Algae ID help

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seiji64
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:19 pm
Location: Takoma Park

Algae ID help

Post by seiji64 »

I've got this algae that looks like BBA that has been growing on my canister outtake and on the upper leaves of C helferi for a while, but is now spreading to C parva on the ground. I turned the lights back on in the evening a few too many times and did a big trim a while back that may have caused this spread. My dosing routine is kind of sporadic as well. :( The only thing that makes me think it isn't BBA is that it grows well on surfaces with high current and I thought BBA didn't like currrent.

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Help me kill this stuff! I'm cutting my lighting levels in half (96W to 48W) and I've squirted some Excel on a parva leaf to see if it responds. Any other advice is appreciated.
Thanks,
Doug
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Cristy Keister
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Location: MD

Post by Cristy Keister »

That is BBA. It was BGA that some thought was affected by water flow (not true). When you have BBA it usually means that your CO2 levels are too low, or that you dose Excel sporadically (pun intended).
seiji64
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:19 pm
Location: Takoma Park

Post by seiji64 »

Thanks Cristy! I did recently shift the location of my CO2 diffuser (a modified Duetto Mini filter boosted with a Koralia nano) towards the back of the tank, which did impact the CO2 dispersion. A CO2 mist used to flow over the parva. I just moved it back to the front of the tank.

I'm also curious whether a UV sterilizer would prevent this type of algae from spreading.

Doug
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Bgssamson
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Real Name: Brian Samson
Location: Springfield, VA

Post by Bgssamson »

Doug,

Do the spot treatment of excel make sure you turn off all filter and let it sit for a while. I don't think uv will work as only free flooting algae kills it.

- Brian
ブライアン BRIAN S.
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Jeff120
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Post by Jeff120 »

Water changes and clean your filter.
Jeff U.

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tug
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Real Name: Mike
Location: Washington, DC

Post by tug »

If you can, raising your lights a few more inches should help. 8)
Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association
Mixed with the sound of water's murmuring
a sensitive plant in a garden grows.
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