# Serious BBA problem...for over a month now...



## meximan (Oct 27, 2012)

Ok i posted this up in my lighting threads but its become apparent that Its not getting any better by any means..

Tank is:
55gallon
Java moss and 2 sword plants
2 t5 HO 6500k
Tanks been running for over a year now.
Water temp currently is about 78...

Fish:
Oto's , Tetra's.



A little over a month ago i started seeing fuzzy stuff on my swords and it was hard to remove...I tried peroxide dipping them outside of the tank and that helped..The moss started developing a brown top...Like this...




So i did a large water change...pulled out a bag of peat rocks i had in the filters because they were in there about a year and looked disgusting...Added Bio balls as a replacement ..

I set up a timer for the lights im about 9 hours a day right now on.....The last two weeks have been crazy hot and the tanks temps jumped up to around 83 degree's..Ive been leaving the glass top open and its reduced it down to 78 ish....

BUT IT KEEPS GROWING!!!.... This was a picture when the tanks temps jumped to 83...I did another big cleaning ...I cant rub off the BBA with my hands...Another 60% water change...My nitrates were about 80ppm so i know something is off...



But it wont stop.....ITs taking over!...Its been another week and the BBA is taking off and getting longer/larger...Another 40% water change today...I tested the water PRIOR to the waterchange and it was down to 40ppm...




Ive been reading all day...and i did have some flourish excel lying around...I stopped using this because it melted my anacharis in my small tank....I didnt have a schrenge (spelling )...but i used one of the API test tubes filled to 5 ml...and held my thumb over it ...Put it under the BBA and released...figuring it would get as close to spot treating as possible...I havent noticed any changes in color..been about 6 hours now...

what else can i do?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

more peroxide or potasssium permanganate dips for affected plants, or take it out and scrub it, get some goodieds, flagfish or true SAE to nibble on it, more big water changes, feed the plants (ask on plant websites). Supposedly if you get things in "balance", your plants with "outcompete" the crud and keep it in check. 

I think if you get it to turn pink or purple, its dead or dying, but it still doesn't come off and it makes nitrates climb because its rotting. I ran some bbaed ornaments thru the dishwasher and it didn't come off, just made it stiff like plastic. 

This stuff looks disgusting and it traps food and poop, but it doesn't actually hurt your fish. Sometimes it will disappear as quickly as it appeared.


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## meximan (Oct 27, 2012)

how would i scrub the moss without ripping it to peices? I cant even rub my fingers on it without it falling apart.

would you suggest pulling the rocks out with the bba attatched and dipping them in a 5 gallon bucket? whats the ratio/time to dip them each? Rinse with cool water afterward?

I just put a add up for amano's and the SAE...I actually really like the look of the SAE, never seen them before


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

you can find the SAEs on www.aquabid.com


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## meximan (Oct 27, 2012)

I checked and only see one posting for them. Thanks chata!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

little SAE's are cute algae eaters that almost look like otos, but they do get up to around 6" and get pretty boisterous. They sit around all day and they go nuts at feeding time and beat all other fish to the food. I eventually took them out of my 55 and gave them to someone with bigger tanks. 

I would get some fresh moss and keep in a QT tank to grow and multiply and replace the algae-covered moss at intervals If your moss is falling apart when you rinse it, it is already suffering from the coating. 

I don't know anyone who has completely beat this stuff. But sometimes you can keep it from spreading to a new tank for some time. I hate it, but its better than the blue-green slime sheets.


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## meximan (Oct 27, 2012)

ya i had blue green when i first started this tank and it was a pain lol...

Ok so update...Excel did kill some of this stuff in the area's directly where i applied it...I think im gonna get every rock and ornament/filter sponge a bath in it.


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## Terry6000 (Apr 2, 2012)

i have been having the same issues with my tank for about 4 mouths now.
To combat the bba and brown algae I have done a few different things. All of which have worked.

cut my tank light from 10 to 6-7 hours a day. 
Use a syringe filled with Excel. I then slowly (painfully slow) squeeze the excel along the leaves that have algae. it dies in about 24 hours.
My 4 bulb t5 light came with all saltwater lights that I replaced with 6k and 6.5k. I'll switch out one of the grow lights for a 10K 14K or antic light. It screws up the algae for a few days. then I switch them again. 
I pull the plants and use a soft bristle bush and scrub each leaf. 
water changes. You have it bad I would be doing 50% weekly or 30-40% twice a week.

what brand light bulbs do you have. from your pics your lights look like they have a blue hue to them (could be my screen) but if they are no name brand bulbs they may not be 6500K. the higher the K the more blue light. blue light is the devil make bba grow faster.

you could turn your lights off and cover the tank with black trash bags for a few days. you would still have to keep up with the water changes.


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## meximan (Oct 27, 2012)

Ok figured i would update this...GOOD NEWS...The BBA is dissapearing!....BAD NEWS...ITS TURNING GREEN! lol...Seems like a created a new problem with an old problem.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

I'd say green is better than that red stuff Looks like its going away


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Yes, that's better. the green hair algae is a pain, but at least fish will eat it.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

CO2 AND FERTILZERS! You need to address the problem that is causing the algae in the first place. BBA is caused by an imbalance of the two.


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## fishyfriend1706 (Jan 11, 2013)

I know this is a little off topic, but what is the name of the large tetra with red eyes in the third picture up top?? It is really cool looking.


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## Jaysee (Apr 24, 2010)

Red eye tetra


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## fishyfriend1706 (Jan 11, 2013)

Thank you


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