# Excel Dosing for BBA?



## ACC (Mar 18, 2012)

I am having a problem with BBA and am considering dosing with Flourish Excel. I haven't learned exactly how to do it yet, but I know the info is online - probably on the Planted Tank website. My questions are around what happens to the fish/frogs/inverts. In order to dose to effective levels, I suspect I would have to move all of my tank inhabitants to the hospital tank while the dosing is going on. This will be a definite overstock situation for my 10 gallon hospital tank, but I think everyone will be happier than if they remain in the main tank.

My questions:

How long does the excel treatment usually last? Does excel dissipate from the water on its own, or should I do major water changes before re-introducing the inhabitants to the tank?

Is it okay to overstock a tank for that long? 

Will the fish/frogs/inverts listed below be okay squeezed into such tight quarters?

How do I make sure the BBA doesn't return?

Finally, does anyone have experience with this treatment? Is it even effective?

I know that's a lot of questions, I know, but I would appreciate any advice you might have.

My creatures:

Assassin snails x 20
African Dwarf Frogs x 2
Cherry shrimp x 10
Cory cats x 4
Dwarf rainbow x 1


----------



## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

the first thread in this section has alot of answers to these questions.

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/plan...lic-enemy-1-black-brush-algae-how-fight-2286/

I am also battling bba, and have killed my share of stock trying to kill it. be very careful.


----------



## ACC (Mar 18, 2012)

Thanks for pointing me to that article. It was really interesting. I think I will go with bleaching my rocks and ornaments and spot treating my plants instead of excel dosing. What did you try that caused you to lose your stock?


----------



## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

Sorry for the late response, i guess i just didn't take the warnings about excel serious enough. I slowly increased my dose to daily and couldn't figure out why every time i added baby shrimps or fish they'd die. I tested my water, was always perfect 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, under 10 nitrate, 7kh, 7gh. My tank is/was moderately planted, and most leaves show some sign of bba. So i wanted to combat it a bit stronger, since i've had it almost a year. Instead of excel, i've decided to do diy co2 even though some people say it could add to the problem, but i just don't have the money for high tech. I just use flourish comprehensive and kh booster with every water change. 

Unfortunately, I just had a mild ich outbreach and the meds and high temp, melted most of my java fern and has caused some issues with some of the other plants. Looks like only my amazon sword is still the most affected by the bba and i've cut my annubis down to only 3 leaves. I am now trying the peroxide method, but my dwarf puffers, didn't do very well with that treatment either. My tanks are too small for SAE's so, might just have to live with it.  Almost thought about going plastic, but I LOVE the plants.


----------



## shady280 (Oct 17, 2011)

What I did in my 6g edge with shrimp and snails is I pulled my piece of driftwood that was coated in bba then squirted it with hydrogen peroxide, then placed it back in right away. I also dosed with excel once a day at a level of 1ml. It took a few weeks after having it for 6 months but it worked and nobody died


----------

