how to get rid of bba
- Thread starter wwildcats04
- Start date
There have been a bunch of threads on this topic.
Go to our search engine and type in 'BBA' or 'Black Beard Algae' for many responses.
Then if you have more questions someone will be happy to help.
Len
Go to our search engine and type in 'BBA' or 'Black Beard Algae' for many responses.
Then if you have more questions someone will be happy to help.
Len
Alright, let me further explain the problem... I do not have a planted tank so i do not do CO2 or anything of that sort. and I did not introduce anything into my tank that had bba spores since all of the decor has been the same forever. I have read that it is not very cost effective to use excel to rid a 75g of bba and I can not bleach dip my gravel for obvious reasons. a SAE will deffinetly be picked off by virtually every inhabitant of this tank along with virtually any other small fella. I am going to bleach dip all my plants and drift wood sometime when I do that I will also do the excel for a few treatments... will that kill off all the bba?
Since you don't have a planted tank, CO2 and Flouish will do absolutely nothing for you. CO2 and Flourish is used to promote plant growth to outcompete the algae, no plants means nothing to compete with the algae. You probably have excess phosphate or nitrate in your water, add an extended period of light and that will lead to BBA. What are you nitrate readings and how long do you leave the light on?
Bleach dip everything to kill off the BBA for now, and more frequent water changes may be in order to prevent it from happening again.
Bleach dip everything to kill off the BBA for now, and more frequent water changes may be in order to prevent it from happening again.
If it's in your gravel you will have to remove infected pieces. Very tedious but keep picking away at it.
'.......I did not introduce anything into my tank that had bba spores......'
Incorrectamundo!!!!! The spores didn't materialize from nowhere.
This is not a difficult process, since you have no live plants, but it may take time and diligence.
Bleach dip all decor and use plenty of water conditioner on all bleached items before returning them to the tank.
Then as you see BBA on sections/pieces of gravel, suck them up with a siphon tube being as thorough as possible, and either bleach dip them or boil them, and then replace them into the tank. Initially, you might want to collect sections you see the algae on and when you have a quantity of it bring it to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes.
This will kill anything in/on it. OR, you can spread it on a cookie sheet and pop that puppy into the oven at 350° for 15 minutes.
BBA is persistent, but if you keep after it, it will decline.
Len
Incorrectamundo!!!!! The spores didn't materialize from nowhere.
This is not a difficult process, since you have no live plants, but it may take time and diligence.
Bleach dip all decor and use plenty of water conditioner on all bleached items before returning them to the tank.
Then as you see BBA on sections/pieces of gravel, suck them up with a siphon tube being as thorough as possible, and either bleach dip them or boil them, and then replace them into the tank. Initially, you might want to collect sections you see the algae on and when you have a quantity of it bring it to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes.
This will kill anything in/on it. OR, you can spread it on a cookie sheet and pop that puppy into the oven at 350° for 15 minutes.
BBA is persistent, but if you keep after it, it will decline.
Len
Would a few days of blackout/lights-off help also?
I've had the lights off in a small plant tank for a couple days and the hair algae is looking very unhealthy. I tried bleach dipping the plants. No problem for java fern, swords, and banana plants, but even 60 seconds of a 20:1 solution killed the anacharis. So, I figured I'd just reduce the lighting for a few days or so.
Anyhow, I'm a little unsure of the types. Black beard compared to the 1/4-inch max hair that was trying to get started in my tank. It was definitely impossible to manually remove.
I've had the lights off in a small plant tank for a couple days and the hair algae is looking very unhealthy. I tried bleach dipping the plants. No problem for java fern, swords, and banana plants, but even 60 seconds of a 20:1 solution killed the anacharis. So, I figured I'd just reduce the lighting for a few days or so.
Anyhow, I'm a little unsure of the types. Black beard compared to the 1/4-inch max hair that was trying to get started in my tank. It was definitely impossible to manually remove.
BBA is unaffected by blackout.
In a planted tank is can be eradicated, over time with bleach dips (25:1 will do it), increasing CO2ppm if you use it, and Seachem's Excel in smaller tanks. I have used Excel effectively in a 40 gal. tank. But before using Excel, you should cut/prune all of it that you see, or bleach dip.
Young SAEs will eat it, but I don't like their temperament when they mature, in a community tank.
In short, for best results clean up the tank and get the plants growing.
Len
In a planted tank is can be eradicated, over time with bleach dips (25:1 will do it), increasing CO2ppm if you use it, and Seachem's Excel in smaller tanks. I have used Excel effectively in a 40 gal. tank. But before using Excel, you should cut/prune all of it that you see, or bleach dip.
Young SAEs will eat it, but I don't like their temperament when they mature, in a community tank.
In short, for best results clean up the tank and get the plants growing.
Len