Bba Getting Worse, Help!

[Ps3Steveo]

I've been dosing 2ml Excel daily in my 60 and 3ml TPN+ daily and my BBA is getting worse, any ideas? I know a lot of people say overdose excel to get rid but surely 2ml excel is enough or would you dose more say 3ml each? That way there is defo loads going in?

 

[ian]

what is the water change regime on the tank?

 

[minnnt]

Have you tried painting excel/water on the leaves themselves?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

40% weekly ATM Ian any suggestions? The algae is growing amongst the HC a little and on the leaves of the needle fern and in the fissidens?

 

[ian]

We know BBA exacerbates in low/fluctuating C02 environments. I know you have plenty of flow around the substrate. I would up the Excel dose by a mil, and as Minnnt states, try spot dosing. You can always mix the excel with some water to make it go further if spot dosing.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

So 3ml excel and 3ml TPN+ and stick to weekly 40% water change?

 

[ian]

see if you can manually remove what you can, as well. I would spot dose as well though. Give it a week, as see what's happening with 3 and 3.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I couldn't spot dose tbh mate, the current in my 60 is too much it will just be blown straight round the tank lol, I'll give the 3 n 3 a go for a week tho mate and keep up with the weekly 40% water changes. I'll start tmoz.

 

[minnnt]

Remove the plants from the water and leave for a few minutes then add them back in. Probably more hassle than its worth though. lol.

 

[JenCliBee]

I couldn't spot dose tbh mate, the current in my 60 is too much it will just be blown straight round the tank lol, I'll give the 3 n 3 a go for a week tho mate and keep up with the weekly 40% water changes. I'll start tmoz.

LOL, turn the filters off for 10 mins and dose.. or drain the tank to just below the level and spray or spot dose that way .


I'm dosing 3 ml as standard on my 60l so tbh you would be better going to 5ml but if you decide to, do it gradually over a period of a couple of weeks just so shrimp and fish adjust slowly to the excess amounts

 

[Ps3Steveo]

How much ferts you dosing in there then dude? Oh and what ferts?

 

[JenCliBee]

How much ferts you dosing in there then dude? Oh and what ferts?

5ml of macro, 5ml of trace on alternate days but once i mix my next batch of trace and macro together (all in one liquid) i will be close to dosing 8-10ml daily and up the carbon to 5ml.

 

[tanksalot]

I've tackled a couple of outbreaks of BBA in the past year and have found that spot dosing Excel is really the most effective thing, and if well enough targeted, I don't need to overdose.

Anything that can be removed for treatment I take out and either scrub with neat Excel on a toothbrush (for hardscape) or brush with a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part Excel for plant material and leave to sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing off and returning to the tank.

In the tank itself, I turn off the filters and powerhead then take a regular dose of Excel in a syringe and slowly squirt over the affected areas. If it's a bad outbreak I probably have to treat it over several days to do all of it. Then turn everything back on after a few minutes and Bob's yer uncle.

Now if only I could get rid of my Staghorn that easily...