The moss in my tank looks like crap and I suspect its due to my overgrown SAE. If I were to remove it, what other creature can help to combat BBA?

Only the very hungry yamato will eat. You have to overcome the grow of BBA. Else, the growth faster than algae eater eating.

Hi Kevin,

I think BBA will not be eaten readily unless they are 'softened' by some weak 1/20 h202 or a product called seachem flourish excel directly injected onto it.

For now i'm just removing whatever that's got BBA on it and fixing water quality, anaerobic substrate and fertilisation issues.

Stick your finger deep in the gravel, does it smell? If it doesn't, tanks ok, pump up the co2 a bit. If it does, the plant roots are not doing their job, you may have to vacuum the gravel top a bit to remove the mulm.

Notice any stunting of the stem plants? if you do, chances are the plants are missing some macro nutrients or trace elements. Fixing this plus manually removing BBA will eventually lead to BBA free tank.

Regards

Stan

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This happened to my tank as well....

I went for outstation for a week, and when I back home... 'discovered' the disaster has striked my tank.

All my plants are infected with the algae.. from brown to BBA to whatever...
The tank looks like dying. Even my riccia is struggling. So sad.

It took my about 2 hours to clean it up.
I replaced the DIY CO2 which is dead.
I throwed all the plant except riccia, which I think still have chance to survive thru high light and CO2.
I sifon out 85% of the water and add in new water + PSB.
I add in the java moss which I got from a LFS(The Pet Family) in Bukit Tinggi Klang.
Am going to add in 2 other species from KW or CTY this weekend.....

Hope my tank will survive....

Hmmm... I think I must have been on drugs when I posed this question. Actually, there are two questions in it:

1. My moss looks all stringy and botak. I suspect it's due to the SAE. Yet I see many tanks with moss and SAE and it looks fine.

2. My SAE does not seem to be cleaning the BBA. I got the answer to this one so thanks guys....

er, must be well fed sae's because from past experience SAE's love moss...
If you have as much moss as Isaac in his tank then the problem is less noticeable. stringy new growth is a clue the SAE's been helping themselves.

regards

stan

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You're lucky your SAE have an appetite for greens.. mine prefers bloodworms.. pass it around to members if you don't want the sae anymore

keep sae's around as cleaner tank. put in your bolbitis or other non fine leaved plant infected with hair algae for a manicure...

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