# BBA and organic waste



## Rasmusm (30 Mar 2012)

Hi

Just wanted to say that after following Ceg/clives advices the last couple of monthts basicly made me algae free..
Heres some pictures for proof..
I normally did 20-25% water changes. But after reading alot of his posts I started to do atleast 50% water changes, and when I feel like it 2x 50% a week. My tank is 530l after all..

Heres a few pics from January, they are dated so you can see.








My rear glass was badly attacked by BBA same as the rest of the plants..
This was taken 2 months after..



Small hair algae started to turn white, and died off..



Same plant as from 21 january just taken 21 marts..

Some random pics of a floating plant:







Now for todays pictures..
taken few minutes ago.










Well yes, I belive in large water changes now. I thought it was either a co2 issue or fert. issue but no.. Im running a pH controller after all. Profilux controller and pH is set to 0.05 difference.
530l tank 320w of light Ati (power module) Only running 37% of light atm.
The big water changes really made a huge difference on my tank. 

And Ceg. Thanks for the advices (y)!

Have a good weekend all!
Regards from Denmark
/Rasmus


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## ceg4048 (30 Mar 2012)

Good stuff mate. It could not have been easy. I know that. I know all about 530L tanks, but you stuck with it. Enjoy (but there is no rest for the weary. Algae never rests. Keep up the water changes!)  

Cheers,


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## bigmel (30 Mar 2012)

Great result   

I feel more confident in tackling mine now , water changes start tommorow


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## Ady34 (30 Mar 2012)

Hi,
nice looking tank Rasmusm. Its amazing the difference that large regular water changes make and its great to see such a strong example of the benefits.
Coincidentally ive just been reading in c02 a thread where Clive was advocating large water changes and discouraging a theory of water changes causing algae by altering the water perameters. Clive said  "Those who do not change their water tend to get algae. When these people start doing more water changes their algae recedes.".... this is an excellent example of this advice.
Good work, its looking so much healthier now . 
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Rasmusm (30 Mar 2012)

Thanks all  well I basicaly did nothing different but water changes..
So I really believe in this, what I might point out is. Is it due to organic waste or something else that you add when doing a water change? Something that we think might not be neccesary but really is?


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## Ady34 (30 Mar 2012)

Rasmusm said:
			
		

> Is it due to organic waste or something else that you add when doing a water change? Something that we think might not be neccesary but really is?



I think its more to do with removing organic wastes. Depending on your water supply, you may be adding important minerals via the water change process, but most importantly its providing clean fresh water and removing old 'dirty' water.
I dont know much about your set up, but presuming due to the drop checker its c02 injected, looks like high flow and good lighting, your probably dosing ferts, so this would be classed as high tech and thus needs large frequent water changes to reduce natural organic waste build up from the plants (and fish), which inturn alongside good nutrition (c02 and ferts) keeps the plants healthy and growing strong.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Rasmusm (3 Apr 2012)

Yea it is High tech, even though Im not running full light 37% of the 320w
I have 2 x eheim 2080 and 2 x koralia 2800l/h 1 x Koralia 5400l/h

Was thinking about Silicium / silicon, think thats the english word for it. Could that be whats needed in the tank? And be adding duing the water changes?


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## ceg4048 (3 Apr 2012)

That brown gravel you have has all the silicon you will ever need. If it's a natural product then it is primarily constructed of silicon and aluminum, just like sand and any clay.

On another note, looking more closely at the early photos, it appears as if you had some kind of 3D or textured background in the tank (or the might even be algae, I'm unsure). On the "after" photos it appears that the background was removed. Could you clarify?

Cheers,


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## Ady34 (3 Apr 2012)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> it appears as if you had some kind of 3D or textured background in the tank (or the might even be algae, I'm unsure). On the "after" photos it appears that the background was removed. Could you clarify?



Hi Clive,
sorry for jumping in, but i noticed this on reading the initial post: 





			
				Rasmusm said:
			
		

> My rear glass was badly attacked by BBA same as the rest of the plants..


it was information hiding between photos, so im presuming what we can see on the first photos is in fact algae.
On the second photo it looks like a background, but on the first it looks like algae.
Cheerio,
Ady


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## ceg4048 (3 Apr 2012)

Yeah, exactly, but you're right though. If it's glass it's glass and not a background. Thanks, because I completely missed that sneaky text.   

Cheers,


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## Rasmusm (3 Apr 2012)

Haha yea.. That was my 'home created' BBA background   Its gone, for now atleast..
Yea my substrate is a natural product. Called 'Rådasand' I think its a sweedish product 0.8-1.2mm size. Underneath that is 25kg of clay, mixed with sphagnum. You're propperly right about the silicon in the substrate, well I know now for a fact that waterchanges in my tank indeed works


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