Bleach dip

[sguthrie]

Question: If after a bleach dip the algae is still there and green (I think it's bba), then does it eventually lose color and detach or should the leaves with it on be pruned?

sam

[PurpleSmurf]

Try drying the plant out. Remove it from the water for 10-15 minutes, then shake the plant off in a 5 gallon bucket of water.

[djlen]

If you dipped it properly the BBA will turn light and disintegrate in a few days.

Len

[Kasakato]

How did you dip it?

[wwildcats04]

im new to plants, may I ask what this "BBA" is that you guys are speaking of

[wickerman]

Black Beard Algae..Black Bush Algea

[sguthrie]

I did a 19:1 water to bleach solution for 15-35 seconds depending on the plant. The algae is going away. So is the tiger val. Much less algae than before, though. I need to get a bunch more plants and then be hypervigilant about water changing and fertilizing. A new job I got a while back has me working way too much.

Thanks guys!

Sam

[wwildcats04]

is BBA a big problem with planted tanks? How does it occur, does anything eat it, what does it do (anything harmful)... also You bleach your plants!? I dont understand how that is healthy

[happychem]

BBA is generally the algae that results from too much light and not enough CO2, IME.

Very little eats it. Young true Siamese Algae Eaters are said to have a taste for it, but they lose it as they get older.

It's not harmful, just unattractive and can totally take over a tank. It's also one of the tougher algaes to deal with - tougher both physically and in terms of how hard it is to irradicate.

Many plants can handle a mild bleach dip for a short period of time. Thicker leafed plants like anubia resist the bleach very well. More delicate ones should not be bleached. Personally, I prefer to bleach only hardware and decorations and just prune infested leaves/plants. I've found that to be more successful since the plant remains healthy and keeps growing whereas after bleaching it seems to wilt and take some time to recover.

[beviking]

Anubias and Java fern can tolerate 19:1 for 2 minutes. Vals won't. Someone *cough*Len*cough* had once posted some experiments with lighter concentrations for more sensitive plants. I'll give a quick look, but either way, it isn't necessary to dip the roots of said delicate plants.

Even more recently than I remembered...
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53400&highlight=bleach

You'll notice Len suggests 25:1 at 30 seconds max for vals.

I better have this *cough* checked out... :sick:

[djlen]

And at that consistency, for that period of time, I have never lost a Val. or any other 'tender' plant.
25:1 is very effective on BBA and any other algae I've used it for, for that matter.

Wild guy.....check the sticky on algae and use the search engine by typing in BBA and you will find all kinds of info. on this particular algae.

Len

[sguthrie]

Alright, 25:1 it is for the next time. Whoops! If all of the leaves on the val are clear and dissolving, should I just remove the roots and plant something else, or is there a chance of new leaves growing?

Sam

[djlen]

I suggest giving them a week or two to rebound. You never know.......

Len

[sguthrie]

Cool. To my surprise, none of the crypts rotted. They seem fairly sturdy, but being sensitive to water change, I was also thinking that the bleach would affect them adversely. The java fern looks better than ever, and apparently it made new plants that I discovered amongst the java moss and algae. I now see why it's a beginner plant. Absolutely impossible to mess up with java fern.

Sam