# BBA: Which plants can be dipped in what?



## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

I have some stubborn BBA (black beard algae) that I want GONE. I'm working on long term solutions but my understanding is this one doesn't usually go away without encouragement. (new growth will stop when the correct balance is achieved but existing clumps won't usually go away on their own)

I'd read that H2O2 and Excel dips will kill it, but of course the right concentration is needed, and some plants won't tolerate one or the other. I want it off my plants but I don't want them killed. (hardscape is easier since you can't kill it!)

So the main question is: The worst-off plants are my Anubias (Nan and Petite) and _Alternanthera reineckii 'cardinalis'_. Those two are the most heavily infested, as they're not super fast growers (to put it mildly, in the case of Anubias)_. _ I have some on my Valisneria, Crypt Parva, and a leaf or two of Java fern, but those can all be trimmed easily and they'll grow back fast enough. I'd rather not hack my Anubias to death, in particular, since they're so slow to recover.

Will both/either of those tolerate a hydrogen peroxide dip? At what concentration, and for how long should they be in the dip?


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## MiSo (Oct 26, 2005)

I have some bba attached to plants that i can't remove from the tank, so i use H2O2 from a pipette and its enough to kill the bba. I dont think you need to dip it for that long.

i once misted my anubias (out the tank) with excel and ended up killing the leaves because i let it sit too long and didn't rinse quick enough. =/


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Yeah, it's stories like that make me want specifics.  Did you mist the excel full strength?

I'll have to get some pipettes. I have a number of syringes (needle-less, of course) that I use for various things, but manipulating that can be a bit of a PITA when you need precise aim.


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Kman, 

It seems like you have multiple tanks, do they all use co2 and high light? If not, and if large enough, just dump the anubias over to the non co2, low light tank -- the spec V maybe? Plantbrain has constantly said he managed to eliminate bba from a plant by just putting it in a non co2 low light tank. I've moved some of my bba infested java fern windelov over to my goldfish tank and it seemed to have helped quite a bit. Still waiting on the final outcome, but it definitely looks a bit better. It's been a week, and at some point, I plan to move it back.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

Do NOT go with a 100% H2O2 dip. 

I'm still trying to find a solution for removing BBA from cyperus in a low light tank with sensitive moss. H2O2 from a syringe is not enough and I can't use Excel.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

ipkiss said:


> Kman,
> 
> It seems like you have multiple tanks, do they all use co2 and high light? If not, and if large enough, just dump the anubias over to the non co2, low light tank -- the spec V maybe? Plantbrain has constantly said he managed to eliminate bba from a plant by just putting it in a non co2 low light tank. I've moved some of my bba infested java fern windelov over to my goldfish tank and it seemed to have helped quite a bit. Still waiting on the final outcome, but it definitely looks a bit better. It's been a week, and at some point, I plan to move it back.


I have multiple tanks, but the others are all MUCH smaller and don't have room to dump a bunch of Anubias in them. I also don't want to risk introducing ANYTHING with BBA into the other tanks! But equally important, the other 2 pico tanks are at the office in a very visible area, so they have to be maintained in "lobby-worthy" condition, so I can't just toss things into them. (The Spec V might physically have enough room, but I don't want anything to happen to my shrimp, and it's still newly setup and getting settled in, not mature... plus, yeah, very visible)

Interesting idea, though. I'm a little tempted to set up my 2.5 gal hospital tank in the garage (since temps don't matter with only plants, and it keeps it out of my wife's wrath in terms of household clutter!) and give it a shot. That would work for the Anubias (at least, the ones that aren't firmly rooted onto my wood branch), but not the AR.


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## MiSo (Oct 26, 2005)

kman said:


> Yeah, it's stories like that make me want specifics.  Did you mist the excel full strength?


no dilution. i left it for as long as it took me to do a water change, maybe 10-15 minutes. ALL the leaves turned yellow. luckily, the plant sprouted new leaves and recovered.


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## Ben125 (Dec 16, 2014)

My reineckii lost some of its color from H2O2. Anubias was totally fine.

On a side note, H2O2 works really well on BBA. Before you dip them just spray them down underwater. I have heard bad things from people that dipped.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Ben125 said:


> My reineckii lost some of its color from H2O2. Anubias was totally fine.
> 
> On a side note, H2O2 works really well on BBA. Before you dip them just spray them down underwater. I have heard bad things from people that dipped.


How did you apply the h2o2, for how long, and at what concentration?


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## limz_777 (Jun 29, 2005)

i add 3% h202 ( a few drops ) in a separate container fill with water and anubias var golden , left it for a week , i did added some algexit too, quite potent i would say , leaves start turning yellow


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