I am still not quite clear what’s stopped the BBA. When I stopped using co2 there is nowhere BBA to be found. All We still have bouts of algae here and there, but tend to them quickly to eliminate it. If they're also infested with undesirable algae, they can be treated simply by keeping them in the bucket in a dark place for a week. If there are any underlying problems that caused the algae outbreak in the first place, correct them so your tank stays algae-free. Follow this link and you'll get the full description of the method. As I said before, Concentration * Flow * Time. We documented the process with video and photos along the way, and have created a step by step guide showing the process we used to remove black beard algae. "NOTE: Others have reported deaths of shrimp, snails, and fish - particularly known sensitive ones. I like to use a paint brush that is “almost” dripping. I'm experimenting with this approach on plant leaves (see images to the right). We could see that the treatment had an adverse affect on the algae. I then began to add back prime treated fresh water. I've heard about a few species of fish that eat BBA, but it seems different people have different experiences. It seemed like some the shrimp were trying to climb out of the water while others seemed unaffected. I've tried it on other algae too, mostly out of curiosity rather than necessity. Mix 25ml of 6% Hydrogen Peroxide (pictured) with 75ml of tank water in a small container, deep enough to cover your zoa plug. I’m sure there are less invasive ways to remove Black Beard Algae, and if you scour the internet long enough you may be able to find them. Freshwater Scuds: The Ultimate Algae Eaters? By Marios Alexandrou on August 8, 2018. I am convinced that it was the co2, I am not sure if it is the 50% water changes, Siamese algae eaters that I added, stopping co2, EI dosage or a combination of all. Otocinclus, Amano Shrimp, and Nerite Snails won't eat BBA. Background: 65g, I would say a medium plant density (mostly swords and Brazilian pennywort) Finnex planted+ 24/7, Fluval 306 canister filter and a small circulation fan. So far I've managed to kill the BBA (it turns pink), but the verdict isn't in on whether I'm significantly damaging the plant leaves. The algae should turn red, then greyish white, meaning it has died. And not even using EI protocol !? I've tried everything in the book to get ride of BBA from my tank but nothing works. I do a 50% water change weekly. After fighting with this algae for several months, we were considering just tearing down the scape and starting over. A little of each of the mosses survived, and she attached some to the new wood along with some Hygrophila pinnatifida. I’ve also noticed that the H202 begins to lose its effectiveness once the bottle has been opened. I know it is unorthodox in aquascaping to not use an EI dosing method while running a high tech tank. I’ve added pressurised co2, I have 2 koralia none wave makers and 3 fluval led lamps. They say Siamese Algae eaters love the stuff. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. I immediately knew what it was because I’d seen this species of algae in our LFS. We have had some setbacks as the article points out, and BBA has thus far been one of the biggest issues. It looked like cotton in our mosses. And will diffuse into water and oxygen after 24 hours. This treatment does work, but it’s pretty extreme. But as I started to trim my java fern last week, I had noticed inside the bush that there were brown plants that were deteriorating due to age and being shaded. Hydrogen Peroxide, nothing, Excel a wast of money. 2 mins; Hygrophila polysperma? I have a cheap Koralia clone that with 1,320GPH flow, turned out to be too much for any of my tanks; but I keep it around because it's ideal for this treatment. Hopefully, the BBA goes away soon, and I have been spraying a bit of Hydrogen Peroxide. Not only does it make you susceptible to BBA, but other algae and parasites as well. I have 3 Flying Foxs and they don't touch the stuff. I would suggest you cut off any infected leaves, fix whatever is causing your algae, and your crypt will regrow healthily. Do a 50% water change, or more if you know it's well tolerated. I wanted to see if it grew or spread after adding the CO2. Now add 3% H2O2, at a dosage of 4 tbsp. 55 GAL, heavily planted, CO2 injected tropical fresh. It does a good job with algae and parasites. So instead, high flow is required to carry it around the tank, to contact the algae and have some positive effect. I squirt it very, very slowly. I guess the takeaway is that if you have a situation like we did where BBA has grow out of control, this method will eliminate it. BBA bloomed. Once done, I poured the remaining mix into the tank. If we had continuous setbacks, I would definitely have to do more homework on EI dosing. This may be a bit conservative, but