eatyourpeas Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 1:05 PM, Dancing Matt said: Have you tried 24/7 lights? I accidentally left my tank on 24/6 when I went on vacation and came back to a small amount of what looked suspiciously like Black Beard. I will try that, thank you! So far I have no signs of algae, even though lights are on for 18 hours after a two hour increase... 😎 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 You need to inoculate! BBA doesn't float in from the air. You need a frag, madam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 6:57 PM, OnlyGenusCaps said: You need to inoculate! BBA doesn't float in from the air. You need a frag, madam. I know. I tried. The bladder snails are not helping! I need to find another source of BBA that would not introduce disease into the tank... 😳 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 just thinking out loud again (dangerous, i know). if your lights have blue light setting, try that for an hr or two after running normal white lights. you realize, if you didnt want BBA, you'd have plenty of it.😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanish Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 I swear, if it's my moonlights that bring on my BBA, there will be much gnashing of teeth. And then rejoicing as I disable them. It's the only algae I fight in my high tech tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanish Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 I've read BBA is caused by... Insufficient CO2 Insufficient flow Too much flow Not enough oxygen Too many organics Too much light Too much potassium Not enough potassium Silicates Blue light I don't think anyone knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 7:40 PM, lefty o said: just thinking out loud again (dangerous, i know). if your lights have blue light setting, try that for an hr or two after running normal white lights. you realize, if you didnt want BBA, you'd have plenty of it.😎 I have a spare light that I can set up with just blue and put that in addition to the current one (no blue option on that one) and extend the exposure for a couple of hours. I do want BBA, badly. I know, I am weird. Please continue being dangerous if you get me to successfully grow BBA. I will try your suggestion, thanks @lefty o! @Vanish, I seem to have most of the ingredients listed above except for CO2. Even the piece of PSO that had BBA so I could start the growth, is now free and clear of BBA! Arrgghhh... I do wonder if the Matten bottom has something to do with suppressing BBA. 😳 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 I had BBA in my 55 in college growing in dense mats. Had to use a razor to get it off the dang glass but I’m excited to see how this turns out! I too have no clue how I got it to grow. I know I was inoculated by Clarks feed and seed and then from there neither my Chinese algae eater or bristle nose could keep up. It seemed to weirdly really like to grow in places my hydor fan was pointed at and on the fan itself. Not sure if that helps at all 😳 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 1/25/2022 at 8:48 AM, Biotope Biologist said: I had BBA in my 55 in college growing in dense mats. Had to use a razor to get it off the dang glass but I’m excited to see how this turns out! I too have no clue how I got it to grow. I know I was inoculated by Clarks feed and seed and then from there neither my Chinese algae eater or bristle nose could keep up. It seemed to weirdly really like to grow in places my hydor fan was pointed at and on the fan itself. Not sure if that helps at all 😳 AZ had intentionally a tank full of BBA, and it was growing beautifully on the sponge filter. I may need a visit to pick some up, as I think I need to keep trying and maybe add a larger amount. There is a power head in there, so who knows... 🙄 I would love to see this! 😍 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 10:59 PM, Vanish said: I've read BBA is caused by... Insufficient CO2 Insufficient flow Too much flow Not enough oxygen Too many organics Too much light Too much potassium Not enough potassium Silicates Blue light I don't think anyone knows. Yup. That's all called "common knowledge", basically a bunch of guesses. BBA is a freshwater Audouinella species of red algae. Even the Wikipedia page for the genus is riddled with [citation needed] statements. Here is the thing. Not all algae has spores that float through the air readily to colonize temporary water bodies. Sure there are algal species that do that, which is where the idea that in aquariums we'll just get algae comes from. And that's true. But we treat algae like it is all basically the same stuff, when what we call "algae" is an artificial grouping of wildly dissimilar organisms. All land plants are more closely related to each other than distinct "algae" clades. Even in plants, we would wouldn't expect a banana plant to sprout in your lawn randomly, but dandelions, sure. Same with algae. That's why no SW aquarium has ever accidentally grown kelp - they don't have spores floating through the air to colonize new pools of water. Same with many FW algae species adapted to larger bodies of water - and it seems BBA is one of those. So, you can encourage it's growth, for sure. But if you don't have it in the tank, it won't suddenly appear. This unrequested diatribe has been brought to you by the OGC foundation for understanding algal diversity. We now return you to your usual fare of aquarium topics. Thank you for your attention. 