# Surefire bba method *IMPRESSED ME*



## chevyguy86 (Nov 12, 2011)

I have been reading a lot on here regarding BBA and H202 (Hydrogen Peroxide) so I decided to go to my local drug store and grab a couple of bottles and try this out for myself. I had results with the driftwood and the return nozzle on my filter with the 3% stuff, but not the results I was ultimatly looking for based on this video that I found on you tube. (And because I hate manual labour and scrubbing) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b6xPlasgY8&feature=related

I found the results in this video to be astounding. HOWEVER like Tim Taylor...NEED MORE POWER **GRUNT GRUNT GRUNT**

So i did some research and looked for the 30% like the video, however I could not locate 30% H202, however I did manage to find 35% H202 from an online hydroponics chemist type a deal, located in Ontario Canada, I purchased a 500ml bottle and ran my own experiments. I will post pictures and video later on. However I waited for the wife to go to bed (less trouble this way) I now have a piece of driftwood soaking in my kitchen sink in which I spot treated with the 35% H202 STRAIGHT not mixed, and so far I am impressed, the wood started to fizzle right away and I could see the stubborn BBA almost MELT away like a fine brick o' cheese in the microwave. I have done half of the "log" tonight, and I like I said above I will post pictures of the before and after and maybe a video of the experiment on the other half the log or some other random piece from the tank.

The warnings that where in the box where somewhat intimidating along with the extremely careful packaging and rubber gloves, and recommendation for a face shield. One of the interesting warning was:
Kills Micro-organisms 5000x faster then liquid chlorine (potential hot tub use??)

Stay Tuned for results


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## 1aqumfish (Apr 19, 2009)

Just be careful with H202 (Hydrogen Peroxide) satellite rockets and torpedoes motors run with this reaction. Just pass it through a metal screen and watch out. I think steel wool is dangerous with it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_MPU2mg8CA&feature=related


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

I've found that even 3% H202 does a fine job at getting rid of not only surface algae on rocks but also BBA. It's very universal stuff.


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## sublimescorpio (Nov 6, 2011)

...Would it kill plant leaves if the bba is on a plant, ya think?


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

sublimescorpio said:


> ...Would it kill plant leaves if the bba is on a plant, ya think?


I know it kills HC if you spot treat BBA on the leaves. I trim monthly so I don't have much algae issues associated with plant leaves.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

The 30% stuff you can buy at any hair salon supply store too.

However, that's some powerful stuff and wouldnt treat anything that was living (like anubias, stem plants, etc)


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## mcqueenesq (Aug 29, 2011)

Is it safe for the fauna to directly treat the algae in the tank?


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

mcqueenesq said:


> Is it safe for the fauna to directly treat the algae in the tank?


As long as you don't directly hit them with it it's fine.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

FYI, even 3% H202 can kill plants and leaves. That's why I don't use it anymore. I only use Excel for spot treatments.


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## DanCottle (Apr 12, 2011)

Just don't squirt your self in the eye. If you get it on your skin its not a big deal if you wash it off quickly.


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## chevyguy86 (Nov 12, 2011)

I only plan using it on driftwood, and non living items outside of the tank, I am going to do my heater next. The 3% that I got was not really doing anything to my driftwood, I have been spot dosing excel but that does't seem to be doing much either.


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## chevyguy86 (Nov 12, 2011)

DanCottle said:


> Just don't squirt your self in the eye. If you get it on your skin its not a big deal if you wash it off quickly.


When i did it I had on a clear plastic face shield and rubber gloves. I saw a youtube video with someone pouring this stuff on their hands, and after 36 hours their hand was dry white and crusty, but a day after that it was normal again. I didn't realize how versatile this stuff was and how many good uses it has.


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

I literally just did this a 1/2 hour ago. It certainly did react. Decided to try h2o2 because my BBA scoffs at excel. I used 50mL in my 46 for the first spot treatment. Will have to see if it dies.


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## DanCottle (Apr 12, 2011)

chevyguy86 said:


> When i did it I had on a clear plastic face shield and rubber gloves. I saw a youtube video with someone pouring this stuff on their hands, and after 36 hours their hand was dry white and crusty, but a day after that it was normal again. I didn't realize how versatile this stuff was and how many good uses it has.


