weeks of fighting and I may surrender, throw away the plants, catch the fish and bleach the entire tank, filter, hoses, the works and start from scratch. Pity because I have several plants that are hard to replace here. This is really depressing. Good luck to all the rest of you fighting this stuff!


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

Just an update for anyone who cares to follow along. I noticed the plants seemed to be kind of growing in spurts, investigated more closely and found out that my soda bottle co2 injection was sputtering and outputting erratically. I replaced it with new yeast and that seems to have slowed the increasingly rapid progression of the black bearded stuff. Not stopped it, slowed. I also got in my new light bulbs and replaced them. I next threw away the worst plants, soaked the other bad ones in hydrogen peroxide plus soaked the filter tubes, driftwood and "fuzzy rocks" in bleach. Rinsed everything carefully and am back up and running. The fish didn't seem to mind any of this too much. My pressurized co2 system is here and the bottle is getting filled (2 days service here in Hawaii). I hope that a stable, controllable co2 injection will let the plants stay ahead of the algae. My long, stringy algae is back but I can deal with that later. I have also stopped with the ferts except for potassium since the string algae seemed to indicate maybe too much trace iron and the holes in my anubia leaves lead me to suspect a shortage of potassium. I have adequate nitrate and am keeping an eye on the phosphate. Wil dose if the number dips.
Finally, has anyone actually seen bba disappear from a plant after it got attached or is cleaning/disposal the only solution? Right now I just want to stop the spread. Sigh, 4 month old tank and I feel I have been fighting this stuff for years already!


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## Q (Mar 12, 2004)

I had BBA in my tank for over 4 years that was introduced by one sword plant from my LFS. I tried every mechanical and chemical treatment I heard about and none of them worked because it had a grasp on the whole tank. I finally got rid of it like this:

I was going to be moving a few houses away from my parents, so I convinced them to let me break down their old terrarium to be used as a temp aquarium while I moved. I moved everything to their aquarium over a few weeks preceding the move (all the fish, substrate, driftwood plants and filters). Once I got everything moved, I treated all the plants in a diluted bleach solution (they all survived and the BBA was dead). I found some SAE's that were labeled as Siamese Flying Foxes, but they were really SAE's. I put them in the temp tank and they ate every remaining piece of BBA within a couple weeks. During this time, the heater in the temp tank had failed and the water temp was around 70-74 degrees for a few weeks, so I don't know if that contributed. I always had the tank around 78 degrees. The BBA never showed up in the tank again. 

Still, I bleached out my personal tank, bought new filters, plants and substrate and have never had another problem with BBA. I also put SAE's in my tank just in case it decided to pop up again. Now I have problems with the SAE's eating my plants, but that's better than dealing with BBA.

This may seem a little drastic, but after having BBA for a few years, this was definitely worth all the trouble and expense.

Good luck with getting rid of it.


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## martygreene (Apr 30, 2004)

Do oto cats eat red algae? I've recently ended up with it as well...


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

martygreene said:


> Do oto cats eat red algae? I've recently ended up with it as well...


IME no! SAE's I think are the only ones who will touch the stuff


Jason


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

I would dearly love to have some SAEs to help in the fight but they don't seem to be available anywhere over here. I even asked a couple of stores if they could special order them with no luck. All I can find are flying foxes and chinese algae eaters. Unfortunately, Hawaii has rather strict laws about importing plants and animals. I have been lucky to put together a nice plant collection and it makes me sad to see them getting overrun by bba.


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## pauline29 (May 2, 2004)

Its every planters nightmare to see BBA in their tanks. Suspect from what you said problems with yr DIY CO2 sputtering thus not delivering enough CO2 to compensate for the high lights you have. When there is an imbalance all types of algae will form.

But if yr lights were sufficient, yr glosso should not be rising but forming a carpet growth. How high is yr tank by the way? Anything more than 18 inches, yr lights will struggle to hit bottom esp for glosso and riccias.

SAE's are reputed to eat BBA but I've noticed only if they have NOTHING else to chomp on. That's really their last resort. I've got 5 in my tank but so far not touched the BBA. 

BBA does not spread but rather if left to travel, will hinge onto something and start growing from there. Best method of removal is by hand though I know how tough that is. I wouldn't recommend bleaching yr plants and decor on such regular intervals as it taxes yr plants. Growth will be stunted and yr algae problems will recur since they can't absorb nutrients from yr fertilisation as well as all the unused CO2 from yr new pressure tank. Think about it, a vicious cycle.

Slower growing plants like crypts, anubias will certainly attract algae esp. if your water current is strong. I also presume from yr high lights that's also one of the problem. Give them plenty of shade, under yr water sprites or bogwood. 

I'd also stop fertilisation now until the plants are growing at their normal rate, since this will bring on yr algae problem.


