# fighting BBA not working



## imisky (May 19, 2005)

hey guys, ive been fighting BBA for maybe 2 months now, the result just makes them grow faster. i dose properly and have my CO2 at around 30ppm.

ive posted before and did some research and now i think im going to try the fourish excel method, i got rid of my hair algae but the BBA just seemed to grow even more crazy.

so with the fourish method some people say that inverts will be killedhas anyone proven this??


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## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

im in the same boat. my BBA is always rampant and I have co2 at 45ppm+.

I just started adding Excel as well (only at each weekly water change though at full dose). Hopefully that works!


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## imisky (May 19, 2005)

im thinking about going the 2x method everyday for 14 days hopefully this will kill them before i have to spend more $$ on anymore fish that supposely eat BBA


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## joan (Apr 25, 2005)

I completely nuked the BBA in my tank with the Flourish Excel method. I dosed at 2.5x the recommended dosage everyday for about 2 weeks in a tank with amano, cherry and flower shrimp and there were no shrimp deaths. I did lose a zebra snail though, but it was newer and I'm not sure if it was the excel that did it in... it sure doesn't do anything to the pest snail population!


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## imisky (May 19, 2005)

ok all i needed to know was if they would kill my shrimps since i have some really expensive shrimps in my tank, expensive in canada i mean. so i wanted to keep them alive. so you guys think a 250ml bottle can cure a 15g?


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## vwboy53 (Mar 31, 2005)

Have any of you tried a phospate sponge? A manufacturer of aquarium products recommended doing this as well as stop any iron dosages, and I tried it and I almost have gotten rid of it. - just my 2 cents


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## imisky (May 19, 2005)

ive never hard of a phosphate sponge... :icon_conf but maybe thats just me. i can get my hands on excel easier probably so ill give that a try first if it doenst work then ill move onto that


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## bgssamson (Mar 16, 2004)

I have been battling algae (cyanobacteria, Hair Algae & BBA) for 3 months & just this week it is now 98% clean/gone. This is just my experience and may differ from tank to tank. I don't know which one did work but here's the process.

This is what I did:

- Took out all the leaves/plants that is most affected with algae
- Added Nerite snails & Amano Shrimps
- A full dosage of flourish excell (after water change) then half every day.
- Make sure that CO2 is working or bubbling. (I use DYI Nutrafin CO2)
- Maintain a Nitrate of 20 ppm
- Phosphate at 1 ppm
- Dosage of CSM-B every other day
- Lights on for just 10 Hrs. (*used to be 12 hrs.*)

note:
Like I said, this PROCESS work in my algae problem with my tank "IT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU".

-Brian


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

Crank up the co2 to 45 or so...just get it high enough that the fish and shrimp don't die...look for gasping, etc...then back down your bubble count. Adding high co2 won't kill bba, but it will limit its growth in my experience. You still have to go in there and prune and pick what you see. If its on your equipment, a bleach dip will kill that. Clean your filter too.


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## Bert H (Dec 15, 2003)

As much a PITA as they may be at other times, I can vouch for the effectiveness of sae's. I went on vacation for 2 weeks and accidentally left my filter unplugged in one of my 10 gal tanks. The filter is my CO2 reactor as well, so no CO2 was in the tank for 2 weeks. When I returned I had bba growing on the gravel, and some anubias leaves. I moved an sae from another tank to this tank. Within 2 days I couldn't find any trace of bba. Of course it also decimated my Taiwan moss, but that I can grow back. I'll never badmouth an sae again!


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## JeffB (May 5, 2005)

I had BBA starting to grow in my tank. Within 3 days of dosing Excel at 2x strenth all the BBA turned RED [DIE BBA DIE]. I will contine dosing for 10 days to ensure all the BBA is gone  .


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## jmelnek (Dec 20, 2004)

BBA has completely engulfed my large wood centerpiece. How do I clean that? I really do not want to take it out...

Thanks,

Josh


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Cleaning the tank good is the best safest and cheapest method.
Then re set youtr CO2 and make sure it's goiod and stays that way. BBA does not start unless the CO2 was previously bad.

Your testing might be bad also...........

Most folks test after the fact and miss the cause.....

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## ikjafri (Jul 18, 2005)

I suppose all you guys use Tom Barr's EI. How are we doinf with Amano's and Rainbows....whats is your kH and pH at.


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## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

i think it was you that asked this in the other post too... but:

I have 20 Amano's & 6 Rainbows, with a KH of 3, pH of 6-6.2, co2 of ~50ppm.

EI method.


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## ikjafri (Jul 18, 2005)

Thank you for your response, it was who asked as I have following EI but am pretty nervous on putting rainbows and Amano's as I have heard several of my friends stating that rainbows and Amano's tend to die. I have about 20 Amano's and 16 rainbows in a different tank and want to put them in my main planted tank. I have a 55G am following EI pretty religously but am having problems with hair algae, which I suppose most of the folks here are having. My Kh is 5 and pH is 6.7 which puts me a co2 level of 30ppm. Thnaks in advance for any suggestions.


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