# BBA is really pissing me off.



## taniner (Aug 10, 2010)

What type of plants do they remain on? You can use a syringe and spot treat the bba with excel.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

taniner said:


> What type of plants do they remain on? You can use a syringe and spot treat the bba with excel.


The BBA has remained on bacopa carolina, rotala roundifolia, and sagittaria subulata. I've either cut all of these back or picked the BBA infected leaves off of the plants, but to my surprise it's starting to return. I've avoided dosing Excel only because of my RCS and Apple Snails.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Up your co2.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I have the same issue as you. I've tried everything. My CO2 is always 30+ppm.

Right now I'm running a UV sterilizer to hopefully kill any spores or break up any organic molecules that trigger the stuff. And added extra current since the UV is a in tank device.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> I have the same issue as you. I've tried everything. My CO2 is always 30+ppm.
> 
> Right now I'm running a UV sterilizer to hopefully kill any spores or break up any organic molecules that trigger the stuff.


According to the chart at the bottom of this page, my CO2 is 30 ppm is too. http://www.calaqualabs.com/Doublecheck2.html

I've been running a UV Sterilizer since I setup the tank six months ago. In fact, my tank looked better the first three months I owned it than it does now. One mistake I made was washing the Eco-complete in chlorinated tap water. I probably removed all of the nutrients with that dumb move.

What temperature do you keep your tank? Also, how many hours i your photoperiod?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

My temp is 76F. This algae isn't trigger by high light. It can grow in low light situations. I didn't have this problem in the beginning either.

I'm a medium/high light at 8 hours. The tank is almost overstocked. I sometimes wonder if it would be better if I'm lightly stocked.

Maybe extra current and a fresh UV might solve the problem for a bit.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

+2 on the excel treatment. I OD mine at a 2X recommended dose and it doesnt affect my apples or my shrimp at all. Ulplug filters and reduce water level 50%. Use a syringe to spot treat and let sit 15 minutes. Refill and plug in and enjoy.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I currently have a 7 hour photoperiod and my temp is 78F. I too am a little overstocked. What species of fish do you have and how many? What size is your tank?

Do you happen to know if hydrogen peroxide kills BBA. I'm trying to kill the BBA on a few decorative rocks and I haven't had much luck with washing them in chlorinated tap water.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

chad320 said:


> +2 on the excel treatment. I OD mine at a 2X recommended dose and it doesnt affect my apples or my shrimp at all. Ulplug filters and reduce water level 50%. Use a syringe to spot treat and let sit 15 minutes. Refill and plug in and enjoy.


That's interesting. Today is water change day for me so maybe I'll try this. 

When you say you OD'd yours, I'm assuming you added excel to your tank on a daily basis. If so, for how long? Did you turn your UV sterilizer off?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I have a 75G with loaches, barbs, and danios. So no snails or shrimps to help out with the algae.

Be aware that the H2O2 or excel treatment is only a temporary fix and it will come back!
You have to turn off the UV when treating.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I dont add excel on a regular basis. I find that algae doesnt necessarily come back either. Im basically grabbing at straws here but if your conditions are bad enough, it will persist. If you tank has overcame the reason for the algae, youll move on algae free. I think somtimes the algae will stay until you kill it, although conditions might no longer be ideal for it to persist. This is purely my experience. If you cant find the root of your problem itll be back. I OD one day then regular dose for one then OD..etc every other day for a week.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> Be aware that the H2O2 or excel treatment is only a temporary fix and it will come back!


So I guess we need to figure out why we're having problems with BBA.


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## happi (Dec 18, 2009)

could you please post a picture, we got allot of people asking about BBA lately. seems like they are finally able to control the other algaes. i was able to handle all the algae but beside one and still trying to figure out what it is. i haven't seen it or could find any information about it. all i see is some dark spots on my older plant leaves.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

You could raise co2 to ridiculous levels and it doesn't mean you will rid your tank of BBA. BBA can grow in high co2 tanks, no co2 tanks. high flow, no flow. high light, low light.

You can't simply say raise your co2. 

The amount of organic content in your tank for me is the root cause. If you have hight light then you can't get away with a high organic load. Good co2 will allow the plants to grow quicker and use up the organic content, that's why good co2 works, but you can't treat it in a vaccum of just high co2. Raise you co2, raise your ferts, increase water changes, increase filter cleaning, use organic absorbing media, reduce feeding, etc. and you will most likely rid your tank of BBA.


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## happi (Dec 18, 2009)

i only get this algae on top of my UV sterilizer, this is the area where the water flow is very slow and this is the only area where i have seen it, no where else. i will try to increase the flow and see what happen.


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## snafuspyramid (May 27, 2010)

The meek won't inherit the earth.

Nor cockroaches.

Black beard algae will.

It doesn't matter what you do, you can't kill it for long...

But +2 to Excel treatment. Sure it's not a permanent fix, but BBA tends to grow back very slowly afterwards.


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## Elliot (Oct 3, 2010)

Would some oto's help? It looks like my oto's have been eating at the black algae in my tank (I'm not sure what kind of algae it is but is black and covering my bacopa Carolina)


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

You might want to double check your fert routine. If you are getting algae on plant leaves, it means the leaves are weak so, you might as well remove the infected leaves and if there are enought nutrients, the plants will generate new healthy leaves quick enough. High light increases nutrient and CO2 demand. If you are having trouble providing enough CO2 and nutrients, reduce the light and when the BBA stops returning, maybe you can gradually, slowly increase lighting.

If the CO2 is sufficient, you will be surprised at what you can grow at lower light thresholds.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

The beautiful thing about BBA is that it grows on everything except healthy plants like woods, rocks, filter fittings etc...
Oh, it grows on slow growing plants too like anubias.


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