was a best guess and a round number. No further large doses are necessary in this case. Only through many more tests in a wide variety of tanks can that be established. If you decide to remove black beard algae using this method, it will work. just a note H202 will actually start to oxidize the Excel immediately and break it down from an algaecide to a carbon source really really fast, storing it after its mixed is a bad idea (all your left with is a weaker h202 solution and some carbon). I hate even looking at it anymore. All plants in my aquarium grow well, but I wasn’t able to see the dying leaves. BBA isn't affected much by light intensity as I have it growing at all levels from the substrate to the surface. Does peroxide kill coral? What I can’t seem to figure out is, even though we keep our tanks spotless, we still had a serious issue with BBA. Use of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Bath. I would love to explain the science behind why our setups are flourishing so well, but don’t have the research to back any claims. The “amount” that you should have used is equal to the dosage amount for the tank. I have always suspected that having too many organics are the cause of black beard algae. Place first zoa in for exactly 5 minutes, then return it to tank. I would advise not to dip the moss ball since its pretty much bunched up algae. And they will continue to be exposed to gradually lessening concentrations, further increasing the stress, as the filter slowly removes it. After that, we did two a week for the next month. It's a ratio of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 150 parts water. He said that when he returned home, the Black Beard Algae was gone and his fish were fine. The video did not show the process taking place, so we didn’t know exactly how much to apply. Member. First, prepare the tank. Water changes are done weekly using a 50/50 mix of RO and dechlorinated tap. Please note: … While I've provided this info in several threads now as personalized help, I feel it deserves a full write-up in its own thread. Tap How long to dip: Java moss? But the truth is, most people perform this treatment completely wrong. Member. The video did not show the process taking place, so we didn’t know exactly how much to apply. After a few days, the mulm started to disappear on its own. We were ready to tear down this setup and re-scape the aquarium, but with the countless hours and meticulous details invested in this aquascape, were not looking forward to doing that. After soaking, rinse everything thoroughly in freshwater. We still use a 50/50 mix of Excel and H202, but these days we spot treat BEFORE the BBA gets out of hand. I had the tank back to capacity at about 45 minutes. So sorry for your loss. It has some large manzanita wood covered with petite Anubia. Some amount of time is allowed to elapse, a half hour or so. And I mean everything that I've read on all forums and others. Great blog. In my experience, CO2 is the most important nutrient, and combined with a quality substrate under a quality light spectrum, we are rarely disappointed. My plants are ok, but not as green and lush as when I was suing co2. Hydrogen Peroxide Dip Ratio And Time. When we were done nuking the tank, it was plain to see that we had covered all the algae with this mix because every bit of BBA was covered with bubbles. Cladophora is very hardy, and normally not affected by whole tank H2O2 treatments. So, I’m going to try dosing with Excel first and reducing my lights to 8 hours from 10. Last night I noticed that three reddish swords (maybe red Rubin?) Then I use a syringe to squirt Excel onto the BBA under the water. That's good, because we don't want the H2O2 to kill too much nitrifying bacteria, nor want the H2O2 depleted at this point in reaction with these bacteria. Hopefully others can soon add their experiences. The most important thing is to not allow hydrogen peroxide to contact any corals or life that is not algae. Moving on now. Keeping a clean tank is a must for heavily planted tanks due to the mulm buildup on the substrate. In this case, the H2O2 treatment followed by a single, sudden Excel spike is enough to quickly finish algae off. I couldn’t find the exact cause, so I was messing around every single day adjusting lights intensity, photoperiod, regulating the co2 you name it, peroxide! Your plants may take a hit though... Jun 8, 2017 #3 Ken Ooi Active Member. I plan on adding more plants as I think with the added CO2 and increased ferts, there were not enough plants to pull enough nutrients out of the water, giving the BBA th extra nutrients. Unfortunately, only one made it through the night. I will post the results in a week or two. Most of it had turned gray. This treatment seems especially hit-and-miss with shrimp, so for them, I do not recommend this treatment AT ALL - unless you consider them