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Green aqua blog

Joined
21 Oct 2018
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240
Location
Yorkshire
Just had a read of a blog by green aqua about different algae types. It says about a few types, BBA being my target algae. Cause, low ofr fluctuating co2, thrives in fast flow areas which it does in my tank. It goes on to say that co2 concentration should be at your desired level at lights on which we all know but also if any light including natural light at any point before artificial lighting photoperiod and gas on then this counts as low co2 or co2 should be in the tank. My tank has natural light before my lighting period, could this be a cause of my BBA of natural light adding to my photoperiod with low co2 before lights on and to much light overall throughout the day? I don't get much if any gsa though.
https://www.greenaqua.hu/en/alga-tajekoztato
 
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When you say your tank is getting natural light, do you mean direct sunlight shining on the tank? Or just that the room is light? Direct sunlight is not normally advisable...
 
I battled with BBA in an aquascape a few years ago - and via the process of elimination my main problems were cause by sunlight - no directly hitting the aquarium, however the room was painted cream and I was in a top floor apartment on the south coast (loads of sun all year). Moved house, same aquarium with all other parameters the same except tank now positioned in a darker spot - BBA gone, less Co2 required and much better plant growth.

I would strongly advise to position the aquarium in an area of your room where it wont be subject to direct or ambient sunlight. if not possible consider the sunlight as part of your lighting period ie C02 on 2-3 hours before to reach the PH drop.
 
Yes depending on the type of day or how high the sun is, summer time the sun shines through the double doors onto the tank, but there is always at least ambient natural light every day from morning. Some of my plants actually grow towards the double doors and not towards the artificial light so I guess this is an issue. I have my artificial lights come on at 16:00 off at 23:30 and co2 on 13:00 of at 22:00. The natural light from the morning must be adding to the photoperiod so they have no co2 until 13:00. Can't move tank no other place hmmmm.... Surely can't have co2 on for 12-16 hrs a day? Any recomendrecomme? Thanks
 
Sounds almost identical to my previous issues.

I tinkered around with things like curtains / cardboard blocking one side and whilst they may work for some people for me they are not an effective long term solution.

As you can't move the tank my advice would be as follows:

- start the CO2 as early as you can, 3/4 hours before your light- artificial and natural

- this will lead to a v long CO2 period, if this is an issue you could reduce your end of day lighting, optimal Co2 at lights on is fundamental

- remove as much bba as possible, I would also recommend spot dosing hydrogen peroxide(£1 from boots) 3 percent solution max to kill off as much as possible

- as your existing plants will likely have less than ideal growth or melt you should add or replace with plenty fast growing plants - stems etc

- water change more frequently, as much as you can fit in.

This should work if your co2 diffusion and circulation are effective
 
Hi all,
thrives in fast flow areas which it does in my tank.
I only get it in places where the snails can't graze the biofilm, which probably means that some of my tanks would be full of BBA, if I didn't have snails.

I have two tanks with no BBA or snails, but again I have no idea why.

cheers Darrel
 
So I've recently added fast growing plants in the hope of reducing the BBA, Val's, creeping Jenny, tiger lotus and money wort. I've also upped my co2 and starting an hour earlier from 2 hrs to 3hrs. I added a surface skimmer last Thursday as I had a fair bit of Scum to allow gaseous exchange hoping more oxygen will help the plants at night and reduce BBA somehow because my drop checker was lime green 24/7. The BBA hasn't grown Into the bearded look rather just black edges of leafs of have fern,Amazon sword, Monte Carlo, marselia,few strandssof Val and anubias.pictures attached. It's seems to only affect the gravel along the front of the aquarium but leafs anywhere. Maybe it's the natural light hitting the front of the tank mostly causing it there. I've noticed after upping co2, adding surface skimmer the BBA on Monte Carlo has turnt from black to a more brown diatom looking algae?
 

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okay, it doesn't look too bad to me. What is the substrate? is it possible you have a build up of organics in this as I can see BBA on the gravel. H2O2 is good on substate. just avoid the plants.

I also think you need more plants - you could even get some cheap vals/cambomba and sling it the future. any plant leaf that has bba should be removed.

the slight change in the co2 period may help (as I previously referred I would start much earlier, this way you will be sure what the cause is)

As Darrel mentions snails may also assist (although never kept them myself)
 
The substrate is fluval stratum at the bottom topped with seachem flourite red mixed with inert gravel and yes it has crossed my mind that the organics might be high in the gravel as I can see a fair bit of mulm accumulated along the front panel of glass. I have been vacuuming but hard with trying a carpet. I used to get bio film on the glass walls within 2 days after a water change+clean but that has dissapdiss so I think it's getting better or maybe plant health is improving not leeching. I'm doing a pH profile today I will post later once I've completed it maybe some insight. I will gather more plants as I just want a jungle in their but things don't seem to be growing quick, they grow slowly and old growth quickly becomes unhealthy looking or BBA. Monte Carlo especially maybe closest to the mulm.
 
Yes BBA does seem alot more pronounced on my gravel but maybe that's just because I do trim the infected leafs but it doesn't take long for the Amazon sword to get black edges
 
Actually upon observing only the gravel closest to the front of the tank along the whole length has BBA the other areas do not. It has high flow along the back and front of the aquarium so maybe I get alot of detritus settling at the front. Maybe I should take the carpets out and focus on cleaning see what effect it has although leafs over the entire tank get black edges
 
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