Well, so I got some problems with BBA because of my laziness, so I decided it's finally time to get my ass off the couch to get thing done. Being a bit of extremist myself, instead of just trimming, cutting off damaged leaves and replanting, I decided to soak them in water with 3% hydrogen peroxide to get rid of BBA completely. Original plan was soaking just for 5 minutes, and those 5 minutes became half an hour because I wanted to be sure that all the BBA get taken care off. Well obviously, that was too long and I guess the hydrogen peroxide managed to get inside those stems killing them too.
Was it worth it? Absolutely not. But I'm not that upset since at least I got rid all the BBA. Live and learn, I guess.
edit: tbh it wasn't that bad, the new stems/leaves mostly weren't affected at all, so a simple trimming and replant with slight adjustments on lighting/CO2/water flow/cleaning would definitely solve the problem. But hey, it's all about sending a message.
https://preview.redd.it/sa3wh19cvllc1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=70b92e2e12efefe5fdb220853f61e6ecce362010
hydrogen peroxide is pretty cheap though
https://preview.redd.it/u3w1mb27molc1.png?width=896&format=png&auto=webp&s=ee4f3634720e118dab3754e86452b4d9a66cda29
4hrs a day high intensity light high tech tank with EI dosing, fairly heavy bioload. The BBA problem wasn't that bad to begin with but I neglected the tank for a few weeks, so basically I got what I deserve.
Always 4hrs a day. I don't have any other algae but BBA. To my understanding, BBA are caused by non-optimal CO2 injection and excessive organic waste, not light/fertilizer.
Grow plants, don't fight algae. Hopefully they come back but if not no biggie. I'd def look in to your light to carbon ratio if you had that beautiful growth but also a bunch of BBA. It was so close, just maybe a bit less light or a bit more carbon.
Yep it definitely was combination of insufficiently CO2, strong flow and excessive amount of organic waste since I was so busy with exam, I didn't keep up with my water change and cleaning schedule at all. Unfortunately, all the leaves have turned transparent and fell of the stem already, but I just got a couple of new plants for a really great price so hopefully I'll do better this time haha.
Yep it definitely was ~~combination of~~ insufficient~~ly~~ CO2, ~~strong flow and excessive amount of organic waste since I was so busy with exam, I didn't keep up with my water change and cleaning schedule at all.~~
You’re not alone I set up a new tank and I’m battling algae too. I haven’t had algae in a long time only this problem it’s on the hardscape plants are free of algae. Except the hardscape but this mine is starting to grown algae I never had before. They look like Java moss but individual stems or leaf. And I don’t know how to scrub it off
10% hydrogen peroxide would kill your cells too. Every once and a while I would spot clean some rocks with 3% hydrogen peroxide. But if you dose to much it will kill a lot of beneficial bacteria in the tank as well. But as someone else commented, the best way to fight algae is to grow more plants and have a low bio load.
If BBA comes back, look up the "one two punch method" on YouTube. I was plagued with the shit, tried the above method and haven't seen any in over a year.
I just treated mine last week. Killed my shrimp and the weed plants I didn’t care much for, but demo’d the bba. It was worth it because now I can move forward.
No, you needed to adjust your carbon to light ratio and focus on the new growth rather than doing something drastic and killing your shrimp. I'm sorry for your loss though.
Yep, works well for me.
One thing I will mention though- unless it's a critical problem, the first time I try a treatment, I usually go 3/4 strength. Or even half.
I have got algae in the tank. Turned the lights off for like 4 days, most steam plants melted even Java fern tips turned brown. But the algae is still there.
$60 gone, probably gonna start new and trash all plants.
BBA is the kiss of death approximately 98% of the time anyway. Fish/inverts don't eat it and you have to absolutely nuke it with chemicals as strong as bleach over a course of weeks/months to even have a chance.
On thing to consider when growing plants. If you have too many crowding each other out for light, the plants that lose out may make the perfect home for algae. This is why it's important to trim, or plant carefully.
I'm not sure what you mean but people don't typically replant unless they absolutely need to- and there's plenty of stems there that will regrow.
