# BBA returning after one-two punch? photos



## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

I did a one-two punch on January 8 and it worked miracles. I did remove shrimp and rummy noses, but is this the beginnings of BBA coming back? It's worst on my anubias. Here is the info on my tank:

56 gallon, has been set up for 6 years
among the livestock are 5 otocinclus, 6 amano shrimp and a nerite snail.
eco-complete substrate
kept at 78*, eheim 2217 filter, finnex 24/7 planted light set on the 24/7 mode.
Dosing excel daily and flourish comprehensive 1x a week at recommended levels.

I know I need to limit the lighting period which I imagine involves setting up a timer and not using the automatic mode any more  What lighting period at what level would you all recommend?

If there is another solution besides changing the lighting period I would love to hear it as I am really liking the 24/7 mode on this light.

What else should I change? Thank you so much!


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## nel (Jan 23, 2016)

The one-two punch method generally doesn't solve the problem, but destroys the results. I've used it after neglecting the tank for some time. So you can't just use one-two punch method and hope algae won't come back, you have to change something. 
What are your parameters? Complete stocking? Water change routine?
Flourish comprehensive and excel are not feeding your plants with macros, so that might be a problem too.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

nel said:


> The one-two punch method generally doesn't solve the problem, but destroys the results. I've used it after neglecting the tank for some time. So you can't just use one-two punch method and hope algae won't come back, you have to change something.
> What are your parameters? Complete stocking? Water change routine?
> Flourish comprehensive and excel are not feeding your plants with macros, so that might be a problem too.


Thank you for your response!

The tank is 76% stocked according to Aqua advisor
I change 50% of the water every 2-3 weeks (i'm due for one now)
right now my parameters are:

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20
pH 7.2

What is a good macro fertilizer? I use the seachem products just because I am lazy- the first crop of BBA appeared when I really slacked off on fertilizing and I also happened to switch out my light fixture from t-5s about 8 months ago.


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## nel (Jan 23, 2016)

With low stocking Comprehensive won't give enough macros. If you want to stay with Seachem, they have Flourish Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Potassium, but in a long run dry ferts will be much cheaper. 
I would go with more regular water changes 20-30% every week. The best thing for our tanks is regularity. So no big water changes now and then, small regular ones.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

Thank you! I did use dry ferts once upon a time, but like I said...lazy. LOL. So I don't mind picking up the ready-made stuff. 

Do you think that is all I need to change? That and smaller more frequent water changes? I can leave my lighting alone?


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## JusticeBeaver (Oct 28, 2017)

I think there's some chlorosis on some of your leaves. That's a sign that you're missing out on either magnesium or possibly magnesium. BBA tends to take over if your plants aren't doing super well. You could 1-2 punch it out while sorting out your nutrient deficiency so it doesn't come back.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

JusticeBeaver said:


> I think there's some chlorosis on some of your leaves. That's a sign that you're missing out on either magnesium or possibly magnesium. BBA tends to take over if your plants aren't doing super well. You could 1-2 punch it out while sorting out your nutrient deficiency so it doesn't come back.


Oh noooo, that was a job, LOL. Maybe I will just leave my rummies and my shrimp in there this time. They are 6 years old- probably close to kicking the bucket anyway. Last time I pulled out the giant bolbitis and the anubias and did a bleach dip but I'll just do the basic one-two punch this time around. Thanks for the tip on the magnesium!


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## JusticeBeaver (Oct 28, 2017)

junko said:


> Oh noooo, that was a job, LOL. Maybe I will just leave my rummies and my shrimp in there this time. They are 6 years old- probably close to kicking the bucket anyway. Last time I pulled out the giant bolbitis and the anubias and did a bleach dip but I'll just do the basic one-two punch this time around. Thanks for the tip on the magnesium!


Yeah I fought literally every form of algae in my tank when it was first set up. Since you're already dosing excel you could simply spot dose hydrogen peroxide at 1 ml per 2 gallons (half max dose to be safe for spot). Also since you're using 24/7 mode you could either decrease the intensity (I think you can do that, I just leave mine at max on a timer) or raise your light a couple of inches which should decrease algae as well.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

I probably will resort to a timer and use max setting, because the tank is so tall anyway (up to my shoulder) that the light would shine in our eyes while sitting down I think, if I raise it. My 29g has an older finnex LED and it's on a total of 8 hours a day and that seems to be working out all right, so I'll do the same with this fixture.

Thank you for the great advice!


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Some lazy ideas:

slip a screen between light and tank
buy premade ferts from nilocg - check out that all in one one
look into aquavitro line of ferts
get floaters
get the new 24/7 CC that allows you to adjust intensity


But at the end of the day, sometimes, you just gotta fit that little extra work for your hobby into your life schedule. Dry ferts aren't so hard if you make the solutions every 3-4 months and dose every day -- there's admittedly a decent amount of work figuring out what the dose is.. but I'd argue that's the case with switching to any ferts. You're already dosing excel daily, so what's pouring a little of an extra bottle? You can even make solutions with excel pre-loaded so when you dose, you dose the excel too. 

In all that you do, you're trying to achieve balance. Your new, cool light is decently stronger than your old one. More light means more food and co2 needed, so everything being told to you, including your own solution, is in the goal of recompensating, but you probably already know that. BBA is just the manifestation of the hard truth you have to face. How much work is your 24/7 mode worth to you?


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