I use the stuff on a daily basis at my families greenhouse so i occasionally get some on me without knowing. I feel the burning and see white and i just rub it off and its fine right after.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

chevyguy86 said:


> I only plan using it on driftwood, and non living items outside of the tank, I am going to do my heater next. The 3% that I got was not really doing anything to my driftwood, I have been spot dosing excel but that does't seem to be doing much either.



I think spot treatment works best when your water level is really, really low. Otherwise, the solution would just run off.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

chevyguy86 said:


> I only plan using it on driftwood, and non living items outside of the tank, I am going to do my heater next. The 3% that I got was not really doing anything to my driftwood, I have been spot dosing excel but that does't seem to be doing much either.


You should shut off all the filters/circulation in the tank for about 30 minutes to let the Excel/H2O2 do its thing. Hope that helps.


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## chevyguy86 (Nov 12, 2011)

Here is where I purchased this product from for Canadian's who are looking for this product.

http://www.sproutmaster.com/peroxide.html


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

If you focus on growing plants well, add algae eaters etc, then such stuff is RARELY ever needed/used. I have not bleached, chem treated a plant in many years. I might spray or scrub a little BBA or algae off a rock or wood perhaps, or off a diffuser........but even that is a rare event.

I think the focus should be towards the plants, not algae cures. To root out any algae, attack it fast and correct the plant growth issue, then the algae is mostly only on the non living materials which can handle all/any sort of the chemical treatments.


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

I 100% agree with that Tom. I just don't know why I have the BBA that I do. Everything I've read says low and inconsistent co2 is the reason for BBA thriving. I have neither low nor inconsistent co2. Its on 24/7 and my drop checker is always green. H2o2 is worth a shot I guess.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

I have found there are two issues regarding algae.

1. *Prevention*: Creating an environment that encourages plant growth which, in turn, discourages algae growth. This is what Tom is talking about, and I have seen it work in my own tanks. As long as the plants are getting everything they need, they flourish, and algae isn't an issue.

2. *Eradication*: However, when algae _is_ an issue, getting rid of it is a separate problem. Even when you correct the problem that allowed the algae to get a foothold in the tank, that does not always kill the existing algae already in the tank. This is where methods such as H2O2 and Excel come in handy.

While 30% H2O2 can certainly do the trick, it begs the question of why bother if it's only going to be used on items that are removed from the tank when there are so many other out-of-tank methods that are equally as successful and generally do not require anything special be purchased.

For example, rocks and any hardscaping can easily be bleached to kill algae (be sure to use the original bleach and not the new fandangle scented stuff). Other people use heat in the form of boiling water or even baking in the oven (one way to sterilize sand, for example). And then there is the basic 3% H2O2 which _does_ work; it just takes a little longer. So you might not see the algae die right before your eyes in one sitting, but it does die.

What's much harder are in-tank methods of killing algae. Not only do we not want to kill the plants and fish, but care must be given to not kill the beneficial bacteria either. This is where 3% H2O2 and Excel... well... excels! Both methods successfully kills many different kinds of algae without harming the tank (with a few exceptions).

The main drawback of using 3% H2O2 or Excel in an in-tank method is that you must be both, patient and persistent. You can only spot treat so much at a time which means you have to perform many spot treatments over the course of several days before you can get to all the algae. Further, the algae doesn't die right in front of you so you have to wait a day or two before you can actually see the results of your efforts. However, if you are willing to be patient and persistent, the algae can be eradicated this way.

On the other hand, the main benefit of using 3% H202 or Excel in an in-tank method is that you truly do treat the entire tank. Even though you are spot treating the worst areas, the H2O2 or Excel still disperses throughout the entire tank, including even the filters. This is great for getting _all_ the algae.

In fact, one of my favorite methods of algae treatment is to combine spot treatment with full-tank treatment. What this means is I use enough H2O2 to treat the entire tank, but apply it in the worst spots. This hits the worst areas the hardest, but also makes sure it hits all the algae everywhere once I fire up the filters. I especially like using 3% H2O2 for this because I can do it more than once a day since it breaks down to nothing more than water and oxygen. Plus, it's cheap.