2 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 Following @lefty o's advice is yielding results! It is not BBA, but now I can go to the LFS and get some! Woot! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 9, 2022 Author Share Posted February 9, 2022 (edited) I went to LFS yesterday, and got some BBA but also there were WCMMs in the tank, so I came home with one female and two juveniles. Against my better judgement, of course, after the bout of disease I just experienced from fish bought there. She does not have a bendy back, just leaning over to get food. Fingers crossed that the BBA takes off. Edited February 9, 2022 by eatyourpeas 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 11, 2022 Author Share Posted February 11, 2022 An exciting day, for sure! I went to feed them this afternoon and could not find the girl. She was there this morning. Looked all around the tank, nothing. It occurred to me to follow the tube from the powerhead, and as suspected, she managed to get herself under the matten substrate. There she is, waving at me, all smiley bits! I had to take the whole thing apart, and move repurpose the matten filter as a wall instead. She keeps coming up to the glass to say hello. Chirpy little troublemaker! 😍 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 (edited) They discovered aphids in the duckweed, and oh! were they happy!!! 😍 Edited February 13, 2022 by eatyourpeas 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 2:48 PM, eatyourpeas said: They discovered aphids in the duckweed, and oh! were they happy!!! I'm glad someone is happy when they find aphids! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanish Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 But what about the algae!!! I have enough for both of us. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 3:46 PM, Vanish said: But what about the algae!!! I have enough for both of us. I am still waiting! I put some in, but can't see it do anything yet. 🤨 On 2/13/2022 at 3:14 PM, OnlyGenusCaps said: I'm glad someone is happy when they find aphids! I used to not, until this morning! 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 The girl is getting big, as if carrying eggs big. I am going to try to find a more grown-up boy for her tomorrow. I can't see any trace of the BBA I put in! 🤨 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 Went to LFS yesterday (a mighty exercise in self control!) and got three more White Clouds, but they only had the golden. I wonder if they would breed with the normal WCMMs. The kids are all hanging out together: And! The! Best! Part!.. BBA! Also, I could not resist this piece of wood. It is soaking at the moment, but if the BBA takes off, it will go in t WCMM tank and become a sage: 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 Tagging @WhitecloudDynasty to ask for any advice regarding mixing the two species. Thank you! 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 On 2/18/2022 at 11:44 AM, eatyourpeas said: And! The! Best! Part!.. BBA! Finally! 😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 as long as you keep the light cranked up, that BBA will keep right on growing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhitecloudDynasty Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 On 2/18/2022 at 2:57 PM, eatyourpeas said: Tagging @WhitecloudDynasty to ask for any advice regarding mixing the two species. Thank you! 🙂 They are the same fish, shouldn't be a problem. I did notice they hunt the golden fry more often 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineSong Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Ahhh, following to see that BBA take off. So fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 19, 2022 Author Share Posted February 19, 2022 On 2/18/2022 at 2:51 PM, lefty o said: as long as you keep the light cranked up, that BBA will keep right on growing. White light is on for 8 hours a day, blue light is on for 10 hours. That should do it (I hope!). Watch me be the first person on this forum who can't grow BBA... 🤪 On 2/18/2022 at 3:35 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said: They are the same fish, shouldn't be a problem. I did notice they hunt the golden fry more often One of the boys is displaying, and they are so much fun to watch! I am not too concerned about the fry since I am not interested in breeding fish. I do like seeing the process, though. Great learning experience! 😍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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