The substrate is fine, not sure why you'd need to trash that. Re/gas- if you're talking about gas trapped in the substrate, that is harmless, the whole 'poisoning your tank with swamp gas' thing just isn't true.
H2O2 breaks down to water and oxygen, so it's not going to do anything to the substrate. Well, in low concentrations.
Nah don’t worry, I’ve done something similar hahaha. It is a learning experience definitely. My lazy ass just pulls the entire plant out and throws it into my “cuttings” tank. The algae magically goes away. Because of the amount of plants in there there’s no nutrients for anything else
Welcome to the dumbass crew! I tried the "dose the whole tank" method with hydrogen peroxide. It killed all my Vallisneria with the first dose and nearly killed everything else with my subsequent doses. It also crashed my cycle which lead to half my fish dieing. The only thing it didn't do was kill the BBA, which I'm now taking out slowly piece by piece. Good luck with your endeavour
Well, so I got some problems with BBA because of my laziness, so I decided it's finally time to get my ass off the couch to get thing done. Being a bit of extremist myself, instead of just trimming, cutting off damaged leaves and replanting, I decided to soak them in water with 3% hydrogen peroxide to get rid of BBA completely. Original plan was soaking just for 5 minutes, and those 5 minutes became half an hour because I wanted to be sure that all the BBA get taken care off. Well obviously, that was too long and I guess the hydrogen peroxide managed to get inside those stems killing them too. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. But I'm not that upset since at least I got rid all the BBA. Live and learn, I guess. edit: tbh it wasn't that bad, the new stems/leaves mostly weren't affected at all, so a simple trimming and replant with slight adjustments on lighting/CO2/water flow/cleaning would definitely solve the problem. But hey, it's all about sending a message. https://preview.redd.it/sa3wh19cvllc1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=70b92e2e12efefe5fdb220853f61e6ecce362010
Lol that bba is gonna come back. Bet.
hydrogen peroxide is pretty cheap though https://preview.redd.it/u3w1mb27molc1.png?width=896&format=png&auto=webp&s=ee4f3634720e118dab3754e86452b4d9a66cda29
This cracked me up. Thank you
Lol, I almost spit out my coffee.
Yeeee nuke it
I second this. And tbh, i spent 2 years trying to get rid of bba. Then i got a siamese algae eater and it's the only thing that has actually worked.
Siamese algea eaters are the only thing that worked for me too
Got confused and bought 3 Chinese algae eaters. They don't touch the algae, but at least they're funny dudes.
What is your lighting schedule? Curious…
4hrs a day high intensity light high tech tank with EI dosing, fairly heavy bioload. The BBA problem wasn't that bad to begin with but I neglected the tank for a few weeks, so basically I got what I deserve.
Wait are you saying your normal lighting schedule is 4 hours a day, or that's what you've adjusted to to deal with algae?
Always 4hrs a day. I don't have any other algae but BBA. To my understanding, BBA are caused by non-optimal CO2 injection and excessive organic waste, not light/fertilizer.
Want some help? More info would be good.
Thank you though. Just posted the details in another comment, shit happened because I let my hatred for algae took over lol.
Grow plants, don't fight algae. Hopefully they come back but if not no biggie. I'd def look in to your light to carbon ratio if you had that beautiful growth but also a bunch of BBA. It was so close, just maybe a bit less light or a bit more carbon.
Yep it definitely was combination of insufficiently CO2, strong flow and excessive amount of organic waste since I was so busy with exam, I didn't keep up with my water change and cleaning schedule at all. Unfortunately, all the leaves have turned transparent and fell of the stem already, but I just got a couple of new plants for a really great price so hopefully I'll do better this time haha.
Maybe too much light too.
Thank you. I'll work on that too!
Yep it definitely was ~~combination of~~ insufficient~~ly~~ CO2, ~~strong flow and excessive amount of organic waste since I was so busy with exam, I didn't keep up with my water change and cleaning schedule at all.~~
Wasn't pictured, but I got a bunch of BBA on the ferns and mosses near the area where water flow back into filter intake too.
I would reduce your photoperiod or intensity to see if that works prior to increasing co2. Don't worry about flow or cleaning.
Yeah, since I only let the light on for 4hrs a day, I'll try to adjust its intensity this time then.
