# BBA - What am I doing wrong?



## aquajay (Feb 16, 2011)

My tank has been up and running about 3 months and I've started getting black beard algae. Not exactly sure what the problem is, but here's my set up:

55 gallon long tank
Eheim Professional 3e 2078 (277 GPH)
2-54 watt T5 lights (one 6500k and one 650nm)
Aquasoil Amazonia substrate
Pressurized C02 using a Millwaukee PH monitor

I run the lights 8 hours a day (from 10:00-2:00 and then 5:30 - 9:30). In order to keep the C02 running, I keep the PH monitor set to 6.3. I do have a drop checker at the opposite end of the tank from the C02 diffuser and it is green (I am using 4dkh solution in it). I did get another one and am going to put it at the opposite that one to make sure the reading is even throughout the tank. One thing I do, which I'm not sure about is run an airstone at night starting at midnight and have it go on for an hour, off an hour, on an hour, etc, so it's on about 4 hours at night. I do keep the C02 o 24/7.

I assume I have enough C02 in the tank, not sure if running the airstone is causing too much variation as I assume it causes the C02 to drop. The reason I do this is I want to make sure enough oxygen is getting into the water. I haven't been really good about fertilizers until this week. I just started using the PPS pro method which puts small amounts of ferts in every day. 

I'm not exactly sure what I am doing wrong. It seems like I have adequate circulation as there is a decent amount of plant movement, but it is more pronounced at one end of the tank than the other. Not sure if I should put in a power head at the opposite of the filter output. I'm also going to try using flourish excel.

Any suggestions other than that?

Thanks.


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

I experienced BBA growth when I ran CO2 without providing fertilization, and I think this may be your problem, too.

BBA can take awhile to go away, but when the plants are growing well and things are in good balance, it will start to recede.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

> I'm not exactly sure what I am doing wrong. It seems like I have adequate circulation as there is a decent amount of plant movement, but it is more pronounced at one end of the tank than the other. Not sure if I should put in a power head at the opposite of the filter output. I'm also going to try using flourish excel.
> 
> Any suggestions other than that?


You must have sinned because the tank gods are clearly displeased! I suggest a hair shirt, a diet of bread and water, and that you pay higher taxes!. Maybe that will get you back in their good favor. :biggrin:

Or, maybe the only thing you did wrong is let it get into your tank on some plant you acquired. It pretty much likes the same conditions that aquarium plants like.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Less light will probably stop your BBA. Your could also dose consistently. That is the number one thing - after your CO2 which you say is in order. Remembering at light is the gas pedal for all other elements helps so much. . ...that and the shirt HeyPK mentioned! ;0)


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## Glaucus (Oct 11, 2009)

Tex Gal said:


> Less light will probably stop your BBA. Your could also dose consistently. That is the number one thing - after your CO2 which you say is in order.


I have a 65 gallon tank with 2x39W which i consider to be of medium intensity and i have an automated dosing system dosing twice a day along with automated Co2. The dosing regime is lean but frequent. The flow provided by two eheim pumps is adequate enough to disperse the nutrients well enough. Plant growth is good. Unfortunately this approach still results in BBA on some plants, only minor but visible. Still looking to improve on this.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes it's the tweaking that ends up with good success. For me it's always tweaking, because plant mass varies as does temperature, growth rate, etc....


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