# Keeping BBA off Anubias



## Higher Thinking (Mar 16, 2011)

I don't know why the tank size removes the excel option, but you can still spot treat with excel or hydrogen peroxide with a baster. Increase flow and co2 levels.


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## jfynyson (Apr 15, 2013)

Spot treatments w/ H202 during water changes either in tank or with water level below the plants (so treating above water). Can these anubias not be removed from then tank for treatments ?

Finally, as usual need to determine root cause & prevent. It took me a while but consistent higher levels of CO2, good plant growth & ferts did the trick for good. I do notice some very minor GSA on my anubias but only for older leaves and that's to be expected considering they are sitting in about 200 PAR (I have about 100+PAR at substrate & they are considerably higher than that attached to driftwood & rocks.)

Best of luck


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## Jeffww (Aug 6, 2010)

Well for the excel treatment just using 1ml to spray would cover little area and would quickly OD the tank. In comparison to a larger tank which can handle say up to 10ml. 

The issue I have is that the tank ONLY has anubias and no other stem plants. Even in the lowest of light the bba slowly encroaches on the highest leaves.


I haven't really tried stepping up all the way to high tech levels of CO2 though. I was trying to keep things ~med light and light CO2.


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

I don't like or recommend Excel, I don't trust the stuff. There is a small group here that feels it kills plants from personal experience.

I use H2O2 either as a spray with 1 min dwell time for Anubias or as an underwater spot treatment. Underwater applied with a syringe to the area and not to exceed 10mg per ga. per treatment day.

I'm keeping a lot of anubias now. If there's a secret I think it's pristine water quality and water flow.


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## majorwoo (Dec 25, 2012)

Excel melted my Anubis both times I tried it, and I've heard of others having the same problem. Even when using a 1/2 strength dose it caused all the leaves to fall off within days.

I've read all kinds of stuff, some saying it wasn't the excel but the fact that I wasn't' dosing daily and then added it that caused it - but I'm pretty sure the excel was involved in the problem so be careful.


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## NYCaqua (Dec 26, 2013)

I have a tank with a bunch of anubias and they never melted away with excel and i been dosing it for years with it on the other tanks that have had anubias. If i ever find any spec of bba i would just take it out and scrape it off very slightly with the tip of my fingernail. Usually takes it away fairly easy. I find that medium light, heavy dosing, strong filtration, and frequent water changes really help keep the bba under check.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

little CO2, bright lights usually cause BBA. A clean tank helps.


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## Aquatic Delight (Mar 2, 2012)

DogFish said:


> I'm keeping a lot of anubias now. If there's a secret I think it's pristine water quality and water flow.



i agree to an extent. you can have pristine water and good flow ( see my hillstream tank) and still battle bba on anubias.


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## cbachmann (Aug 6, 2013)

I have the opposite experience e of everyone else here. I've found that h2o2 kills inverts, while excel made all of my plants grow like gangbusters, not to mention killed of/ helped me plants outcompete all of the algae

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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

In my tanks I've had no issue with Amanio & Cherry shrimp or snail up to H2O2 @ 1ml per ga. spot doses.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Aquatic Delight said:


> i agree to an extent. you can have pristine water and good flow ( see my hillstream tank) and still battle bba on anubias.


BBa likes flow. It'll grow mostly where there is flow.


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## Aquatic Delight (Mar 2, 2012)

mistergreen said:


> BBa likes flow. It'll grow mostly where there is flow.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


oh! never knew that one. learn something new everyday.


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## Fletch (Mar 18, 2004)

Slight variation on H2O2 treatment: I tried spot treating BBA on my Anubias with 3% peroxide, but found it difficult to see if I actually hit the BBA when dribbling peroxide on a plant under water. So, now I fill an old empty nose spray bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide, and then add 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt. After a few minutes of shaking, you have a saturated salt solution in peroxide. When you dribble this on a spot of BBA, you can see the higher viscosity liquid and exactly where it dribbles. This has helped me kill BBA stuck on stems, and in crevasses of the rhizome. The salt is harmless to fish, and may possibly help the peroxide kill the algae. Unfortunately, BBA is like cancer. You can control it, but never totally get rid of it.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Dosing excel will get rid of it for sure, and for a 5g all you need is an initial 2.5ml dose, if I remember correctly. Its really no more or less harmful than dosing H2O2.


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## rstampa (Jan 29, 2017)

Excel has always burned my Anubias plants out of the water. When they finally recover from the Excel, the leaves are very small and never grow much bigger then a pea size. Nothing I try in the water seem to do much. But out of the water or when I do a water change works. HP is the only thing that works above the water line or out of the water. Make sure you let in sit for 15 min. before adding freshwater to your, tank.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I dont use anything full strength on them. I mix 1 part glut to 3 parts water and dip the affected leaves for 8-10 seconds. Then RIGHT back to the tank. Works perfectly. Takes 2 days or so for the BBA to die off. Now any time I see even the slightest amount of BBA on anubias or buce I take them out and dunk them. Strange thing is it ALWAYS boosts growth.


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

The Dude1 said:


> I dont use anything full strength on them. I mix 1 part glut to 3 parts water and dip the affected leaves for 8-10 seconds. Then RIGHT back to the tank. Works perfectly. Takes 2 days or so for the BBA to die off. Now any time I see even the slightest amount of BBA on anubias or buce I take them out and dunk them. Strange thing is it ALWAYS boosts growth.


This almost reads like you're mixing a 25% glut solution... extra strength 

I haven't had a problem spot dosing in tank or out of tank with h2o2 or metricide on anubias. I use both on different plants... but I've personally found that buce does NOT like h2o2.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Wobblebonk said:


> This almost reads like you're mixing a 25% glut solution... extra strength
> 
> I haven't had a problem spot dosing in tank or out of tank with h2o2 or metricide on anubias. I use both on different plants... but I've personally found that buce does NOT like h2o2.


60% of Americans think a 1/4 lb hamburger is larger than a 1/3 lb. I try to keep things in simple terms.


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