# BBA in low tech tank



## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

After experimenting with DIY CO2 ,and keeping the lights too close without proper fert dosing ,all I got was BBA and some staghhorn.
So I lowered my light intensity ,started properly dosing(EI low light/weekly) ,eliminated the most affected leaves ,vacuumed bottom often ,added fast growing plants.
The BBA still takes over a leaf here and there ,but at lower rates ,maybe because light is less now.

What else should I do to keep it at bay? I have a 10 gallon tank with 1.8 watts per gallon T8.
Filter is Eheim 2211 ,and I dose P and K only ,because my tap has 20 ppm NO3.Of course ,micros ,separate day.

After eliminating Najas Guadelupensis' leaves and parts affected ,no new algae have grown on it.Neither was EVER any algae on the small patch of Hemianthus ,despite having some dwarf hairgrass patches right next to it ,fully overwhelmed with BBA.

Wisteria grows new leaves non stop ,but ,as they get taller ,the lower leaves slowly become affected by BBA.

I keep my lights on between 8am-11am ,then from5pm to 10pm.During the light break ,the tank receives ambient light ,in a wide-windowed room(absolutely no direct sunlight though)
I change 40 percent of the water weekly ,as I dose EI weekly.

I would like to know what other measures should I take ,to control BBA in low tech tank?

I must mention that I don't feel like adding pressurised CO2 ,and I already tried Excel ,as spot treatement ,and it killed a lot of my Red Cherry ,even at half the recommended dose ,and added once every 2 days.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

A picture of your tank would help. A link to your journal, if any, would be even better. Otherwise, not much info to go on.

As a general statement, floaters are your friends.

v3


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

OVT said:


> A picture of your tank would help. A link to your journal, if any, would be even better. Otherwise, not much info to go on.
> 
> As a general statement, floaters are your friends.
> 
> v3


Hi ,OVT,
you've actually said that to me before ,also opened my eyes when it comes to ferts ,thank you for that.As you can see in the pic ,my tank is a combo of fast growing plants and low light plants.Algae seems to settle more on the crypts and anubias now ,also on the Vals leaves that are in direct flow(2nd pic)
The Vals leaves are riding along the surface ,does that count as "floaters" ,since they're no longer conditioned by the Co2 in the water and are closest to the light?
Or do you mean the usage of floaters ,in order to block the light even more?If so ,would a glass lid help also?
I thoroughly cleanded the tank last couple of days ,so there's not much algae to show now ,but it always comes back.Maybe I'm changing too much water ,too often?Or is the Eheim Classic an overkill for my tank?
I dosed a quarter of ml of Excel this morning ,and 2 of my 3 Amano shrimp have already molted ,the Red Cherry are static.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

This is a pic showing the ambient light the tank gets on a bright sunny day(from 11am to 5pm).Can this kind of light affect it?The thing is I never had algae ,except some ocasionally brown on the glass ,until I caused the DIY CO2 imbalance.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Well ,were it me,, I would put plant's on straight eight hour photo period rather than siesta.
I do not pretend to know by what mechanisim's plant's uptake what CO2 is available naturally in low tech. I have heard by those who do seem to know, that this process is much slower than with tank's where CO2 is plentiful (injected) and that ramping up ,then down,and then back up again with siesta period is difficult for plant's.Not so much in high tech injected tank's where CO2 is plentiful.
Would also consider either using Excel or not.Using it then stopping/starting again= inconsistent CO2 = struggling plant's = algae which does not need much to thrive .
Would also stick with consistent amount of water changed each week.
Dose micro's one day after water change lest dechlorinator have negative effect on Iron in micro's.
Believe dechlorinator's such as Prime render metal's unavailble for plant's but only for perhap's 24 hour's which is why I suggest this (would be pleased to know if this is of no worry)Is what I do.
Keep filter material cleaned monthly.
Some suggest treating affected hardscape with Hydrogen peroxide but I might remove the hardscape to do this. 
My two cent's.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

roadmaster said:


> Well ,were it me,, I would put plant's on straight eight hour photo period rather than siesta.
> I do not pretend to know by what mechanisim's plant's uptake what CO2 is available naturally in low tech. I have heard by those who do seem to know, that this process is much slower than with tank's where CO2 is plentiful (injected) and that ramping up ,then down,and then back up again with siesta period is difficult for plant's.Not so much in high tech injected tank's where CO2 is plentiful.
> Would also consider either using Excel or not.Using it then stopping/starting again= inconsistent CO2 = struggling plant's = algae which does not need much to thrive .
> Would also stick with consistent amount of water changed each week.
> ...


