# Cleaning tank after BBA



## BarryH (7 Dec 2019)

I have a 60 litre tank that had developed an outbreak of BBA and I'd like to give it a thorough clean before putting it back into service.

Can anyone please advise the best way to go about cleaning the tank keeping the removal of all traces of BBA in mind?


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## Zeus. (7 Dec 2019)

BarryH said:


> Can anyone please advise the best way to go about cleaning the tank keeping the removal of all traces of BBA in mind?



To remove all traces is very hard! without a complete strip down of tank soak hardscape/equipment in cheap beach with hot/warm water good rinse then 'Prime' new substrate and plants start from scratch. I have BBA in all my tanks in small areas with high light or poor flow its completely normal in most tanks esp long established ones. The trick is avoiding the outbreaks with high light and/or fluctuating CO2 and/or poor maintenance.

But with a 60l tank a good stripdown cleaning most of hardscape/equipment in cheap beach with hot/warm water good rinse then 'Prime' then removing plants leaves affect with BBA isn't too difficult but need to get the cause of the outbreak first


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## GlenD (7 Dec 2019)

If it is an empty tank and equipment that isn’t in use thin bleach. Live plants if you can get them out can be put in a double dose of  Flourish  excel for 24 to 48 hours. Hydrogen peroxide also kills it, so you could spray the whole thing down with this.


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## BarryH (7 Dec 2019)

Thanks for the replies and apologies, I should have made it a bit clearer. It's just a bare tank, one of the Juwel Rekord models with the filter glued in place. I'm guessing the filter box will be the hardest bit to do. New hardscape and plants will be going in to the tank.


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## sparkyweasel (7 Dec 2019)

You could fill it, give a massive dose of Flourish Excel and run the filter to get it into all the inaccessible bits. Leave it a day or two, then drain. A bit of Flourish excel left in the filter won't hurt, as it will get diluted when you fill the tank again after scaping it.


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## BarryH (8 Dec 2019)

sparkyweasel said:


> You could fill it, give a massive dose of Flourish Excel and run the filter to get it into all the inaccessible bits. Leave it a day or two, then drain. A bit of Flourish excel left in the filter won't hurt, as it will get diluted when you fill the tank again after scaping it.



That sounds a good idea, thanks Sparky.

When you say Massive, roughly how much for a 60 litre, and, if it's not to daft a question, do I need to leave the foams in place or remove them before adding the Excel? Just thinking about the "bugs" in the foams.


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## GlenD (8 Dec 2019)

Flourish recommend after a big water change five mil per 10 gallons. your tank is around 15 gallons and you would want to do 2 to 4 times recommended dose. so I make that 15-30 mil. Leave it for 24 to 48 hours.


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## GlenD (8 Dec 2019)

Also, once the tank is drained if you leave it to dry out completely, I don’t see how any algae spores could survive without any moisture at all.


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## BarryH (8 Dec 2019)

GlenD said:


> Flourish recommend after a big water change five mil per 10 gallons. your tank is around 15 gallons and you would want to do 2 to 4 times recommended dose. so I make that 15-30 mil. Leave it for 24 to 48 hours.


Thanks for the help Glen. Do I leave the filter foams in or out please? Not sure if the Excel will kill the bugs in the foams too.


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## GlenD (8 Dec 2019)

I don’t believe that flourish will kill filter bacteria. However if your tank is empty and there is no supply of fresh ammonia, most of the bacteria will begin to die off anyway.


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## Zeus. (8 Dec 2019)

GlenD said:


> However if your tank is empty and there is no supply of fresh ammonia, most of the bacteria will begin to die off anyway.



If empty and no water the Bacteria will die because of no water and if no flow through filter the O2 will be reduced which may kill reduce the aerobic bacteria, but only a few need to survive as bacterial divide every 20 mins under ideal conditions


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## BarryH (8 Dec 2019)

The tank I'm going to clean currently has no fish in it.

If it makes sense, I was going remove what few plants and gravel there are in it at the same time as doing do a 50% water change leaving just the tank filled with water and its own internal filter. I was hoping to dose the tank in that state with Excel and leave it running for a couple of days before I empty the water and give a good clean.


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## Zeus. (8 Dec 2019)

Or seeing tank has no fish and planning to remove the plants plus tank is only 60l -removed the substrate as well and just stick in a litre of cheap bleach overnight with tank full, filter on! bleach is far cheaper than excel dose for dose - obviously removed the filter media and stick in a bucket of old tank water. Then good rinse out refill with touch of prime leavean  hour empty leave overnight empty and dry then ready to rescape. Plus some elbow grease along the way OFC


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## BarryH (8 Dec 2019)

Zeus. said:


> Or seeing tank has no fish and planning to remove the plants plus tank is only 60l -removed the substrate as well and just stick in a litre of cheap bleach overnight with tank full, filter on! bleach is far cheaper than excel dose for dose - obviously removed the filter media and stick in a bucket of old tank water. Then good rinse out refill with touch of prime leavean  hour empty leave overnight empty and dry then ready to rescape. Plus some elbow grease along the way OFC


Sounds like a good plan. Thanks for the help, really appreciated.


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## dw1305 (10 Dec 2019)

Hi all, 





GlenD said:


> I don’t see how any algae spores could survive without any moisture at all.


<"You'd be amazed"> 





> The present study focused on the identification of resting-stage algae from freshwater sediments in Paldang Dam Lake, an important source of water for South Korea. We examined the morphological characteristics of resting-stage specimens and identified them by germination experiments or DNA analysis. Surface sediment samples were collected from 12 sites in Paldang Dam Lake from July 2009 to June 2010. Thirty-five resting stage morphotypes were identified: 19 chlorophytes, 6 dinoflagellates, 5 diatoms, 2 cyanobacteria, 2 euglenoids and 1 cryptophyte.


Also have a look at <"Bird baths and _Haematococcus_">.

For nearly all the other "algae" (Diatoms, Cyanobacteria, Green Algae etc) the chances of excluding them from the aquarium  for long are about the same as the chances of stopping water running through your fingers.

Having said BBA maybe an exception, because I'm not aware of there being a resting stage in _Audouinella (Batrachospermum) spp., _but they have an extremely complex life cycle (below), and not a huge amount is known about them.

We don't even know exactly what our BBA is, this comment came from a leading authority on the Red Algae, <"based at the NHM">. 





> It will either be an _Audouinella_ or chantransia phase of _Batrachospermum_. If it came from an aquarium then it would probably be impossible to tell without DNA work.








cheers Darrel


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## zozo (10 Dec 2019)

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/3/140317-ancient-moss-frozen-life-biology-science/ 


Also a sporophyte.


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## PARAGUAY (10 Dec 2019)

Back a few years I read George Farmer used to revive his not in use tanks with windolene, before rescaping suppose it would eradicate most things but need a really good hose rinse


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