BBA growing on lapis sand and glosso

[cruiser]

Pls enlighten how to solve this problem.

Tank size: 2 x 1.5 x 1.5
Light:1 55W PL & 1 36W PL
Temp: 26-28 deg.
Filter: Canister type.
Type of CO2: Cylinder
CO2 Injection Rate : 1bps
All chemical properties not measured.

Routine water change about once or twice a week.
Liquid fertilisers Used: Seachem Flourish

Just started to double dose with Seachem Excel yesterday to check if BBA can be controlled.

Just to mention, the tank has alot of shrimps inside.

[Goondoo]

Pls enlighten how to solve this problem.

Tank size: 2 x 1.5 x 1.5
Light:1 55W PL & 1 36W PL
Temp: 26-28 deg.
Filter: Canister type.
Type of CO2: Cylinder
CO2 Injection Rate : 1bps
All chemical properties not measured.

Routine water change about once or twice a week.
Liquid fertilisers Used: Seachem Flourish

Just started to double dose with Seachem Excel yesterday to check if BBA can be controlled.

Just to mention, the tank has alot of shrimps inside.

The best answer you are going to get is probably increase your CO2 and removing all BBA manually.... follow by getting yamoto and SAE

[valice]

Not the best but the standard ten-years series answer...
Test for your KH and PH, so that you know the PPM... Keep it above 30ppm... 1bps of CO2 doesn't mean much, as it depends on your bioload and plant mass...

Also that those high lights you using, you are not providing enough nutrients as Fluorish is only a trace solution which provides the micros... Unless you reduce the amount of lights, you have to up the fertilisation too... So that your plants can outcompete the algae...

[cruiser]

In fact, I'd tried to remove as much BBA manually over the last few days before I double dosed Seachem Excel yesterday. Now I am still monitoring the situation. Also, I have checked my current CO2 injection rate is close to 2bps not 1bps. I think I will just have to buy tester kits for KH and PH, reduce lighting period and increase the fertilisation.

[grey_fox]

Hey cruiser.

Manually remove the BBA.... you really have to bend over backwards to do it. It took my 5 hours of back-breaking to remove 95% of all the BBA/Staghorn algae/and-what-have-yous in my tank...

Also I second valice, keep your CO2 PPM above 30PPM... after the manual removal, no more traces of algae + proper dosing

[Weirong]

If it is that badly affected, I suggest you change all your plants! Glosso grows fast anyway. Otherwise you can get a gang of small SAEs. They work wonders on them.

Unless you get a real kick out of plucking the tiny leaves...

[cruiser]

Thanks for all the advice.
In fact, I had sucked out those lapis sand affected and trimmed the glosso since last week. I have also increased the CO2 and reduce the lighting.
Now, I am still monitoring......the situation. BTW, all along I have 2 ottos & 2 SAEs but I think they are not doing much to get rid of the algae and BBA.

Will update you if the conditions still remains or worsen.

[PeterGwee]

Check the CO2 level using the pH/KH measurements as suggested. How fast does it take to hit 30-35ppm for your tank after the lights are "on"? It should not take more than an hour or so or else you would need to address the efficiency of your CO2 dissolution device and rate of CO2 loss from tank water. BBA is always a CO2 issue.

Once you get the CO2 down, you would need to consider adding major nutrients like NO3 from KNO3, PO4 from KH2PO4 and Seachem Equilibrium for Ca/Mg instead of just Seachem Flourish (a regular trace mix) in order for the plants to grow well.

Regards
Peter Gwee