Been very very busy preparing my wedding, especially when I am working in KL and will only be back in SG on weekends. Finally got chance and start cleaning up my supposely low maintenance tank, scrapping the BBA off the glass, "sucking" the BBA infested top level sand, cutting the infect leaves.... etc
Three things hardest to clean is the driftwood full of narrow java fern, an internal filter and all those PVC piping for my external filter.
Driftwood is still full of BBA when I leave SG but I am amazed by the power of bleaching solutions.
I poured some bleaching solution into a tub and use a blue waste clothe to simply wipe the BBA off the internal filter and PVC pipes, a few wipe and it is totally clean. Used a fishing line and a small clothe soaked with the solution to "pull" the internal.
During the process, you can feel extreme heat through the clothe whenever there are some raw BBA, and the smell of death. I can even imagine their screams like some of those insect repellants advertisements.
After the wash, I soak the items in a pail of water and add about a cap of concentrated anti-chlorine(supposely a few drops is enough for my 300l tank) and left the internal filter running to improve the circulation of the water at the same time removing the possible solutions stuck hidding in the filter.
After 1 hr, I keep everything to air aside hopefully the rest of the solution will get evaporated by next week when I return to fixed them up.
Two questions,
1) How safe am I now? Will the items still carry chlorine or other toxic substances when I put them in next week?
2) I am wondering how can I remove the drift wood's BBA without hurting the plants.... possible?
[quote:21cbd4f983="Goondoo"]
1) How safe am I now? Will the items still carry chlorine or other toxic substances when I put them in next week?
2) I am wondering how can I remove the drift wood's BBA without hurting the plants.... possible?[/quote:21cbd4f983]
soak all the items in a big pail of water. that should dilute the concentration to safe levels.
have you considered using hydrogen peroxide? use a syringe to squirt directly onto the bba.
So now that you killed it, you ned to prevent it from coming back, so add enough CO2 this time. 20-30ppm during the entire day, every day.
Regards,
Tom Barr
[quote:7867321e91="Plantbrain"]So now that you killed it, you ned to prevent it from coming back, so add enough CO2 this time. 20-30ppm during the entire day, every day.
Regards,
Tom Barr[/quote:7867321e91]
Hi Tom,
This is something I am confused....
I am supposed to have a extremely low requirement 4x2x2 tank. I am using only 4x36w FL maintaining at about 27 degrees water temperature, I try not to add any ferts. My plants grew extremely fast, especially the crypts. After some time, BBA took over and things begin to go out of control, especially when my ex-bolivian ram pair decided to start feeding on my yamatos....
Well, I would try to the peroxide thingy when I got the chance.... any special note to highlight for the purchase?
Goondoo, is this a non-CO2 tank?
If it is a CO2-enriched tank, your not adding of nutrients probably caused the BBA.
BC
[quote:bfeba1281e="bclee"]Goondoo, is this a non-CO2 tank?
If it is a CO2-enriched tank, your not adding of nutrients probably caused the BBA.
BC[/quote:bfeba1281e]
Supposely it is not.... but i ran a very minimal (like 1 bubble every 3 sec) since I need to finish the 5L anyway.
Billy (Goondoo), you got to decide whether you want to go totally non-CO2 or CO2 injected tank. These are 2 different methods.
If you want a low-light tank, low-maintenance tank, I think you should have a rich substrate with some organic matter to supply the nutrients (and C) needed by the plants and you can totally remove the CO2.
If you want to keep your CO2, you got to keep to a regular dosage of nutrients to the water, and keep a healthy CO2 level and have a periodic water change.
BC
[quote:2a478b449c="Goondoo"]
Well, I would try to the peroxide thingy when I got the chance.... any special note to highlight for the purchase?[/quote:2a478b449c]
nope. just those that can be found off-the-shelf in pharmacies. 3% concentration.
The best way I have found is to use a dish brush that has stiff bristles. It gets rid of the BBA real well. I noticed in my tank that the BBA dies on its own when things get balanced out. It seems to turn red when it dies?2) I am wondering how can I remove the drift wood's BBA without hurting the plants.... possible?
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