"Chris_S" wrote in message
...
Hi:

I've tried running the CO2 from 5PPM to 30PPM. You're right having it
higher and more plant growth helps, but the BBA still does not go away.
It
just slows down. I have no problem with any other kind of algae. Just
BBA.

Blackout will have no effect. The doc in the Krib and elsewhere says same
thing. BBA will just go dormant. People have taken out rocks with BBA on
them, let them dry in air 6 months, then put them back in water, and the
BBA
starts right back where it left off. This stuff is HARD to kill. The
only
thing that kills it is Chlorine or Copper Sulphate. Even Copper takes 3-5
days to kill it. Chlorine only takes minutes.

Water control can help or make things worse, but it will never get rid of
it. You could put a rock with BBA in distilled water and the BBA will not
die. Probably just go into hibernation and come back when there are
nutrients around.

The only way I see to kill BBA without killing the plants is Chlorine or
Copper. I've tried everything else. It's time to sterilize the tank.

I'm just kicking myself that I did not sterilize the plants and rocks in
Chlorine when I set this new tank up 2 months ago. I had the perfect
opportunity then to start off with a clean tank. That would have been the
perfect time to get rid of this BBA. Now I see no choice but the hard
way.

Thanks, Chris.

Up your nutrients cut back on the length of light. I had plants with better
growths than my own beard. Cutting out the light doesn't do the trick....
but increasing my light level to @ 2 watts/gallon, upping the CO2, cutting
back 10 hrs a day of light, and the Tom Barr method of dosing nutrients
.......
slowly did the trick. along with manually trimming the worst of it.

A hydrogen peroxide works well if you want to clean up a more delicate
plants.

Now everything is fine, till I forget something .....;-) or go on vacation.

bob