# Bba



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

DIY CO2 or pressurized? Low and/or fluctuating CO2 levels is a primary cause of bba, especially the latter.


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## vernsker14 (Mar 13, 2014)

I feel like even with proper conditions bba won't die off in your tank unless you make an attempt to kill it. I had a really bad case of bba for almost a year and the only thing that worked was a H2O2 treatment. I would recommend the "one-two punch" for algae.


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## nova777 (Jul 27, 2014)

Hey Burr740,thanks for the response.
My co2 is pressurized but I've had a problem with my diffusers 
getting clogged up,slowing down the bubble count.I didn't realize what the problem
was until recently.I have and will continue to keep a close watch on this.
I forgot to mention that I have an airstone on a timer that runs when lights are out.
Is there anything else I can do?
Cheers,David

Bump: Hey Vernsker14,thanks for posting.
I'm assuming that the H2O2 would be directly applied to the BBA algae.
What kind of delivery system would be best?perhaps a large syringe?
How would the H2O2 affect the fish,they are doing well and I don't want to harm them.
Cheers,David


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

I would;

Crank the co2 up more, and make sure it stays consistent 
Manually remove as much as possible, the really bad leaves/plants etc
Double up the water changes to at least twice a week for a while. Algae doesnt like water changes.
Maintain a super clean filter, substrate surface, etc
Dont skimp on ferts
Possibly reduce the light to 6 hours, although you said you just cut it to 7 so may not be necessary.

Be patient...


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## nova777 (Jul 27, 2014)

Hey Burr740,
I just nudged up the co2,i'll look to increase my ferts a little.
The rest of the tank maintenance,including increased water changes sounds 
good.I have noticed the BBA on a stone Bhudda structure and some faux wood
I haver in the tank.What would be the best way to clean these as I can remove
them from the tank?Thanks again for the help.
Cheers,David


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

Remove these and dip in bleach.


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## larusaquarium (Feb 21, 2015)

Air stone is your problem. I had the same issue you have for months. I keep discus fish so their very picky. I used co2 during the day and air stone at night. This fluctuated co2 levels like crazy. 
I had too much light in my tank (current usa led+ and dual t5 light). Got rid of the t5 and stopped injecting co2 cold turkey. I double dosed flourish excel (algaecide) every day and within a week all the BBA is gone. I have decided to stop co2 injection all together. Plants used to grow like an inch a day with co2 but I don't mind slow growth. Now that I've stopped co2 all together there's less trimming plants. 
Word of advice: most experienced hobbyist will advice against shutting down co2 cold turkey. So this is just what I did personally. If you do decide to do the same proceed with caution.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Sorry to disagree larus, but fluctuating co2 levels are only a problem during the photoperiod. What happens to it when the lights are out doesnt matter. There's nothing wrong with adding an airstone at night, as long as co2 levels are back up to normal when the lights come on. That is why most people start co2 an hour or two before the lights, at which point obviously the airstone should be off.


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

burr740 said:


> Sorry to disagree larus, but fluctuating co2 levels are only a problem during the photoperiod. What happens to it when the lights are out doesnt matter. There's nothing wrong with adding an airstone at night, as long as co2 levels are back up to normal when the lights come on. That is why most people start co2 an hour or two before the lights, at which point obviously the airstone should be off.


I agree with burr740.


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## larusaquarium (Feb 21, 2015)

Well, whatever it is I'm done with co2 personally. At least on my discus tank. I've had nothing but continuous problems and countless headaches ever since I start injecting co2. 
Don't get me wrong, I'm a very patient person. But the cost of growing plants is algae and my fish are constantly stressed sitting on the bottom of the tank it's not worth it for me. 
I got the fish before co2 setup and fish are more important to me compared to plant growth. 
There are many hobbyist out there who have great success with co2 and balancing the tank parameters. Well, for me my tank at the moment is in perfect balance without any co2. My plants also grow well without any pressurized co2. I use flourish excel every other day and all my fish and plants are happy. On the plus side now I have to do trimmings every other week compared to every 5 days when I had co2 injecting.