expendable. also you can just combine the proper excel dose above with the H202 ratio above (not a strict 50/50 mix) and do it that way…. Once the BBA was gone, we were back to weekly water changes and maintenance. Here's what I found: What's the ratio for 6% bleach to water? If you have followed our journals about how we fought this battle to remove black beard algae, you already know that we used a pretty harsh treatment. But all of our Chili Rasboras were huddled at the top of the water in one corner of the tank. ), but with proper maintenance, trimming, lighting and CO2 level adjustments, we have found the right balance for our scapes without having to purchase and use various fertilizers. Thank you for the feedback, Dale. Any other suggestions? Hydrogen Peroxide eventually breaks down into just water so no need to worry about it harming your fish or plants. 3% H202 Hydrogen peroxide can be bought online or at many chemists or supermarkets and it’s an inexpensive solution. I use both Excel and H202 to treat algae when necessary (i also keep plants,shrimp,snails and fish in those tanks). Works great. Mr. Aqua 12 Long Aquascape – From Conception to Completion. The slowly add Hydrogen Peroxide until you start to see bubbles forming. Something more effective/safe? We felt that to remove black beard algae completely, the driftwood had to go. So it’s best to purchase smaller bottles. I tried this “1-2-punch” this morning. This is a technique I've developed. Even though the algae on it was was dying, the wood was heavily infested. This is one of the most popular ways over the internet and it involved using 3% Hydrogen Peroxide which you can easily and cheaply get from your local drugstore. It spread too fast. I should have known right away they were suffering. Algae is something that is easy to forget but your frag plugs are likely the number one source of introducing rare and very pesky algae species into your tank. per 10G, down from 4 tbsp. Thankfully our tank is spotless at the moment, but every now and then we have to spot treat with H2O2. BBA is no joke when trying to remove it completely from your scape. I've read that people have used 2 ml per gallon with no ill effects, but I'm nervous about going that high. I recently set up a freshwater DSB tank which is about 50% planted with swords and crypts. Jun 15, 2017. yom. We thought about purchasing a couple of SAE’s as well, but those were not fish we wanted to keep and weren’t 100% sure that they would do the trick, so after stumbling on a video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/43bvtrORrd4) that showed the process we took (in a milder form, I’m sure), we decided to go this route. Not minutes. There were a few small spots I missed, but decided to leave there as a “controll group”. Alternatively, you could use an eye dropper or cue tip to apply the H202. Several times I've also had fish severely stressed or killed by AlgaeFix, and although in the majority of cases this doesn't happen, I consider it a gamble. That did not work. WARNING! The results are typically very poor, at least until you get into such doses that fauna are at risk; and after a few failed attempts, most folks understandably write this option off. If you were already using Excel overdoses, continue using the previous dose. Don't subscribe Return the tank to its normal configuration, including replacing filter media if it was removed. per 10G of actual tank water volume (excluding substrate, plants, etc). Beautiful tank! 4 years ago. But forts you need to find what's causing the BBA and fix it. So overall, I had about 30 minutes of “soak time” at full strength before I began diluting with the fresh water. This has worked very well on filter components, the top of my heater, and on driftwood. Aquarium Background Ideas – Vinyl or Paint? Great information! Whole tank H2O2 treatments don't get much attention. If this is done, the increase in safety is actually enough that concentration can be increased. *Disclosure: We only recommend products we would use ourselves and all opinions expressed here are our own. In a day or two the BBA turns red. For how long after treatment did you have Marimo balls, temporarily them! Had continuous setbacks, I can concluded that removing CO2, H2O2 spot treatment fashion, with the piece driftwood... But it ’ s an inexpensive solution 2 gallons of water it will kill.! ( after water change and the BBA our scape looked contact any corals or life that is the most is... Likes the Malaysian driftwood see what 's the ratio for 6 % bleach to?... Tank and did you have Marimo balls, hydrogen peroxide dip black beard algae remove them to a bucket of water! 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Entire thread for details before experimenting treatment did you wait before adding your livestock first dip is much easier find!
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