# A little help with BBA



## SweetumsDesigns (Mar 11, 2011)

Quick Q...got a break out and I'm going to go with the excel dosing, should I turn off my co2 while treating the break out??
Thanks!
Also, what does ppm mean??


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

Hi Adam,

Sorry to hear the BBA outbreak. Can you post more info on your water parameters, lighting, dosing etc. I'm sure there are lots here that could chime and help you solve your BBA problem.

Cheers!

Mylon


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I wouldn't turn off the co2. Keep it stable so you don't add another variable to the mix. Check your parameters first (phosphates too) and report back, there's plenty of planted people here.

Increasing the flow of water to the troubled areas, and adding co2 got rid of mine.


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## SweetumsDesigns (Mar 11, 2011)

Awesome thanks! I'm hoping to get a chance to check everything tomorrow!
I know my lights my lights have been on to much lately, also mylon the fish are doing great! Thanks for everything


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

1. 99.9% of the time, too much exposure to light is the culprit that's why algae thrive. I will start on reducing your photo period, this my number suspect whenever I got any algae on my tank.

2. How much CO2 are you dosing your tank (bubble/sec)? Are you using a timer/ph controller on your CO2? When I got BBA out of wack, one significant changed that I did is regulate my CO2. I removed it from the controller/timer. I let it ran 24 hours (start at 1 bubble/sec). After a week BBA started to disappeared and of course it goes hand in hand with No. 1.

Please provide more info so we could give you better advice. Good to hear that the Rainbows are doing well.


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## cdsgo1974 (Sep 25, 2011)

Adding fast growing plants can significantly help too as it will deprive the algae of the excess nutrients found in the water.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

BBA is from insufficient or fluctuating CO2. Adding more plants may actually make the problem worse. The solution is to increase CO2 and circulation for distribution of the CO2 if possible and definitely reduce the light intensity and/or period.


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## SweetumsDesigns (Mar 11, 2011)

Alright, so finally I got a chance to work on my tank! 
Gh is 120
Kh on first test was 110 but on second test was 130
Nh3 is 0-0.6
Ph is 7.4
No2 is 0.1 
Co2 is about 40 bubbles a minute, I do have a Co2 drop checker in tank to maintain consistency. Are these things very accurate?
I was running my lights for to long but I have now got that under control to 10hrs a day. I have them on intervals at 2hrs in the morning from 630-830am then back on at 3-9pm is this okay?


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

SweetumsDesigns said:


> Alright, so finally I got a chance to work on my tank!
> Gh is 120
> Kh on first test was 110 but on second test was 130
> Nh3 is 0-0.6
> ...


Try increasing your CO2 to 60 bubbles/minute and reduce your photo period from 10 hrs to 8 hrs. By the way what type of light are you using? How many watts/par if applicable?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

How long has this tank been set up? A pic might help. I'm curious as to why you're measuring Nitrite (NO2). What's the nitrate at? Your drop checker is showing green? You set it up with a 4kdH solution? Plus answers to Crimper's lighting questions would also help.


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## SweetumsDesigns (Mar 11, 2011)

Alright sounds good! Does my gh/kh sound right?? I have LEDs =2800 lumens. My tank is low little plants as well,I have an 80 gallon tank and there's about 14inches in between the plants and lights! 

So how's the river bank tank coming along??


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## waynestractor (Nov 9, 2011)

I had a really bad outbreak awhile back too...my co2 regulator was going crazy and levels were fluctuating badly. I eliminated the co2 and the bba disappeared in no time! My tank and plants are doing great ever since. I am using a reef ready 48" Marineland and 2 48" strips of blue 5050-6012 leds so tons of light.


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

SweetumsDesigns said:


> Alright sounds good! Does my gh/kh sound right?? I have LEDs =2800 lumens. My tank is low little plants as well,I have an 80 gallon tank and there's about 14inches in between the plants and lights!
> 
> So how's the river bank tank coming along??


Your GH/KH is fine it is around 6/7 deg which is fine, i dont worry about this much.

However your lighting really seams very low, if you are running only one fixture with that, based on my calculation that would be less than 50W around 30W maybe.

I would definitely pump more CO2, start with 1 bubble/sec, then cut down your photo period to 8 hrs from 10.

If BBA is really out of wack, I would do a Potassium Permanganate dip but you need to take out those plants/woods out. Or try Hydrogen Peroxide, you may not take out the affected plants/wood with this but the results is not drastic as the PP dip.

This is how I got rid of BBA before.


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## SweetumsDesigns (Mar 11, 2011)

Awesome, thanks so much! I know the lights are low, when I upgraded to the larger tank I didn't want to spend more money on new lights and figured I'd see how they'd work out with low light plants and seems to be good for now. 
I will not be able to take out some of the wood, so ill have to do the Hydrogen Peroxide method, could you please give me a run down on how I would perform this method? Also I do have shrimp, will the be okay with this?
Thanks again for all your help!


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

If you still continue to have ongoing bba moving on forward, I'd recommend picking up a crosso Reticulatus from canadian aquatics or fantasy aquatics.

A more natural alternative rather than chemically treatment frequently as bba will reappear.

Good luck.

Sent from my mobile phone


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## SweetumsDesigns (Mar 11, 2011)

Thanks, Ill look into it.
Also, I do not know what 4kdH is?? Im sure ill find it on here somewhere tho lol


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

4kdh is a solution mix used to check co2 levels in a tank that has injected co2.

A quick google of co2 drop checking solution will yield tons of info.

http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/24083-How-to-make-4dkh-Solution

Sent from my mobile phone


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## SweetumsDesigns (Mar 11, 2011)

Cool thanks, I have a drop checker already, but ill look it up!


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