# Can't budge it!



## Tom (10 Jul 2008)

Would appreciate some help here with the 40cm...

I've got rid of my staghorn algae since getting back from college just over 2 weeks ago, but I'm still stuck with BBA and BGA. I'm dosing 2ml of ADA Step1 (Trace) and Brighty K per day, as well as 1ml of Special Lights (N+P). CO2 has been increased to 2bps straight into the filter inlet. I saw on James' website that the BGA could be due to low nitrates, dirty filter or low flow. It's not the filter or the flow, so it must presumably be the nitrates? I thought I was dosing a fair amount though? Should I inrease the Special Lights dose?  :?  

As for the BBA, I increased the CO2 to from 1 to 2bps a couple of weeks ago, but it still hasn't shifted or shown any signs of going anywhere. The only thing I can think is to dose with excel, but surely the algae would just return if the problem isn't fixed?

Cheers,
Tom


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## ceg4048 (10 Jul 2008)

Hi Tom,
            One of the problems with the commercial ferts is that they are mostly water so you'd have to increase the dosages quite a bit unless your tap water is high in nutrients, which from the sound of things, your tap isn't, so just continue to double the dosages and wait 3 weeks. You really ought to at least think about some dry salts someday, (even if you get this stuff for free :idea: )... Life is a lot easier y'know...   

Both the staghorn and BBA are strong indications of CO2, however, BBA is a lot tougher customer and it is not going anywhere. BBA is a terrible squatter. Remember that algae like CO2 as well so having fixed your CO2 does not automatically mean it will go away. What you may observe is that the BBA, after physical removal may mostly reappear on hard surfaces as opposed to on the plant surfaces if you have fixed the CO2, but if you have other shortages as well, such as nitrate shortfall then the plants continue to deteriorate and therefore the BBA can continue to attack the plant surface even if you have solved the CO2. 

If you fish can stand it I would immediately double the bubble rate and add Excel/Easycarbo to pummel the BBA out of existence (manual removal is a must). Since I don't know the exact contents to Twinkly Lights (Special K is KCl+water so you can add as much as you want) or whatever I can't say exactly how much to add, but whatever you are adding now is simply insufficient. Add more but be careful of the one that says "not to overdose" on the bottle because that one would probably have some type of NH4 compound as an N source. Unfortunately, BGA is definitely NO3 related so I'm having a difficult time suggesting that you increase the dosages of this type of product. Since Excel has some algecidal effect you might try overdosing it while adding the extra N liquid. This may mitigate the effects of the extra NH4 dosing. Extra water changes will help as well but you'll need to dose immediately thereafter. A Catch-22, no doubt mate.

Are you absolutely certain the BGA is not a flow or filtration problem :?: What is your lighting?

Cheers,


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## Tom (10 Jul 2008)

Thanks for the reply. Great as always   



> Are you absolutely certain the BGA is not a flow or filtration problem  What is your lighting?


I highly doubt that it is a flow problem, as the moss waves slightly in the current where the BGA is. There is a small patch of it underneath the filter outlet which is a bit of a dead spot, but the rest should be fine. Lighting is a 24w compact T5, with a T8 reflector.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Dan Crawford (10 Jul 2008)

Clive is right as always with regards to NO3 so my corse of action has been and will continue to be: add more KNO3 salts, (i can send you some if you don't have any) spot dose the effected BBA areas with excel in a pippet and do a water change on a small tank like that every day for a week, it aint hard on a little tank like that LOL


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## Tom (10 Jul 2008)

> water change on a small tank like that every day for a week, it aint hard on a little tank like that LOL



1 bucket is a 50% water change, it _is _ hard work!!   



> add more KNO3 salts, (i can send you some if you don't have any)



Will PM you   

I'll see if "our" shop sells Excel tomorrow. I work there and I don't even know what we sell    Oh dear! 

Tom


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## Tom (12 Jul 2008)

Got some Excel from work yesterday. I've put a capful in last night, and one in this morning too. No messing lol. If I'm going to do the spot treatment of BBA, can I only do it on the rocks, or will the Java Fern and Moss cope with it too? Only one side of the moss has been attacked by the BBA, and the other side is clear which is strange  :? 

Tom


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