Article of the Month JULY 2015 : BBA - How do you tackle it?

by FishHobby Tue Jul 28, 2015 7:11 am

Hi All - How do you all tackle BBA? Are black mollies and SAEs the best fish that eat BBA? Just curious how everyone tackles/cleans BBA on there plants filter pipes etc.

by charlie1 Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:42 am

BBA in a planted tank is everyones nightmare.
I go on a speculation( no scientific knowledge or proof) that high organics is a contributer to it`s existence in our planted tanks .
I usually rely on regular large water changes, carbon occasionally & Purigen as part of the day to day filter media.
Of course providing the plants needs including lights & carbon as needed, keep slow growing plants ( Anubias etc.) in the shady areas as much as possible

by **guppyguy** Tue Jul 28, 2015 10:29 am

BBA one of the ugliest of algae in our planted tanks. I find it growing on driftwood, sponge filters and anubias leaves ,from time to time. I use a syringe filled with Seachem excel and apply it directly to infected area. When the BBA turns bright red you know it is dead and then it disintegrates few days after that. Often only takes 2 days of treatment.

by FishHobby Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:11 pm

I get them mostly on the anubias, driftwood, and filter pipes. Adding Seachem Excel via syringe sounds like a good idea...I will try that. I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks. If I scrape the BBA off the pipes or driftwood and flows away....does it spread cause I couldn't net it?

by charlie1 Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:51 pm

There is also the alternative of using hydrogen peroxide (Google )
Also you have the option of removing the D/wood, filter pipes& anubias & doing a bleach dip followed by a good rinse.
Boiling water on the wood works just as well.
Keep in mind all the above only treats the symptoms, you need to find the cause.

by GaryE Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:34 pm

I have had it appear and vanish, just like that. I've changed nothing to bring it on, and six months later, it can vanish, never to appear again. One thing I have noticed is that it attached to newish driftwood, but never to older wood. I won't pretend to understand it - one week it can be flowing like hair in a shampoo commercial, and soon after, it can be gone.
I grow nothing but Bolbitis, Anubis, Java ferns and moss, and Crypts in my main tanks. I take it (locally) to be a stage in the breakdown of wood. It spreads to slow growing plants, but then whatever is feeding it is used up, and it goes. Not a grounded theory, just an observation.

by nyleveiam Tue Jul 28, 2015 6:04 pm

Gary, mine is worse on the fake decorations, not my wood. Weird.
I also use the Seachem's Excel, like Guppy guy I find a minimum of two applications will usually work, but mine turned the most beautiful shade of purple before it turned light tan and totally died.
But, I've only had it in ONE tank and only a couple of times in that tank.
I didn't have any luck with Hydrogen Peroxide, except my hornwort lost ALL its leaves when I tried that.

by FishHobby Wed Jul 29, 2015 12:52 pm

Thanks for all the responses....Using Seachem's Excel with syringe is it best to apply it at night or during the day or it doesn't make any difference?

by **guppyguy** Wed Jul 29, 2015 1:53 pm

FishHobby wrote:Thanks for all the responses....Using Seachem's Excel with syringe is it best to apply it at night or during the day or it doesn't make any difference?

I do not believe it makes a difference. I always applied it during the day.

by angelfish Mon Aug 10, 2015 1:05 pm

a good question I try water changes but will try excel its very expensive Sad

. what other alternatives are there available on cheaper side.

by charlie1 Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:04 pm

angelfish wrote:a good question I try water changes but will try excel its very expensive . what other alternatives are there available on cheaper side.

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Hydrogen_peroxide

by FishHobby Mon Aug 10, 2015 4:48 pm

There are few interesting videos on YouTube about using Hydrogen peroxide check some out ....but I am now curious what would be excel alternative that could benefit the plants as well sunny