So there are two main issues regarding algae. First, you have to correct whatever imbalance you have that's allowing the algae to grow. You'll know when you're making success in that area because the algae will stop spreading. But then you have to kill out the existing algae which will sometimes require using H2O2 or Excel.

You can certainly use stronger concentrations of H2O2, but the main question is why would you want to go to so much trouble when you most likely already have what you need in your house right now.


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

Good stuff. What is the max ml per gallon of tank water for H2O2 spot treatment? I've gone 1.5 ml per gallon. Is this too little? Is there a point where it will start to have ill effects?


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Check this out: http://www.gpodio.com/h2o2.asp
Personally I've done upto 3 ml per gallon for the full tank and followed with a water change right after 30 minutes. No ill affect on my fish or plants and it killed most of the bba in the tank. I also removed the the media from my filters and kept them running to circulate the H2O2 throughout the tank as well.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

And I've got up to 4ml per gallon, but that was on a cichlid tank without live plants; however, the person who suggested that I could go that high had used it on his planted tanks. I think a lot of people have used 3ml per gallon on planted tanks without any problems so I'd say that is definitely safe.

There are a few plants known to be sensitive. I think vals, hornwort, and anacharis are the main ones. I've used H2O2 with shrimp and fry without any problems. Vals will grow back, similar to how crypt leaves melt but grow back. Hornwort and anacharis aren't usually desired long term anyway so most people either don't have them or don't mind replacing them.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Monster Fish said:


> Check this out: http://www.gpodio.com/h2o2.asp
> Personally I've done upto 3 ml per gallon for the full tank and followed with a water change right after 30 minutes. No ill affect on my fish or plants and it killed most of the bba in the tank. I also removed the the media from my filters and kept them running to circulate the H2O2 throughout the tank as well.


 
This is dosing directly into the tanks water? I am assuming 3%? I have been combatting some BBA, my CO2 and dosing is fine and it has defintely slowed / halted what I have, just want to get ride of what little is left!!


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## chevyguy86 (Nov 12, 2011)

this was the driftwood that I got for free that had BBA on it, I only did half at a time, you can see at the thickest part the algae is really bad.










now on this one, I just did the 35% H202 very lightly and after 30 minutes I pulled it out of the water rinsed it, and it cleared up pretty good 1 or 2 more treatments should get rid of the rest










I understand that the problem is not getting rid of the algae it's to determine how to prevent it, but when you are given driftwood from someone and it has algae already on it, the best effort is to get rid of it, before introducing it into the tank.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

NWA-Planted said:


> This is dosing directly into the tanks water? I am assuming 3%? I have been combatting some BBA, my CO2 and dosing is fine and it has defintely slowed / halted what I have, just want to get ride of what little is left!!


Yes, dose the 3% directly into the water.

What I prefer is to squirt it directly onto the worst areas while the lights and filters are off, wait about 15 minutes, and then turn the lights and filters back on. That combines the "spot treatment" method with the "full tank" method which I find works really well.

To spot treat an area, you can get a syringe (like the kind used for medicines, but no needle). Something like this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EEp2at0ZL._SS500_.jpg This makes it easy to squirt the H2O2 directly onto the algae. You can get larger syringes if you have a big tank and you can add regular air hose tubing to the tip to make it easier to reach different places. If your syringe can't hold all the H2O2 you're dosing at one time, just refill it until you've used up the H2O2. Just be sure to measure out the total amount of H2O2 you're dosing so you don't overdose.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Complexity said:


> Yes, dose the 3% directly into the water.
> 
> What I prefer is to squirt it directly onto the worst areas while the lights and filters are off, wait about 15 minutes, and then turn the lights and filters back on. That combines the "spot treatment" method with the "full tank" method which I find works really well.
> 
> To spot treat an area, you can get a syringe (like the kind used for medicines, but no needle). Something like this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EEp2at0ZL._SS500_.jpg This makes it easy to squirt the H2O2 directly onto the algae. You can get larger syringes if you have a big tank and you can add regular air hose tubing to the tip to make it easier to reach different places. If your syringe can't hold all the H2O2 you're dosing at one time, just refill it until you've used up the H2O2. Just be sure to measure out the total amount of H2O2 you're dosing so you don't overdose.