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## nova777 (Jul 27, 2014)

Hey All,
I'ld like to thank everyone for posting.Regarding the airstone,it only
comes on after the photo period ends,then turns off 2 hours before photo period 
resumes.The co2 turns on an hour before the photo begins and turns off half an
hour before the photo period ends.
Yesterday I took out the Bhudda Temple and immersed it warm water and bleach
solution,then scrubbed with a toothbrush.Today I removed the surviving Anubias
from the Faux Wood and treated it the same way.I removed any leaves that I could
see algae on and put Anubias back in the tank.Over half of the Anubias have died.
For now I'll leave the structures out of the tank as I have to continue working on
it tomorrow.
Cheers,David


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## larusaquarium (Feb 21, 2015)

I completely irradiated BBA with stopping co2 cold turkey and one dose of flourish excel every day for 6.5 days. I love how BBA turn black to pink to white then disappear. It took me 6 and a half days total to completely get rid of this nasty algae. 
Since then I've added 3 flying foxes (SAE was unavailable at LFS)to help destroy any new algae formations. Also switched to RO DI water. Now that I'm in total control of tds algae is so easy to manage. 
FYI: do more research on stopping co2 cold turkey. This method might not be for everyone. I did it because I was suffocating my discus and they were very unhappy with co2 being injected to the tank.


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## nova777 (Jul 27, 2014)

Hey Larusaquarium,thanks for posting.
I'm willing to give your method a try,I'm slowly watching the plants 
in my tank die.At this point I have nothing to lose and am willing
to give it a go.I just called a LFS that carries Excell and will pick up 
some today.When I turn off the co2 and start dosing with excel,
should I stop dosing with liquid ferts?I will of course do more research,
but any suggestions or tips you could give me now could make a big
difference.
Cheers,David


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## nova777 (Jul 27, 2014)

*Maintenance*

Hey All,
Today,I did a 50% waterchange,3 days after one-two punch
treatment.I took my filter apart and cleaned it best I could.Then I took 
a razor blade and carefully cleaned all of the insides of the tank.I gravel
vacced the substrate,much easier to do with the structures removed.I have to say that the remaining plants do not look well.I am continueing with co2,micro and macro ferts and a 7 hour photo period.The fish are doing 
OK and 3 fry survived the one-two punch treatment.I realize that without
plant growth the algae will prevail.If there's anything else I can do,please feel free to post.
Cheers,David


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## lee739 (Oct 12, 2014)

larusaquarium said:


> I completely irradiated BBA with stopping co2 cold turkey and one dose of flourish excel every day for 6.5 days. I love how BBA turn black to pink to white then disappear. It took me 6 and a half days total to completely get rid of this nasty algae.
> Since then I've added 3 flying foxes (SAE was unavailable at LFS)to help destroy any new algae formations. Also switched to RO DI water. Now that I'm in total control of tds algae is so easy to manage.
> FYI: do more research on stopping co2 cold turkey. This method might not be for everyone. I did it because I was suffocating my discus and they were very unhappy with co2 being injected to the tank.


I've heard of this - BBA likes CO2 as much as our plants, fluctuating CO2 seems to be one of the factors that let it get out of control, amongst many others.... Even without excel cutting CO2 can do it.


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## nova777 (Jul 27, 2014)

Thanks for posting lee739
Alrtight,let's give co2 coldturkey method a go,I have
little to lose at this point.I do have excel,which I dosed today,per instruction.
5ml per 10Gal.My tank is 29Gal,so 15ml.So I will continue to dose daily and 
will post back here.Thanks again for all the help.
Cheers,David


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## dzega (Apr 22, 2013)

i induced BBA over last 5days while i was away for holidays. what i did was i removed circulation pump and boosted light a bit, also tank didnt get fert and excel(i dose it exclusively for BBA purpose) during these days. the tank had protein film on surface so no gas exchange there(low o2 id say)
so the logic says do the exact oposit to fight it 
oh and i dont buy that fluctuating co2 thing. my co2 is superstable the whole time. PH fluctuates ~0.1 units durin photoperiod. and this tank has always been BBA susceptible unlike low techs i have


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## cobra (Feb 4, 2005)

Here's a method I use to control BBA:

When I do water changes (water level being low), I take a small foam paint brush and saturate it with Metrocide 14 (undiluted). I brush the areas with BBA (tends to grow on my manzanita branches) both above and below the water level. In a few days the BBA growth is gone. I do this routine once every two to three weeks. Keeps the BBA at bay.

My tank is a low light, hi-tech set-up, with inert substrate (ADA Congo sand).

