# Excel or H2O2 diriectly on plants?



## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

I'd spot treat h2o2 with a syringe in the tank...there's a ton of threads already on it...


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

If you're definitely going to treat outside the tank, you could do a bleach, peroxide, or potassium pomegranate dip. I know that suggested bleach solution is 5%, and depending on how fragile the plant is, 30-120 seconds. The others you'll have to look into.

However, if possible, just getting a $2 syringe from a medical supply store (they're all over the place) and spot dosing the plants while still in the tank with Excel or H2O2 is a better bet. Certainly safer for the plants.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

the reason I don't want to spot treat is that there is too much BBA too deal with that way. It would take too much Excel or H2O2 to to spot treat everything. Since the plants are all on drift, its very easy to get them out of the tank. A Dip or wipe method is what I am looking for. If there are previous threads, I'd appreciate links to them.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Anubis and Java fern are both slow growers that are pretty tough structurally. What I've done with big java ferns rather than fight with BBA in tank on huge clumps (huge = barely fit in a 5g bucket) Is remove it from the tank and place it in a 5g bucket filled with my RO water adding 40ml of excel, placing an air stone in through a hole drilled in the bucket lid then put the lid on the bucket for a week.

The air stone is for water circulation because every time I've done a trim or left plants in aquarium water on the porch a heavy film forms and the water smells. The air stone completely eliminated that when I've done this.

It's a two pronged attack, more excel than I'll use in a tank along with black out conditions. (works :biggrin I'm on the third round doing this treatment. Three large plants and nothing on them when removed and rinsed but a few pale gray mush spots that rub right off. I have four java fern clumps that each one is almost a full third of a 75g tank by volume. Last one is in the bucket right now. The plants are almost three years old and yes I've let them get dirty from time to time.

Always more than one way to do almost anything. H2O2 burns the algae cell wall, bleach is bleach. Doing this I don't see hurting the plant and all the algae is gone.

Current plant, pic taken for the post.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

>wkndracer
Why do you cover the bucket? Seems like a week in a dark bucket would not be so good for the Java Fern? Is it to starve the algae from light, or to keep the excel from disipating, or ?


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

rhodesengr said:


> >wkndracer
> Why do you cover the bucket? Seems like a week in a dark bucket would not be so good for the Java Fern? Is it to starve the algae from light, or to keep the excel from disipating, or ?


Excel is reported to interact (breakdown) with both UV light and exposure to organics.
The bucket isn't dark without the lid on, (and it keeps the dog from drinking out of the bucket) LOL.

Blackout doesn't hurt the java at all.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

You can also just put the plants in a bag without water but moist for a week.
Hurts the algae far more than the plants.


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## Loligo (Jan 25, 2011)

Very cool, wkndracer. Good advice to keep in mind.


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## comatoast (Mar 11, 2009)

kevmo911 said:


> If you're definitely going to treat outside the tank, you could do a bleach, peroxide, or potassium pomegranate dip.


I wouldn't touch the bleach or peroxide, but a potassium _pomegranate_ sounds delicious.:hihi:


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

last night, I took the Anubis out and wiped it down with H2O2. As of this morning, some of the BBA turned red. We'll see how it goes. I will probably try the 3:1 Excel dilution wipe down on one of the two Java ferns.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

I would probably try to determine WHY you are having BBA outbreaks !!!!!

Get the Co2 consistant...

Here is a link that helped me when I had mine.

http://aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

>Jason
You are of course right and I am doing that as a separate effort. I am working on my CO2 levels and such but the fact remains I have plants covered in BBA that I want to clean.

As for the CO2, I have stopped cycling the CO2 with the lights, its just on 24/7 for now. I am not sure I believe my CO2 measurements. I took a reading of KH=7 and Ph=6.2 which indicates a CO2 level over 100ppm. I think the consensus on here is that BBA should not grow with CO2 that high yet there is no BBA shortage. I have been doing a 50% change about every 3 weeks and I am now thinking that is not enough based on how much BBA grows on the glass. I don't get much for the first two weeks and then I get a lot in the third week. I also discovered that my timer was turning the lights back on at midnight so I was probably getting too much light, etc. Anyway, we don't really have to discuss all that here. For this thread, I'd like to keep the focus on cleaning the plants outside the tank.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

rhodesengr said:


> I have been doing a 50% change about every 3 weeks


 
Every 3 weeks or every 3 days? I think you might have answered your question. You might have a build up of nutrients and the BBA is thriving. I would do 50% every 3 days UNTIL the BBA is gone, then you can do it once a week. I have found out the hard way that planted tanks need WC's as well.

This happened to me about a month ago. I chopped everything down, doesd excel, used prime UPED the Co2 and made sure I only lit the tank for 6hrs.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

it was every 3 weeks. Starting yesterday I will be changing once a week and using strict EI-light fert dsoing. I am also OD-ing Excel at 15 ml per 26 gallons. hard to tell where the CO2 is but my drop checker is green so I should have enough. I cleaned non living things like my power head, the heater and the pump tubes with bleach sloution. There is still some BBA on the plants. I'll see how things go for a few weeks. If I still have BBA I'll try more frequent WC. The fish don't seem to like 50% changes so I don't want to jump into 3 day changes. I also have some potassium permanganate coming and i may try dipping the plants to speed up the cleaning process.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

If you direct inject that 15ml daily on the BBA I can't believe you won't knock it out.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

well I have just been dumping it in since it seems that with two large Javas and one Anubis, there is two much area to spot treat. I can try squirting it near the Anubis at least. Just have to see how it goes for a few days.


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## they call me bruce (Feb 13, 2011)

Jason thanks for that link it was the best to date now i know i dont have bba its staghorn!!


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