Thanks for the tips ,roadmaster.
I chose the siesta type photoperiod ,for viewing time ,in the morning ,before I go to work ,and evening ,when I come back.Maybe I should try 8 hours straight....

I used excel for a couple of weeks ,a lot of algae died ,but so did some shrimp.I was using 0.5ml for my tank then.This morning I dosed 1/4ml just to see if it was the Excel causing trouble with shrimp ,or did they die from the major algae rot ,at that time.I can confirm that ,even with 1/4 ml for 10 gallon(roughly 7 gal water column) ,the shrimp started acting weird again.Yet ,I hear about people who dose Excel irregularly ,like 2 or 3 times a week ,with no issues.That always intrigued me ,since Excel dissipates in 24 hrs anyway ,so an inconssistence in dosing would be like opening the pressurised valve "from time to time" ,or similar to DIY Co2's ups and downs in pressure.Can't understand why some people get away with it ,with no shrimp deaths ,and others don't.

Tom barr's non CO2 method doesn't advise large ,frequent WC ,but EI does ,hence I don't know if I should keep up with my weekly 40% WC.
I am aware of the effects of dechlorinator ,I never dose micros the same day as my WC.

I will definately replace my canister filter hoses ,as I see a lot of muck stuck inside ,flow is not affected though.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> Thanks for the tips ,roadmaster.
> I chose the siesta type photoperiod ,for viewing time ,in the morning ,before I go to work ,and evening ,when I come back.Maybe I should try 8 hours straight....
> 
> I used excel for a couple of weeks ,a lot of algae died ,but so did some shrimp.I was using 0.5ml for my tank then.This morning I dosed 1/4ml just to see if it was the Excel causing trouble with shrimp ,or did they die from the major algae rot ,at that time.I can confirm that ,even with 1/4 ml for 10 gallon(roughly 7 gal water column) ,the shrimp started acting weird again.Yet ,I hear about people who dose Excel irregularly ,like 2 or 3 times a week ,with no issues.That always intrigued me ,since Excel dissipates in 24 hrs anyway ,so an inconssistence in dosing would be like opening the pressurised valve "from time to time" ,or similar to DIY Co2's ups and downs in pressure.Can't understand why some people get away with it ,with no shrimp deaths ,and others don't.
> ...


 
I do not believe water changes will cause any harm and believe Tom now say's this as well.
I follow his NON CO2 method as well, cept I still change 50% each week.


Hope you can find my message.I seemed to have placed it about dead center of your previous [email protected]#$*!!


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

roadmaster said:


> I do not believe water changes will cause any harm and believe Tom now say's this as well.
> I follow his NON CO2 method as well, cept I still change 50% each week.
> 
> 
> Hope you can find my message.I seemed to have placed it about dead center of your previous [email protected]#$*!!


Thanks for sharing your experience ,yes indeed ,the CO2 fluctuation caused by the WC myth ,and all that.

I had actually started to syphon-vacuum the tank bottom ,pass the evac hose in a micron mesh filter-cup ,and collecting the filtered ,syphoned water in a bucket ,then pouring it back in the tank ,for fear not to add too much freshwater.
The filtered water came out unbeliavebly clear ,I would pour back in the tank almost all of it ,except maybe the last liter from the bottom of the bucket ,and I would add freshwater.
Did this for 2-3 days this week,and I still did the large weekly WC ,though.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

Try to add daily excel..in your case, 2ml. Whatever algae you have right now, they will be dead within 2 to 3 weeks. With my low tech tank with excel dosage, 4ml to a 20g tank, I have no algae.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

tetra73 said:


> Try to add daily excel..in your case, 2ml. Whatever algae you have right now, they will be dead within 2 to 3 weeks. With my low tech tank with excel dosage, 4ml to a 20g tank, I have no algae.


Maybe so ,but so will my shrimp.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> Maybe so ,but so will my shrimp.


I have 14 amano shrimps and I dose 4ml of daily excel, for over 7 months. They didn't die at all. Were you dosing the initial dosage AND overdosing excel? Just the daily dosage at 2x you will be fine.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

tetra73 said:


> I have 14 amano shrimps and I dose 4ml of daily excel, for over 7 months. They didn't die at all. Were you dosing the initial dosage AND overdosing excel? Just the daily dosage at 2x you will be fine.


Never did the initial 5 ml dosage.I only dosed 0.5 ml ,once every 2 days ,for 2-3 weeks.A lot of Red cherry went in hiding or died ,amanos were constantly twitching their legs or cleaning their belly flippers.
At that time I thought that it was cause of something being released in the water ,in the process of algae death ,but ,this morning I tried with 1/4ml ,and already 2 Amano molts ,and most Red Cherry inactive.


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