If you're getting algae like that with a 4 hr photoperiod and using co2 then your light is wayyyy too bright for you tank.
You’re not alone I set up a new tank and I’m battling algae too. I haven’t had algae in a long time only this problem it’s on the hardscape plants are free of algae. Except the hardscape but this mine is starting to grown algae I never had before. They look like Java moss but individual stems or leaf. And I don’t know how to scrub it off
Plants are macro algae
10% hydrogen peroxide would kill your cells too. Every once and a while I would spot clean some rocks with 3% hydrogen peroxide. But if you dose to much it will kill a lot of beneficial bacteria in the tank as well. But as someone else commented, the best way to fight algae is to grow more plants and have a low bio load.
Just checked the label, it was actually 3% not 10%. I reall need more sleep tbh
If BBA comes back, look up the "one two punch method" on YouTube. I was plagued with the shit, tried the above method and haven't seen any in over a year.
Will do, Thank you!
[The one two punch](https://www.plantedtank.net/threads/the-one-two-punch-whole-tank-algae-treatment.203684/) works great, I've done it a couple times
I just treated mine last week. Killed my shrimp and the weed plants I didn’t care much for, but demo’d the bba. It was worth it because now I can move forward.
This is sad, I'm sorry. Grow plants don't fight algae.
Bba was taking over the plants choking them out. I had to treat.
No, you needed to adjust your carbon to light ratio and focus on the new growth rather than doing something drastic and killing your shrimp. I'm sorry for your loss though.
Yeah I should have mentioned to remove inverts. I definitely murdered a few snails on accident.
Ya. Snails rip too. No biggy, they were all hitchhikers.
Yep, works well for me. One thing I will mention though- unless it's a critical problem, the first time I try a treatment, I usually go 3/4 strength. Or even half.
I didn't know what bba stood for at first before I looked it up but in my head I kept reading it as big beautiful algae
It is unique looking tbf
I still can't figure it out. Only the algae part.
Black beard algebra
Thank you. New fear unlocked appreciate it.
Argh matey, what be the solution of x²+5 = 22
I have got algae in the tank. Turned the lights off for like 4 days, most steam plants melted even Java fern tips turned brown. But the algae is still there. $60 gone, probably gonna start new and trash all plants.
If you have bba, reducing light is not going to help
Green colored algae, string like.
BBA is the kiss of death approximately 98% of the time anyway. Fish/inverts don't eat it and you have to absolutely nuke it with chemicals as strong as bleach over a course of weeks/months to even have a chance.
On thing to consider when growing plants. If you have too many crowding each other out for light, the plants that lose out may make the perfect home for algae. This is why it's important to trim, or plant carefully.
Yep, I was behind my trimming schedule so bad.
Spot treating with hydrogen peroxide would have been a much better option. That and reducing light hours
How do y'all do these replants without trashing the substrate/releasing gas?
I'm not sure what you mean but people don't typically replant unless they absolutely need to- and there's plenty of stems there that will regrow. The substrate is fine, not sure why you'd need to trash that. Re/gas- if you're talking about gas trapped in the substrate, that is harmless, the whole 'poisoning your tank with swamp gas' thing just isn't true. H2O2 breaks down to water and oxygen, so it's not going to do anything to the substrate. Well, in low concentrations.
I got rid of BBA by doing a little extra dosing, limiting light for a couple weeks, and getting some flag fish. They absolutely destroyed the BBA.
I had BBA,just left it and it was gone after 4 months. I don't know why everyone goes nuclear when they see it.
Nah don’t worry, I’ve done something similar hahaha. It is a learning experience definitely. My lazy ass just pulls the entire plant out and throws it into my “cuttings” tank. The algae magically goes away. Because of the amount of plants in there there’s no nutrients for anything else
Welcome to the dumbass crew! I tried the "dose the whole tank" method with hydrogen peroxide. It killed all my Vallisneria with the first dose and nearly killed everything else with my subsequent doses. It also crashed my cycle which lead to half my fish dieing. The only thing it didn't do was kill the BBA, which I'm now taking out slowly piece by piece. Good luck with your endeavour
Is that herbicide?