Awesome, have to give this a try, thank you!!


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

You're welcome! Good luck with it. You should see oxygen bubbling when you do the treatment, and the treated BBA will usually turn a different color by the next day (many people report it turns bright red or pink, but I've had it just turn a yucky gray). Any color change means it's working.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

A spray bottle and large water change, maybe 80% etc........usign Peroxide of Excel..........this will kill anything on non live material, but really, the root and the end of this cycle is good CO2 use.

Does not matter what the heck the silly drop checkers, say...or the pH/KH chart....or anything.......except nice lush plant growth.

Then you can at least grow your way out the algae.

Also, a dipped leaf is not much value to the plant, they simply grow new ones(hence the focus on good plant growth) and they old ones are ratty holely sad looking leaves. I chop them off.

I'll leave algae infested leaves till I fixture the plant growth problem 1st!!

Only then, is any labor attacking algae worth your efforts.
Otherwise it just comes back and sorry ratty leaves? Algae just loves them.
and your plant growth issue? It's still there.

So focus on plants, I prune my way out of every algae issue.
things that are non living, spray, dip, scrub, finger nails, toothbrush, whatever it takes etc.

Once the growth issue is resolved.......then attack without mercy, add lots of algae eaters.........etc.

You need an integrated management method, NOT A SILVER BULLET.
You can put that piece of advice in your pipe and smoke it.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

plantbrain said:


> A spray bottle and large water change, maybe 80% etc........usign Peroxide of Excel..........this will kill anything on non live material, but really, the root and the end of this cycle is good CO2 use.
> 
> Does not matter what the heck the silly drop checkers, say...or the pH/KH chart....or anything.......except nice lush plant growth.
> 
> ...


 
My plant growth is absurdly good, and the only area I still seem to have any BBA algea on as far as plants is the lower leaves on my ludwigia. My CO2 is constant and is pretty much perfect and I follow a regular fert dosing regime, like I said, not a whole lot of new growth on the algea. Just the little bit that is left is proving to be very stubborn


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> My plant growth is absurdly good, and the only area I still seem to have any BBA algea on as far as plants is the lower leaves on my ludwigia. My CO2 is constant and is pretty much perfect and I follow a regular fert dosing regime, like I said, not a whole lot of new growth on the algea. Just the little bit that is left is proving to be very stubborn


^ This is me also.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

5BodyBlade said:


> ^ This is me also.


Exposing your dissociative identity disorder? :hihi:


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

Complexity said:


> Exposing your dissociative identity disorder? :hihi:


Hoping for some free group therapy.roud:


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

5BodyBlade said:


> Hoping for some free group therapy.roud:


Oh, hell, I thought that's what our tanks were for. Therapy! :hihi:


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

BTW just a small update, the hydrogen preoxide dosed directly onto the affect areas in the tank works great! HOWEVER.... jungle vals do not appear to be very tolerant of it..... I dosed about 2ml per gallon. Currently my vals look rather wilted and weak.... had to pull one completely today sooo hopefully they recover >.<


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> BTW just a small update, the hydrogen preoxide dosed directly onto the affect areas in the tank works great! HOWEVER.... jungle vals do not appear to be very tolerant of it..... I dosed about 2ml per gallon. Currently my vals look rather wilted and weak.... had to pull one completely today sooo hopefully they recover >.<


My BBA is also MIA with some vals KIA. < Huh...Huh. Don't worry. A few leaves died, but in general they are all healthy.


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

H2O2 becomes a stronger oxidant at low pH.

Try spraying your driftwood with vinegar, then with H2O2. Wait a few minutes then repeat as needed. Works for me when I need a little more "oomph" out of common 3% H2O2.

But note that BBA roots can go deep in driftwood, and although you're removing the visible part, it may regrow. Boiling does a better job there.


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