BBA and Seachem Excel

[axl]

Hi,
i have started to get BBA on my anubius and have been using seachem excel at 20ml per 540ltr daily. This dosent seem to be doing anything at the moment, there is problaly more there now than when i staretd dosing 2 weeks ago. Any suggestions on how to control it. Cheers Axl

[ILLUSN]

If possible remove the plant from the tank and paint it onto the bba with a small brush before puting the plant back in. other wise get a small syringe and just squirt it directly onto the bba when dosing your tank.

[fish_r]

i use a syringe to inject it straight onto stubborn bba and works very well. not sure how it will affect ur anubias though ?

[ILLUSN]

anubias have very tough leaves they'll be fine. my tiger lotus on the other hand...

[alan j t]

hi people
after you apply the excel with a syringe what do you do next
do scrape it pff with your nail
or leave it alone
orr :?: :?: :?:

[fish_r]

just squirt it onto the affected areas and u will see it starting to die a cpl of days later. it will go from black to a dull red colour then to light brown and then start to disapear...

[alan j t]

thanks fish r :D :D

[Davo]

You can triple dose the excel and your discus and plants will be fine. If you do it at night just remember to add a airstone at night.

Dave.

[Gribbs01]

Just brought some Excel, finished reading the instructions and have few questions :? Do you double/triple dose both the initial dose and the daily doses? Is it OK to double dose with DIY CO2? I do run an airstone at night. I was also planning on adding the doses in a syringe over the area's affected with BBA that can not be removed and paint on the rocks and wood that I can remove - is this advisable?

Will try to post before and after pic's.

[fish_r]

i just dbl dose every day and have pressurized Co2 too. i dose it with a syringe on the affected areas. i wouldnt dose and then dose again using a syringe.

i saw the results of overdosing this arvo at a lfs "lots of fish at the top trying to get air" so if i were u i would stick to a dbl dose for now and c how u go.
is it really worth risking ur fish's health just to get rid of a bit of algae ? they put a child proof cap on excell for a reason too :wink: and on none of the other seachem range.

[Blybo]

Haven't been on the forums for ages... Still love my tank but not getting any more discus. I think my dedication to a water change routine isn't sufficient for them and although happy enough they don't really grow in the planted tank.

This thread is exactly the info I was after, BUT, will the double dose effect my lovely twisted val? I seem to remember reading ages ago that the Excel was safe for plants except val.

[fish_r]

it probably will effect ur vals at first for a while, but from what iv'e read after a while they get used to excel and then will thrive.

[Gribbs01]

I have a large number of straight Val in the tank, 3 days post double-dosing and no adverse effects. BBA starting to turn a dark brown colour. Fish and plants all healthy so far!

[Gribbs01]

Seven days post commencing double dosing and the straight Val is starting to melt! BBA has gone red and starting to disappear, all other plants and fish very happy. Will see what the recovery of the Val is like in the next week.

[Blybo]

Gribs,
Are you using CO2 as well? I've been double dosing for 4 days with no side effects yet. BBA is still prevelent but my new SAE's are munching down and growing fast :D .

[Gribbs01]

I have a DIY CO2 unit, which is releasing a bubble every 15 secs. Day 4 the Val looked fine, this morning not so good. I have Val in another tank so big issue for me.

[Blybo]

Hmmm, if I see any side effects tonight I'll stop the Excel treatment and rely on my SAE's to do their job. The twisted val is one of my favorite plants (when healthy) so I don't wish to kill it off. I have another tank that we stripped last weekend to set up as an African cichlid tank. It is cycling atm until ph and hardness stabilize. Could i move the val into there for a few days or are things too late?

[Gribbs01]

I would move some of Val into the other tank as pH and hardness wouldn't be a big issue for Val, I have read that other people have moved the Val or done major water changes post Excel dosing and the Val has recovered well. Some of my Val is still looking unaffected!

[fish_r]

as mentioned it will effect the vals for a while but when they get used to the exell they should come back stronger than ever. but putting some in another tank is a good idea

[sammigold]

does seachem flourish work on BBA or does it have to be Seachem flourish excel?

[Gribbs01]

You need to use the Flourish Excel to get rid of BBA.

[sammigold]

thanks glad I didnt buy the other... :-)