Desperate For Bba Help!

[styles1228]

Hey everyone,

So, I have been having an issue with BBA for a while now, and for the most part have been trying to get rid of it, but I seem to be unable to do anything with it.

Overview:

Back wall:

Right Side:

Left Side:

Algae hanging off filter:

Algae on leaf:

Specs:
37 Gallon
Light on 6-8 hours per day

Fert:
Aqua Vitro Envy (every other day)
Flourish Excel (every other day)

I've tried scraping some off, but its on pretty good, and thick, and then falls into the tank where the fish go at it, then making it almost into a powder.

I also can't really remove everything from the tank either, and am just beyond stumped.

I could really use your help, as it's just getting to the point where I find myself depressed with the tank, rather then enjoying it.

Thank you!

 

[mike455555]

try decreasing your light or adding stable co2 iv had a problem with this before. i take the item out and squirt liquid carbon over it seems to cure most algae problems for me

 

[magpie]

Is your light on a timer? Seems like a lot of algae for only 6-8 hours / day. What kind of lights do you have?

How long has the tank been set up?

I also dont' believe it's BBA - check these sites:
http/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

http/www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com

http/www.guitarfish.org/algae

 

[mike455555]

the pic of the filter looks like BBA but id agree with the rest. it looks a little like green spot algae in which case take a stantly knife blade and run it across the glass of the tank

 

[styles1228]

I tried showing the plants, because they have the BBA, as its basically the same as what's on the filter. I have tried scraping it off, and it does kinda come off, but is some of the toughest algae I have ever had to try and clean.

I do use the liquid CO2 every other day, but am not sure if anything really changed since I started using it.

If it is Green spot algae, what causes that exactly? Though looking at the links you provided, it almost kind of looks like both spot, and green dust algae.

2 months ago, I used to leave the light on for maybe 10hrs a day, but for the last 2 months its only been 6-8hrs, since I don't want to become an algae farm.
The light fixture is 2 T5s 24w each.
I don't use a timer, but I start it at noon, and turn if off 6 or 8hrs later.

The other problem is that I can't really take out the live plants, since they are VERY well rooted in the gravel.

Any ways to remove this without having to basically dismantle the tank?

 

[mike455555]

yes. as i said liquid carbon. for stuff like the filter take it out squirt it over the BBA and leave for afew mins then put it back in the tank. just make sure you dont over dose it. is that a 60L tank? if so thats a LOT of light over it (same as my sig picture)
use a knife blade on the glass.
then when your dosing your liquid carbon squirt it directally onto the algae with a droper do it every day (its got a very short half life) i think you will be safe with using double the dose (i know i am) but it depends on product, to much and your fish will die.

that always works for me.

 

[magpie]

Her tank is 37 gallons which is about 140L. It still may be too much light, nonetheless.... 2 T5s at 24 watts each - that's more than 2 watts/gallon which might just be your problem? I'm certainly no expert. I don't use CO2 in any form, so that's nothing I can help with.

One thing you could try to dim the lights is a trick that someone I think on here shared with me. Buy some flexible window screening at Home Depot - you can get it in rolls. Cut a piece out that is the length/width of your lights. I initially had mine taped on the light itself, but then ended up just putting it on the top of the tank under the lights. It dims the light some. You could also add floating plants.

Someone else with more knowledge in planted tank lighting can confirm if you need to just add regular CO2 or change out your lights. With that much algae, and again only on 6-8 hours/day, that might be the case...?

 

[Syphoniera]

If you have no top breathers, you might find that a thick layer of floating plants will both block excess light and suck up nutrients in the water column that algae might be getting to before your plants - although, annoyingly, it could also be triggered/worsened by a shortage of specific nutrients.

(Since you seem to have several different types of algae, I'd suggest checking out maybe Badman's or something regarding nutrient imbalances and algae growth - and following the advice already given regarding a carbon supplement - spot algae can be SUCH a swine to get off the glass... BBA - although yours looks green on my monitor - is just a night-mare, period.)