I think that BBA is one of those algae where one really manages it versus forever controlling it. In a variety of different setups/locations this has been my experience anyways.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

cobra said:


> Here's a method I use to control BBA:
> 
> When I do water changes (water level being low), I take a small foam paint brush and saturate it with Metrocide 14 (undiluted). I brush the areas with BBA (tends to grow on my manzanita branches) both above and below the water level. In a few days the BBA growth is gone. I do this routine once every two to three weeks. Keeps the BBA at bay.


Oh wow this is an interesting method. Do you do it underwater or always above during wc?


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Water changes... Lots of big water changes. And more fast growing plants to outcompete it for nutrients. 30-50% changes everyday for a month and Floated some "elodea densa". BBA on my driftwood vanished and has not returned for couple weeks now.


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## cobra (Feb 4, 2005)

Both,

When I hit the areas below the water line I just saturate the brush with the Metrocide and press or lightly brush the area into where BBA is sprouting. 

I keep a small measuring cup with the M14 at hand and just re-saturate the brush as needed as I go along. After a few hours you'll see the tell-tale sign of BBA die-off by the color change to red. In a day or two it's gone. 

But BB being the super tenacious algae that it is, will come back in time.

No worries, just hit it with the foam brush and forget about it for another two or three weeks. roud:


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Thanks cobra. Going to try that out soon.



Wilderman204 said:


> Water changes... Lots of big water changes. And more fast growing plants to outcompete it for nutrients. 30-50% changes everyday for a month and Floated some "elodea densa". BBA on my driftwood vanished and has not returned for couple weeks now.


Truth^^ I dont remember who said it, but on the Barr Report somebody made the statement if you change 10% water every day you will never have algae. After some spirited debate, several others confirmed it to be true after trying it out for a while. I can speak from experience that water changes are the ultimate weapon against almost anything. Ive never tried the 10% daily routine, but 30-50 percent two or three times a week will work miracles.


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## cobra (Feb 4, 2005)

burr740 said:


> Thanks cobra. Going to try that out soon.
> 
> 
> Truth^^ I dont remember who said it, but on the Barr Report somebody made the statement if you change 10% water every day you will never have algae. After some spirited debate, several others confirmed it to be true after trying it out for a while. I can speak from experience that water changes are the ultimate weapon against almost anything. Ive never tried the 10% daily routine, but 30-50 percent two or three times a week will work miracles.


You bet!

My personal philosophy is this: I would rather enjoy the tank from my couch with a nice Zynfandel in hand versus having to spend half of one of my weekend days doing a bunch of pruning and/or water changes (been there). 

This is why I keep a minimalistic aquascape with lower light levels.

Keeping lower light level plants (java fern, etc.), with pressurized CO2 is my method for keeping algae at bay versus having to constantly prune fast growing plants and associated water changes (I do 50-80% changes every 10-14 days). 

Some might call it a compromise, but I find my brush method to be far less work than pruning a ton of plants and doing frequent water changes.


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## lee739 (Oct 12, 2014)

10% per day.... I'd be happy to plumb in some piping so daily water changes would be an efficient process, I doubt the wife will come at the holes in the floor though....


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

If you can set up a drip system and an overflow, and drip in 10% a day algae would be a non issue. And you would never have to mess with water changes again! 

But you have to take your tap water into account. You don't want to be dripping chlorine or chloramine into the tank. If your water is treated you'll need an RO unit to filter out the water first. 

Or you might be able to add prime or another conditioner to the tank daily?...not sure about that?
But if your tap water is clean then It no prob.


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

The only things that helped me win my BBA mass takeover:
1. Get CO2 levels at a consistent level. I was using those disposable cartridges and they ran out every 3-4 days, and that didn't help it at all. 
2. Flow.... For some reason putting an extra powerhead in the tank and pointing it towards the plants, seemed to help. 
3. I cut my lighting time back dramatically 
4. AIR. During water changes, when I was having a massive issue with BBA, I'd remove water to the point where fish had an inch or so over them to swim, turn on an air stone, and leave the tank out in the air for 30-45 minutes. If you expose BBA to air, it turns pink pretty darn fast. And then it's a lot easier to kill too. And this goes for hair algae too. 
5. I did end up bleaching all of my stones and actually ripped out all my old gravel and replaced it. But this was only after I figured out how to stop it from growing more, and when it started to die back.

I went from this:









To this:









I have a few small tuffs of BBA forming on some of the rocks and the little teapot, along with some hair algae (cause I dialed back my CO2), but it's been dying back not only with the CO2 coming back up, but honestly exposing it to air, and increasing the current in the tank, has helped immensely. 

But for me raising the CO2 levels was not enough.


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