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

Thanks for the input pauline. Yeah, I have decided that the tank will either rid itself of the stuff on its own or I will eventually throw away almost everything and start again from scratch. I just got the pressurized system running today. I know it won't "cure" anything but will at least give me a more stable base to work from. The glosso doesn't matter anymore since the bba got nearly all of it and I tossed it. At the moment, it is slowly beginning to cover things again so I don't have much hope for saving the tank. Plan to try for at least another month or two to save it. If it wins out I will tear down and bleach the whole bloody mess. What hurts is that I just had to cut back my cabomba, water sprite and rotala indica because it is growing out of the tank again so plant growth isn't a problem. I am beginning to think that plant growth and water parameters are irrelevant for this stuff, either it spreads or doesn't as it sees fit and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Oh yeah, the tank is 48x18x18=75g. At least I can go surfing when I get depressed. 8)


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Please wait at least another two months before you start over. I just went through a BBA episode in my 10 gal, had it for about 3 months before it disappeared completely.
Keep the CO2 up, Nitrate and Phosphate levels (what kit do you have that gives you 11 ppm... just curious)?
Add a bunch of ghost shrimps. They are great in eating up that stuff. I had them wading knee-deep in it, and they did a great job, although without the CO2 and nutrients they would have lost the battle.
Keep in mind that if you do start over, you might end up having the very same BBA growing just as nice. If your tank gets over it, it will be (almost) immune in the future.


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## SueNH (Feb 25, 2004)

Before I knew about power compact lights I had a tank that was full of BBA. I could grow algae and floating watersprite, moved tank into the window for more light and I could plant the watersprite and got tons more bba. I left it because it was at least a live plant. BBA colony was nearly 10 years old in this tank. Added lights, ghost shrimp and SAE's and I don't have a speck anymore. I've also seen my apple snails eating the last of it. I really did nothing to actively rid myself of it. Bleached a few large rocks and wiped off the heater cord now and then. It's gone. I see a touch of it on an old java leaf.Nowhere else.

The tank is sitting in a west window. Gets lots of natural sunlight. I was planning on moving faster than it turned out so I never moved it when I got good lights. Had to buy things piecemeal so lights, co2 and decent substrate and ferts didn't come together until the beginning of March. 3 months with good equip., tons of plants and a host of algae eating critters has beaten an established 10 year old colony.

I did dip a java fern I had for a bit in low light in a capful of bleach to a gallon of water. Killed the algae. Didn't seem to bother the plants. Didn't try it with more delicate leafed plants but it went away on it's own. I actually left it on rocks and driftwood for a food source. I now have to feed my snails.

Little bit of green spot algae on the glass now and then but nothing horrible. Did have a small burst of staghorn but that seemed to go away on it's own too.

Get all the equipment running and plants growing happy and the stuff just can't compete. I really did little to control it. I'll even admit I found it kind of pretty in it's own way. Was a nice dark patch of plant that waved in the current.


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

Wasserpest, it is a tetra test kit that justs gives about 4 color gradients. Since the actual color is slightly lighter than the 12.5 color I called it 11. It could be 9, 10, 11 hard to say exactly. I just know it is lighter than 12.5 and well above 0. Oh and thanks for the encouragement, its good to hear that it can disappear. I think I can get ghost shrimp although they are kind of pricey for the bunch I will need.
Sue - I think it adds a touch of contrast in small quantaties but not on EVERYTHING! A little goes a long way :wink: .


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

*Red algae (bba) cry of victory! - formerly cry for help*

Hopefully my last update for anyone following along...
As you may know, I installed a pressurized co2 system and replaced my light bulbs with new ones. My wife was tired of the cabombas carolinia and furtada so I yanked them and lined the back wall of the tank with rotala indica (she loves the golden tips). Then I just kept the water changed, added a touch of potassium chloride with the weekly change, fed the fish and left it alone for a month resigned to disaster. Guess what? The bba is virtually gone! There is a little bit still on some substrate but the anubias are clean and shiny, the glosso is spreading into a rather lovely carpet across the front and center and I am tickled to death! The big mystery of course is exactly what solved the problem. Here are the leading candidates:

A) stable co2 with the pressure system
B) better lights with strong new bulbs (other ones were only a few months old)
C) addition of some 40 stem plants (they replaced 20+ stem plants)
D) time, the tank just needed to settle in since it is still only 5 months old
E) keeping my hands off so it can heal itself (stop dorking with everything at once)

I tend to think D had the greatest impact followed by E then A, C and B. Any second opinions?


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Wasserpest said:


> Please wait at least another two months before you start over. I just went through a BBA episode in my 10 gal, had it for about 3 months before it disappeared completely.


When I was fighting it, it never quite disappeared completely, though I was able to control it 90-some percent with nutrient dosing. It still maintained a last stand on the filter. What exasperated me was the snails with it growing on their shells.


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