DON'T get duckweed, though, you'll never get rid of it and over time it tends to get carried to and infest other tanks, no matter how careful you think you are.

If you can get pennywort or water lettuce in your area, and let it grow in over top, it really does seem to help enormously (over time) with even stubborn, long-running hair algae issues.

I've just had BBA show up on a rock and a stretch of open gravel where no plants block the light - nowhere else that I've seen - the rock can be boiled when I can spare the big pot for it, and I've put a hank of disposable Java moss over the stuff on the gravel to see if that helps, as I'm waiting for the floating pennywort to grow in in that tank, and had a fail on a plant order for low foreground plants where my McCulloch's Rainbows need open swim space.

If that doesn't work, I may try hysterics, lol.

At any rate, good luck!

 

[SO19Firearms]

envy™ is a comprehensive carbohydrate, vitamin, amino acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid supplement that addresses the micro and trace nutritional requirements of plants. envy™ contains ascorbic acid in a base of chlorella that contains a rich assortment of amino acids and vitamins.

That must be awsome stuff....but no macro's - So that, the super high light and the unstable excel is probably an issue. Maybe with a flow problem, but we won't know that until the other things are sorted

try decreasing your light or and adding stable co2 iv had a problem with this before. i take the item out and squirt liquid carbon over it seems to cure most algae problems for me

This. Stable co2 can be read as daily excel - As well as adding Nitrate and Phosphate....

IMO


In other news Seachem go into the magic bean business, which is a shame.

 

[magpie]

DON'T get duckweed, though, you'll never get rid of it and over time it tends to get carried to and infest other tanks, no matter how careful you think you are.

If you can get pennywort or water lettuce in your area, and let it grow in over top, it really does seem to help enormously (over time) with even stubborn, long-running hair algae issues.

I wholeheartedly agree from accidental experience - NO DUCKWEED!!!! (And always always rinse your plants well before putting them in your tank so you don't get unwelcome hitchhikers.)
I love the brazilian pennywort - it grows pretty quickly and it looks like little lilly pads. I've also used water sprite. In addition to helping dim the light, floating plants also tend to make most fish more comfortable.

 

[styles1228]

2 T5s at 24 watts each - that's more than 2 watts/gallon which might just be your problem? I'm certainly no expert. I don't use CO2 in any form, so that's nothing I can help with.

That's only a little more then 1 watt a gallon actually which is why I was sitting with about 8hrs a day on a low tech set up.

If you can get pennywort or water lettuce in your area, and let it grow in over top, it really does seem to help enormously (over time) with even stubborn, long-running hair algae issues.

I once had an issue where the base of my plants was turning brown, and snapping, and I was at that point informed the plants weren't getting enough light, so I decided 8hrs would hopefully be enough..

Essentially, the plants appear to be doing really good, they aren't growing crazy fast, just a good rate, and very green, and lush.

With the ferts, I hate to sound like a noob, but I really am not good with the micros, and macros. As SO19Firearms mentioned, the Envy does not have Macros, so do any of you have a suggestion for a fert that is high in Macro? I have been told by almost everyone I have asked that there is no 1 fert that has everything, so I don't mind needing to use more then 1, I just honestly am not sure of which ones to use.

It sounds like, and correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds as if I get the ferts/nutrients balanced out and sufficient, and use the Excel (Organic Carbon) that the Algae should come under control?

I did read somewhere that the spot algae has a life cycle, and as long as you can find what's causing it, it should die off. Anyone have experience with that? If it is BBA, which some of you are thinking it might not be, would that eventually die off if I get the tank stabilized, or kind of always be persistent?

Oh, and in terms of water flow, I can see all the plants moving slightly from the filter return, so how do I know if the water flow is good? There is some movement, but what exactly should I be looking for in terms of movement?

I also heard Amano Shrimp, and snails can help with it as well?

Thanks everyone, I sincerely appreciate it!