BBA😡🤬😡

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Chrisjj0686
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Any new magical way of banishing BBA these days?
This is a high tech tank with injected CO2 and EI ferts.
Over time, it has basically become a shrimp tank with cherries and crystal reds and a school of chilli rasbora.
The only algae I struggle with is BBA.
After numerous very time consuming attempts to rid it including playing with water changes, co2 levels, lighting, plants, creatures, peroxide etc, the only success I’ve had is by adding a SAE, which removes it all very well. I haven’t found any other creature that eats BBA. The problem is, SAE eat shrimp, so I then move them to another tank. I now have some nice crystals in there so ideally need an alternative method.
I’m short on time and this tank basically looks after itself, so ideally need to find a creature that eats BBA but not shrimp!
Any ideas??!
240ltr planted low tech
186ltr planted high tech
Various shrimp tanks
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fr499y
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Increase flow and spot treat with peroxide usually works for me 😁 amano shrimp and reduce the ferts.
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Martinspuddle
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Very nice setup, with black bush algae I find a flame thrower works. :grin:

Seriously, this is obliviously a high tech aquarium, from your image, even very large I'm struggling to find much BBA.

So what are you running, what the is the water volume, whats your dosing and maintenance regime?
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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Chrisjj0686
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Cheers.
There’s no BBA at the moment, but I’ve only just taken the SAE out so I’m just anticipating it’s arrival!🥴
186ltr capacity but probably around 150 to 160 ltrs of water.
1400lph filter with a 1800lph power head, so flow of over 3000lph - x20 of the volume. Don’t think flow’s an issue!😂
Weekly (ish) water change - was 50%, recently reduced to 40% due to shrimp.
EI fert dosing daily.
Injected CO2.
Lights 6 to 7 hours a day.
Always had issues with peroxide and shrimp. Don’t know why 🤔
Might try a flame thrower next👍
240ltr planted low tech
186ltr planted high tech
Various shrimp tanks
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Martinspuddle
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Chrisjj0686 wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 23:30 pm Weekly (ish) water change - was 50%, recently reduced to 40% due to shrimp.
Why? ::eh::

With a high tech aquarium, I always found you need to stick to a strict weekly waterchange routine of 50% or more, any less or for longer periods between changes and I found you were asking for trouble.

By having an inconsistent maintenance routine you may well be causing fluctuating CO2 levels thus allowing the black bush (beard) algae to take hold.
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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Chrisjj0686
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One can but try! 🥴 Its done on a Saturday or Sunday, depending on which day I drink and when F1 is on! 🤣 so it’s either 6,7 or 8 days between water changes.
I reduced to 40% on account of the ornamental shrimp - SSSS pure line crystals - but has only been about 4 weeks. They seem to be fine so might up to 50% again. (I usually only do 10% weekly changes on shrimp tanks as I know that stability is key for shrimp (usually!)).
I guess I shouldn’t have fancy shrimp in a high tech tank, but hey ho!
240ltr planted low tech
186ltr planted high tech
Various shrimp tanks
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Martinspuddle
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Chrisjj0686 wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 23:09 pm One can but try! 🥴 Its done on a Saturday or Sunday, depending on which day I drink and when F1 is on! 🤣 so it’s either 6,7 or 8 days between water changes.
I reduced to 40% on account of the ornamental shrimp - SSSS pure line crystals - but has only been about 4 weeks. They seem to be fine so might up to 50% again. (I usually only do 10% weekly changes on shrimp tanks as I know that stability is key for shrimp (usually!)).
I guess I shouldn’t have fancy shrimp in a high tech tank, but hey ho!
Don't drink on Sundays and record the F1... simple! :]

Years ago, on a visit to see George Farmer and I believe Dan Crawford doing a aquascape demonstration at The Green Machine showroom in Wrexham. In the store they had Crystal shrimps in their high tech display tanks, Co2 injection and had 50% weekly waterchanges.

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WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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Chrisjj0686
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Well it’s been a couple of weeks and still no signs of BBA👍

All I’ve done is reduce the amount of daily ferts I add.

Back up to 50% water changes.

Shrimp all fine and plants don’t seem to be suffering.

All good for now!

Cheers
240ltr planted low tech
186ltr planted high tech
Various shrimp tanks
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Stephen
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Well done Chris ::thumbu::
425L SeaBray Elite aquarium - Rio Mamoré (Bolivia) theme
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)

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