BBA starting to spread

[neontiger92]

I realised some BBA started growing in my tank. Bought 3 otos and 2 SAEs to help curb the situation. I understand they do not eat grown algae. So do I manually pluck the grown BBA?

[greenie]

Get a syringe and Seachem Excel. Stop filter or circulation pump for a while. Squirt Excel from syringe to affected spots.

Better way to fastbtrack removal of as much of BBA, remove livestock, drain empty tank. Using those paintbrush, soak brush with Excel and brush it on BBA infested spots, wait 1-2 minutes, fill up tank.

Follow up with higher rate C02 dosing, Algaexit dosing and increase water circulation in tank. Reconsider and reevaluate fert\C02 dosing and water change frequency to rectify deficiencies that encourage BBA to flourish.

Poor CO2 dosing is usually is the culprit after on unknowingly introduces BBA spores into the tank. Once they are introduce, they are there to stay.

[neontiger92]

woah. Thanks for the detailed post. Gained lots of insights to this. Where do I get this Seachem Excel? Any LFS?

[Darkstalker]

woah. Thanks for the detailed post. Gained lots of insights to this. Where do I get this Seachem Excel? Any LFS?

I got mine from C328 fyi

[neontiger92]

I got mine from C328 fyi

How much did u get it for?

[greenie]

It's nice to know how bad your BBA infestation by having a picture and describe your tank setup and fert regime if any.

A more precise advice can be given.

[AQMS]

Find out what is the cause of the BBA outbreak before you do anything.

[Urban Aquaria]

woah. Thanks for the detailed post. Gained lots of insights to this. Where do I get this Seachem Excel? Any LFS?

You can get it from places like Seaview, C328, Polyart etc. Usually around $10+ a bottle.

Note that Seachem Excel is actually a liquid carbon supplement, which provides plants with an alternative source of carbon to improve their growth... it's not designed to kill algae, but its main active ingredient (glutaraldehyde) has a side effect of killing and inhibiting algae too, so it has become popularly used to deal with those issues.

Have to be careful when overdosing it though, as it can affect plants and livestock.

[raeburter]

Is Seachem excel shrimp safe?

[Urban Aquaria]

Is Seachem excel shrimp safe?

At the dosage amounts as recommended on the bottle instructions, it is usually safe for "most" shrimps... but if you are keeping particularly sensitive or delicate shrimps (or expensive ones), then you may want to dose quarter or half dosage first and see if there are any negative effects, if okay then can gradually increase the dosages.

When doing spot treatment using a syringe with concentrate dosages of Excel, do make sure that there are no shrimps on or near the treatment area too, as that can affect them.

[raeburter]

At the dosage amounts as recommended on the bottle instructions, it is usually safe for "most" shrimps... but if you are keeping particularly sensitive or delicate shrimps (or expensive ones), then you may want to dose quarter or half dosage first and see if there are any negative effects, if okay then can gradually increase the dosages.

When doing spot treatment using a syringe with concentrate dosages of Excel, do make sure that there are no shrimps on or near the treatment area too, as that can affect them.

How often would you recommend the usage of it?

[Urban Aquaria]

How often would you recommend the usage of it?

To assist in overall plant growth, Seachem Excel is meant to be dosed on a daily basis (it only lasts in the water for up to 24 hours), here are some useful product info on it:

http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...rishExcel.html

http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/FlourishExcel.html

If you use it as spot treatment to kill algae, then its best to limit the amount used for the spot treatment to the recommended daily dosage (at most the initial dosage). Its basically like dosing it for the day, just with a syringe on a few specific spots, as it will still eventually get circulated around the tank by the filter current.

[sampo91]

ehh if im not wrong C328 selling at $8 for seachem excel, etc for the small bottle

[uklau]

Using excel is just addressing the symptoms. To fix the root cause, increase CO2 & water circulation in the tank.


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[lukeskwr]

i placed an sae. helped with later clearance. heard red nose aka mosquito shrimps do help clear. proven oto and yamato do not.
no co2 in my 1ft tank.
dosed daily about 5ml excel and when saw reduction, reduced it.

[lukeskwr]

oh yes, reduced lighting regime too.

[raeburter]

May I know if CRS shrimplets are sensitive to it? I dosed it and I can't find any of my newborns! Maybe they are hiding but I'm scared dosing has affected them. I dosed 1ml for a 60l tank at a particular spot.

[Goalkeeper]

To assist in overall plant growth, Seachem Excel is meant to be dosed on a daily basis (it only lasts in the water for up to 24 hours), here are some useful product info on it:

http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...rishExcel.html

http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/FlourishExcel.html

If you use it as spot treatment to kill algae, then its best to limit the amount used for the spot treatment to the recommended daily dosage (at most the initial dosage). Its basically like dosing it for the day, just with a syringe on a few specific spots, as it will still eventually get circulated around the tank by the filter current.

Bro UA, just wonder whether the liquid will "hit" the infected spot when using the syringe especially when the plants are submerge in water? Would it be more effective to spray directly if we can remove the infested plants? Thanks.

[Urban Aquaria]

Bro UA, just wonder whether the liquid will "hit" the infected spot when using the syringe especially when the plants are submerge in water?

If you switch off the filter and use a syringe to target inject undiluted Excel directly onto the affected areas, you can actually see the Excel solution itself flow in the water, it has a thicker consistency than water so can be quite visible.

Here is the effect when i used it in one of my tanks: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...298#post746298

Would it be more effective to spray directly if we can remove the infested plants? Thanks.

Yes, it'll definitely be much easier if you can remove the algae affected plants and either spray or apply the Excel with a brush outside of the tank.

[ckaidi]

I felt using spot treatment with filter off for a few minutes is safer. Takes a few more days to see the results but at least the plant/leaf 🍃 survived. Saved my Bucephalandra precious leaves before

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