# Not sure if this is BBA or BGA



## trckrunrmike (Jan 31, 2005)

I've had BGA in the past and it didn't look like this. Last time, it was slimy sheets of blackish green but now its just black slimy sheets and the tips protrude out like BBA. The smell is just immense, much worse than the BGA I had last time. I think I got this BGA/BBA from dosing half as much NO3 as I'm suppose to due to the rumor that low NO3 will bring out the reds in my plants (they're still green)


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Sounds and looks to be a combination of both BBA & BGA (which appears in other colors beside green). Only BGA smells, not BBA. 

I would remove both as much as possible by hand, then increase your N03 levels back up to what you had before the decrease. This should clear it, if not then you can do a blackout or use E-mycin to treat the BGA.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Looks like your shrimp have been overwhelmed! Perhaps some grazing fish, like guppies, mollies, swordtails, etc., would help.


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## Gumby (Aug 1, 2005)

I've found that mollies seem to love to eat the BGA in my tank. They're worth a try. Not sure if other live bearing fish will... I've never seen my guppies go after it.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Gumby... Are you sure that your fish is eating the BGA. From my understanding BGA is toxic to fish, therefore fish will not eat it.


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## BLaZe (Mar 12, 2005)

hey i had this stuff about a month ago , it looks black and its easily removed by hand ,and its in sheets govers most plants , and it does smell really bad , i think its some kind of BGA, this BGA started developing when i stopped adding CO2 , after removing most of them i siphoned them and did a big water change and reactivated my DIY CO2 system , and now i cant see any of it on my plants .


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## Gumby (Aug 1, 2005)

trenac said:


> Gumby... Are you sure that your fish is eating the BGA. From my understanding BGA is toxic to fish, therefore fish will not eat it.


100% sure. I sit there and watch the mollies eat it. I have BGA growing inbetween the glass and my plants/gravel. When I trim my glosso my mollies come in instantly and just start tearing into the BGA. You can see where they kept it "trimmed up"... the only place BGA can be found in my tank is where the mollies can't get to it (ie: between glosso and glass). Although they do try several times a day to squeeze in between the glosso and the glass so that they can eat the BGA


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## trckrunrmike (Jan 31, 2005)

I'm treating it with maracyn right now. I have 8 packs, 1 pack for every 10 gallons, I have 20 gallons so that makes me one day short of 5 days. Should I put 1 packet into the last 2 days?


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