# Battling BBA. I have high CO2 and EI ferts. Do I have too much light?



## SirKappa (Apr 19, 2010)

I would definitely shorten the photoperiod down to 8 or 10 hours. I recently won a battle with BBA. I used regular recommended Excel dosing, upped my macros, added a few stems and shortened my photoperiod from 12+ to a steady 10 hours per day on a timer. The BBA slowly melted away every day until one day I woke up and there wasn't a trace of it left behind!!! 

This was only one battle, I haven't won the war yet. It's only been a few weeks. :hihi: Hope this helps!


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

Can you hang the fixture above the tank and raise it higher away from the water?


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## bobt2 (Dec 13, 2009)

as i just posted a few days ago, i found i had too many stem plants and they were sucking all the ferts up. i got rid of most stem plants and the algea started retreating. my slow growing plants are looking better too.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Fish gasp at the top when folks do not add enough current, and do not have plants etc also.

Respiration is BOTH O2(circulation/current, surface turnover) and CO2.
If you have low O2, then you cannot add nearly as much CO2, if you have very dense growth, then this also greatly reduces mixing and O2 levels below the plants.

This should make it much easier for you to manage without fish stress.
Reducing the light will also, but you do not need to do this at this intensity, it's fairly high, but I have a similar amount on a 120, 6" wider tank basically, and I bet I have more fish, but also more circulation.

So adding to what has been said, you should do this.
The small amount of CO2 loss from more flow/circulation will be greatly off set the higher O2. You can always adjust CO2 later. Get the O2 right and the flow, then see. You might also try 5 hours of 2x 55W and then the other 2 bulbs for the last 5 hours with no layover between the 2 banks of lights.

You can also place wire screen between the light and the tank to reduce the intensity. 8-10 hours is about all you need for a photo period.

Excel dosing will help.
Larger more frequent water changes also.

Depends on how fast you want to fix it.
Take care of the fish 1st though=> more current, enough just so the water surface does not break, keep plants well trimmed.

If you really have good CO2 and good O2, the plants should be growing really fast. the light is plenty and the nutrients are as well, so there's not much left.

CO2.......and it's not 10% as simple as many suggest.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

thank you Tom!


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## horseflesh (Oct 20, 2006)

First off thanks to everyone for the replies. I appreciate the effort. 

Looks like I will be doing--

1. Cut photoperiod. I'll try 9 hours instead of 12.
2. Increase circulation, but without breaking the surface. Right now the canister output does break the surface a bit. I have a powerhead in there too for a circular flow, but it's not very strong. I'll replace it. (low carpet type plants have never done well in the tank, so CO2 rich water must not be getting all over...)
3. Trim plants more

I'll add some Excel too, and keep up with the EI ferts/water changes. 

Tom, my CO2 is on a timer... should I switch to 24 hr bubbling? I haven't tried that yet but I know lots of people do it that way. Not sure the solenoid is made for that, I have to check.

(Regarding the lights, I am actually running each bank of 2 for half the photoperiod already, to balance bulb use.)


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## MarkMc (Apr 27, 2007)

With a tank of that size you need a higher number of power heads like 3-4 hydor nano's. They were on sale for $15 at DrsFostersandSmiths (looks like they are replacing that model with a new model and are closing them out). They work great-they move a good volume of water without too high of a pressure. Your fish will love the current too. No need to inject CO2 at night-try running an air stone at night (when CO2 is off) to up the O2 level.


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## horseflesh (Oct 20, 2006)

That looks like a great little pump, thanks for the tip! Still only $15 at the Drs.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Well 12 hours of high light doesn't usually work out to well in regards to algae. You would really have to be on top of your game and have all the other elements that would make that work including treating maintenance like religion.

How long has the tank been setup and what and how much is planted?


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## horseflesh (Oct 20, 2006)

The tank has been set up for years, but has only had plants and EI ferts and CO2 since January. (Well, it had plants a long time ago but I had cichlids and silver dollars for a couple of years so it was all eaten.)

These plants are doing OK. Some of the stem plants grow very well and may even pearl. But old growth is at risk of BBA.
# Elodea
# bronze wendtii 
# amazon sword 
# java fern
# Rotala nanjenshan 
# Ludwigia repens 
# Ludwigia repens x Ludwigia arctuata
# micro sword lilieopsis novae-zelandre
# Aromatica limnophila hippuroides
# green cabomba cabomba caroliniana

These plants just sat and grew not a millimeter for weeks and were eventually thrown out when they were covered with BBA or fuzz algae. But some of that was during the first month when CO2 levels were even more unstable.

# Dwarf hairgrass 
# Giant hairgrass 
# four leaf clover marsilea quadrifolia
# glossostigma sp.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

horseflesh said:


> The tank has been set up for years, but has only had plants and EI ferts and CO2 since January. (Well, it had plants a long time ago but I had cichlids and silver dollars for a couple of years so it was all eaten.)....sp.


Yeah, I mean that's the problem. You have this tank for years with heavy waste producers (lots of organics) and then you have the light on 12 hrs. Even with good co2 it's just not gonna work and the light is going to wreak havoc on all that. Any surface that's not growing fast is going to get bba, just a total hot bed for it. Plus alot of your plants lasted are slower growers. 

You don't need the second bank on for long for even the more demanding plants to grow. Even an hour or two should do it, but I would reduce the light cycle to 6/7 hrs until you get a handle on it and then increase to maybe 8 or 9 as mentioned.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

I will second the more surface agitation method. I believe I pump twice as much co2 in my tank (50+ ppm co2) because I have tons of surface agitation. My drop checker is ALWAYS yellow and my discus never mind. Yes surface agitation will force you to use more co2 but you can add even more because there is much more O2 in the water aswell.


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## JoraaÑ (Jun 29, 2009)

As Tom already answered the solution beside this is what I do.....I dose 75 ml of H202 in a week time in my 75 gal........just to keep Algae off the bay! I might be doing wrong by my plants are happy!


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## horseflesh (Oct 20, 2006)

Actually the big messy fish have been gone for quite a long time now--I didn't just pull them out. The tank was lightly stocked for about 6 months before I planted and started CO2. Not saying it might not be a factor, but it isn't like I took 5 lbs of fish out _yesterday_. 

bsmith, you're doing what Tom said--agitating the surface but not breaking it, yes?


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