# Low Light South American Fast Grower?



## brentling (Sep 26, 2008)

I am looking for fast growing (nutrient using) planst for my 29 gallon Amazon tank. Right now I am fighting a BBA crisis and need something to help out compete with the BBA for nutrients. I have 36 watts T8 and am using EI methods, Flourish and Excel, but no CO2. The plant(s) has/have to be South American in origin. I have plenty of swordplants and val, and recently added Alternatheria renekii. Does anyone have any good suggestions?


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## zer0zax (Mar 25, 2007)

Amazon Frogbit is a quick grower. Floats on the surface and you can remove some easily when you have to much. Here is a link to it on PlantFinder, a very good tool!

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...s.php?id=61&category=plant_type&spec=Floating

I love low light tanks, but only using 1 T8 might not be enough to keep trouble away. I would shoot for 64 watts, and IMHO it would still be low light, but your plants would grow strong and steady! I don't use EI, so hopefully someone else can chime in with more experience.


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

brentling said:


> Right now I am fighting a BBA crisis and need something to help out compete with the BBA for nutrients.


This won't work, you can not starve BBA. Even 4 months in darkness will not kill it. If it grows on plants then you need to fertilize your plants better so they can build natural resistance. The algae will attack weak plant parts. If you find BBA on objects you need to dip it in Javex overnight to kill it. There is no known cure yet available.


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## jcali10 (Jun 17, 2007)

Javex is bleach correct? What concentration are you talking about? I've read about bleach dips, where you dip the affected plants in a diluted solution of say 20:1 for a minute or two at most. 

I have yet to try it on plants.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

One part bleach to 20 parts water is what is usually recommended for dipping plants. I admit that I don't carefully measure when I mix that, but it does work. Unfortunately, it can kill the plants if you keep them in the bleach solution too long, and the time required depends on the plant. Anubias will withstand the most time, Java Ferns will withstand a lot of time, but some plants barely withstand a few seconds.

BBA badly scars plants, infected leaves are effectively killed by BBA. So, you might as well prune off all infected leaves and discard them, leaving the plant to grow new leaves.

Conventional wisdom says having good CO2 concentration in the water will deter BBA, but I have found that a hard target to hit.


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Items like filters, pipes, some decorations can be cleaned with concentrated bleach, not diluted and it still takes many hours for BBA to die. Leave it overnight in bleach then rinse it about thousand times. Rocks leave in tap water for another day to get rid of any bleach left in its structure. Any bleaching of BBA from plants does not work because the algae survives more bleach then plants do. Hopefully the infected plants grow new leaves soon so the infected can be removed. This is the worst algae ever.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

hoppycalif said:


> Conventional wisdom says having good CO2 concentration in the water will deter BBA, but I have found that a hard target to hit.


Right!

Actually, what deters BBA and other algaes is healthy plant growth. Good CO2 is one way to achieve this. But there are many successful aquatic plant growers who do not use CO2 and don't have serious algae problems. They do have healthy plants, though.

Bill


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

aquabillpers said:


> Right!
> 
> Actually, what deters BBA and other algaes is healthy plant growth. Good CO2 is one way to achieve this. But there are many successful aquatic plant growers who do not use CO2 and don't have serious algae problems. They do have healthy plants, though.
> 
> Bill


Yes, I agree with that. Trying to find the combination of light, substrate, fertilizing, CO2 or no CO2, plants, cleanliness, etc. that results in an algae free aquarium is like searching for the Holy Grail for many of us. But, I think the one common factor when someone does have an algae free aquarium is lots of good healthy plant growth.


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## brentling (Sep 26, 2008)

OK then... thanks for the replies. I will soak the rocks, powerhead, etc. overnight in full bleach solution. I will trim off leaves that are infected. I am just now beginning EI after using only Flourish for a while now. I have just started Excel dosing to try to help with this problem. I am using 2 18 watt T8s and realize that this isn't much light, but the Val and Swordplants really are thriving with the exception of BBA. I am currently in the finishing stages of setting up a high light 125 CO2 tank and do not have financial resources to upgrade lighting at this time. 

So it seems like A: manually remove BBA and do bleach, etc. B: Start proper fertilizer routines (I just got my dry ferts this week) C: Add light when I can afford it.

Once this problem is solved, does anybody have any more suggestions for low light Amazon/S. American fast growing plants?  It seems like most plants that meet my needs are Asian, but this is definitely a South American tank. I am afraid of the frogbit because it will block light that needs to go into the tank.


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Why do you care where the plants are from?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

My experience with black beard algae has been quite different. I have never had a black beard algae (BBA) outbreak in any of my tanks because I have given a bleach treatment to new plants before introducing them. I have received a variety of plants from other hobbyists, pet stores, etc., with BBA attached, and a 3 to 4 minute treatment in 5% bleach (liquid bleach diluted 1/20) has always killed the BBA without killing the plant. I don't find that BBA is particularly resistant to the 5% bleach. _Cladophora_ is the most resistant of the hair algae types in my experience. One thing that I do that greatly decreases the damage to the plant by the bleach is to rinse it and immediately float it in one of my guppy tanks that has a dense growth of plants.


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

I've easily killed BBA wiht a direct shot of excel and or a small shot of hydrogen peroxide. Bleach works as well, the 1 part to 20 parts of water.


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## brentling (Sep 26, 2008)

Edward said:


> Why do you care where the plants are from?


It is an Amazon biotope tank. I am trying to replicate a small tributary to the Amazon River as best as I can. As I do more research, I may drill it down to a specific stream, but right now, it is more general. I enjoy re-creating natural scenarios as best as I can in my tanks and hope to go see the Amazon myself someday. When I do an Asian tank, I use specifically Asian plants and fish, etc.


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## brentling (Sep 26, 2008)

Sunstar said:


> I've easily killed BBA with a direct shot of excel and or a small shot of hydrogen peroxide. Bleach works as well, the 1 part to 20 parts of water.


Do you do this in the tank, or take the plants out and dose them outside the tank? I have read about both, but am concerned for my Rummynose, Cardinal Tetras and Blue Rams. They are thriving and I want to keep it that way!! I am dosing Excel daily at recommended dosage, but so far, nothing has happened.


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

The bleach, absolutely out the tank. The peroxide I may use about 15ML in my 25 gallon tank to spot treat the issues. I used it against cyanobacteria actually. helped slow it down. 

The Excell I used 15 - 20ML in my 25 Gallon tank for 8 days then dropped down to 10 ml for a day, then 5 for another day then 2.5 ml for the rest of the time. I also spot treated the problem spots which helped give it a hard time. the issue is still there, but the 2.5 ml I shoot onto the remainder of the issues. Also (excel only) I turn my filters off. After a Week of the Excel OD, my tank went positively nuts. SO much growth. 

I was planning on an Amazon biotope, but I went plant nuts.... So many plants so little space 

Good luck with your tank. I've been told fluctuating Co2 is often the trigger. As I use DIY Co2, I've got an unstable supply and ergo, my trigger


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