black beard algae

[2fishy]

I know this question has probably been on here before but can some one please tell me how to kill it using "flourish"?

I know you are supposed to double dose it? Do you use the "excel" or the "iron" Flourish?

And it wont hurt any fish or other plants will it?

[Luke*]

Heya 2fishy, yea there was a big thread on it here somewhere. You use Excel and start with a normal dose then double it was the general consensus. Some people have had it kill their fish but I've never had a problem, if you see them acting distressed do a big water change. HTH

[Wok]

Yep. as luke said.

Need to use the Exel Flourish

I do a double dose right from the start.

Only do a water change when all the black beard agae is dead.

Usually takes me a week. and that is with a lot of BBA.

Had no problems on my clown loach or discus.

Thats my opinion anyway.

[2fishy]

thanks guys

how often do u add the flourish to the tank?

[Wok]

As per the instructions on the bottle.

I didn't do any water changes until the BBA all died then did 50% change then back to normal weekly changes.

[2fishy]

Did the BBA come back again after the water change?

[Tanksman]

I have stopped using it in my tank - total treatment time would have been three weeks. I am watching to see what happens - there is evidence of it coming bakc on the heater but I can't be sure yet. Flourish excel sure nails it quick tho.

[smidey]

I have just got rid of BBA with flourish excell. It reccomends a dose of 5ml per 40L of tank water, then a capful per 200L per day after that. I have a 200L tank & it took around a week to kill the algae. I also manually got rid of what I coud, scrubbed rocks etc. For anyone out there trying to sorce it (I had trouble getting it as my LFS did not deal with the supplier) its a Seachem product. It is a organic carbon which plants require so it is primarily designed to help your plants grow.

Smidey

[sharn]

double dosing often hurts the more sensitive fish like BN, discus (few people had them die when double dosing), clown loaches etc.

[becc4]

its a Seachem product. It is a organic carbon which plants require so it is primarily designed to help your plants grow.

Smidey

Excuse me the dummy here.... so it works by overloading the BBA with nutrients so it dies? And it doesn't hurt tank plants, but can affect some fish when dosage is high?

[smidey]

Im not sure how or why it kills the BBA, it just does. It is not advertised as a algae killer & does not even say that it may do this on the bottle. Its promoted as a growth enhancer for plants, people have recognised its "side effects" of killing BBA. it says on the bottle that "it also has iron reducing properties" & "contains no phosphates or nitrates". It also notes boldly, "DO NOT OVERDOSE!"

Smidey