So your answer to my BBA problem is to get a handle on the situation.
I'm 69 years old and I will try to fit it into my schedule, 4 grandkids, takes a lot of my time but I love It. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you why BBA doesn't survive in your planted tank.
Looks like I will have BBA in my tank for awhile.
I'm not messing with you, just addressing the hypothesis that inoculation is somehow the reason for the issue with algae. You can decide and will all on your own there.
Good consistent CO2/Excel dosing + watching and adjusting these based on the plant health, reduced algae new growth.
If you have a non CO2 planted tank, some background on what you are doing can help pinpoint what advice is given to correct the issue.
Reducing light intensity often helps make CO2 management easier.
Less light= less CO2 demand by plants = less nutrient demand.
So less light makes everything easier, but you cannot go too far and dip below and critical light level either.
MY CO2 system consists of two, 5 lb tanks. and a SU-Mo regulator, pH controller, Drop checker. The KH is 3 dKH and pH is 6.4. You can see how high my CO2 is.
Well, you are assuming this CO2 is all dandy and perfect, but BBA is a much better "test" telling me and anyone else that's resolved their BBA issues that uses gas, that something is not right.
Reducing the light is a good 1st step, this places less stress for cO2 on all the plants, dosing nutrients is another part of this, so they can fully use the CO2/light also. Nutrients (and light, once set) are pretty easy to rule out, they do not move around a lot(maybe a few ppm over 1-2 days slowly, light over months/years and not much even there) compared to CO2(minutes).
Good current is a 3rd part of this.
This mixes the CO2 very well, it also provides higher O2 via exchange with the surface, yes, you lose a little CO2 this way, not much IME. But what you gain is much better. It's easy to add a bit more CO2 anyhow to compensate.
By ensuring good mixing, the CO2 is very well mixed and even throughout the tank, you have higher O2, so the fish are less stressed and you can add more CO2, have more wiggle room in CO2 management.
All simple good things.
Lower light= more wiggle room.
Drop checkers and pH/KH charts.........well, they can be used as guides, but never put too much faith into them. Algae NEVER lies. Test and the assumptions very well can. We can make standard reference solutions for NO3, or even light, but not for CO2 (well, we can, but not hobbyists).
How do you know that the test method is correct?
You use a 2 point calibration for the pH probe/controller, but not for CO2 directly. We can do the same with stock solutions of NO3 using KNO3 and water to check the NO3 test kits.
How do we do this for CO2 in water?
We cannot easily.
So what to do?
Well, use the BBA as a good indication something is seriously wrong with CO2. Stunted plant tips on some species also is a sign or progressively small tip growth. General reduction in overall growth rates etc.
These are biological test, that's what we are concerned about, not pH/KH/DC's etc really.
I'd decrease the intensity of the light, raise the light up higher if possible, say 2-4", then try 6" etc. Give it 1-2 weeks and watch carefully.
If not possible and the hood is fixed in place, try usign metal window screen, much like shade cloth. Adding 2-3 pieces over top of eachother will reduce it even more, 1 typical piece will decrease light by about 5-10%, 2 10-20 % and so on.
What is you light set up and specifics?
You might consider increased current, not enough to break the surface, just below that, but adding some more movement will help. Next, SLOWLY add slightly more CO2 and watch for the next 1-2 weeks. Watch plants and new growth, look for signs of increased BBA growth. Do this porogressively and keep a very careful eye on fish health. Do not adjust the CO2 a lot then wander off, you may come back to gassed fish, this is the last thing you want. So do this conservatively.
Once the tank has no new growth, plants have started to grow without algae, in healthy good condition, that's the CO2 target you want, check the DC, pH/Kh and then write that down/make a note,
that is a relative measure for the CO2. Not an absolute value. I think many folks assume test give them real true ppm's they can rely on, but that is not the case much to many's surprise.
Balancing the CO2/light produces far easier management and provides you the ability to get a handle on all this, not only with BBA, but ALL ALGAE and most plant issues/growth problems.
Once plant care is the the focus, then algae of most all sorts is no longer a problem. So focus more/most on the plants and making management overall, easier. I've detailed out how to go about this pretty much hitting most of the basics for dealing with CO2/BBA.
Adding Excel will help etc as well, but you should not have much issue if the CO2 is good and the plant growth overall will be much better and easier to care for.
Once you see this and realize it, it's a bit of a revelation.
Till then, most try everything that comes down the pipe and suffer.
SAE's are the best BBA herbivore also.
So excel, SAE's, current, progressively careful adjustments of CO2, reduced light, trimming off BBA as new healthy growth comes in, cleaning the CO2 diffusers often, water changes, good clean filters etc all work together to beat back the algae. Mostly good plant growth is the best defense. This should give you some direction and detail holistically.
Automation of pH control for CO2 is only as good as it's user and their assumptions, it does not make adding CO2 any easier or better.
Regards,
Tom Barr
