Question about BBA

[Diann62]

I have 2 tanks: 47 gallon planted upstairs and a 110 gallon planted downstairs. I decided to change the tank upstairs to match the tank downstairs because the 110 gallon is problem free.

So in the 47 gallon, I took out a big rock and added driftwood, and changed my HOB filter for a bigger, more powerful one. Really the only difference between the tanks is that I have 1 watt/gallon downstairs and 2 watt/gallon upstairs.

I had BBA upstairs so I blacked it out for 4 days and it went away. It's been gone for quite a few weeks now. I'm about to stock it with Angelfish until I noticed the BBA is back. I'm again going to black it out but I'm afraid of getting anymore fish. I currently have 3 bosemani rainbows and 3 glowlight tetras.

First of all, why am I getting this? And secondly, should I use some sort of antibiotic to kill the BBA? I don't want to get new fish only to get the BBA back, and I don't want that to weaken my fish. Thanks for the help.

[Slappy*McFish]

BBA is not affected by antibiotics at all. It is a true algae. Maybe you were thinking of BGA?

[petluvr]

It has been m experience that BBA is directly related to an over abundance of phosphates, check those out. Also BBA can be killed off by using H2O2 or Flourish Excel.

[Diann62]

Sorry........I meant BGA.

[Slappy*McFish]

http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2006/10/blue-green-algae-bga.html

[dundadundun]

this should help: http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

[coach_z]

It has been m experience that BBA is directly related to an over abundance of phosphates, check those out.
many people will disagree with you over that one....i said that once and got chewed out for quite a while.

[plantbrain]

many people will disagree with you over that one....i said that once and got chewed out for quite a while.

No chewing required hehe.
Just a poic and some stat's:
Well, where is my BBA since I add 5ppm 3x a week to my tank?

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u312/plantbrain/resizedsideshot630.jpg

Pretty clearly not due to excess PO4, since I am adding more than enough PO4 via KH2PO4.
It cannot be a cause of BBA.
Old myths die hard, even after being shown to be entirely false 15 years later.

If I mess with my CO2, I get BBA, CO2 causes 90% or more of the issues folks have with algae, that and too much light, nutrients, generally folks do not add enough of them.


Regards,
Tom Barr

[jpappy789]

:iagree:

After a few weeks of DIY Co2 I noticed BBA. I was then told that my Co2 was fluctuating, thus causing the BBA. Added another bottle and put them on a rotating schedule to make sure there was no drop in the levels once the batches got old, and it practially disappeared.

[Slappy*McFish]

She stated that she actually has BGA, not BBA.

[jpappy789]

:duh:

Sorry about that