- Messages
- 10
- Location
- Northern California
Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience:
My 125 gallon N. Christyi tank is lightly planted with several varieties of sword, and some wisteria. I have basically taken cuttings from my planted tanks and gotten them going in the tang tank. The lighting is low at 6700K and 130 watts (with no CO2 injection).
When I added the swords, I apparently introduced some BBA into the tank. It quickly began growing on the rocks, filter in and outlets and the edges of the leaves. Algaefix did nothing to stem the growth, nor did phosphatre sponges, pruning etc.
At about the height of the infestation, my school of cyps began exhibiting signs of an external parasitic infection. My LFS recommended Seachem's Cupramine based on the types of plants in the tank and the fact I have no inverts in this set-up.
The Cupramine not only worked like a charm on the parasites, but we started noticing that the BBA was dramatically dying back. After 2 weeks of treatment the once thick growth on the rocks was about 75% gone, and areas that receive current from spray bars and powerheads were totally clear. Growth on the edges of the plants is now also negligible.
In fact, after two weeks, I had to clean the grates on the bottom baskets of my eheim 2128 and xp3 filters due to the amount of dead algae clogging the squares.
I realize that Cupramine and other copper treatments are fatal to some plants, but I had no idea it killed BBA so efficiently. Again, just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences with the stuff............
My 125 gallon N. Christyi tank is lightly planted with several varieties of sword, and some wisteria. I have basically taken cuttings from my planted tanks and gotten them going in the tang tank. The lighting is low at 6700K and 130 watts (with no CO2 injection).
When I added the swords, I apparently introduced some BBA into the tank. It quickly began growing on the rocks, filter in and outlets and the edges of the leaves. Algaefix did nothing to stem the growth, nor did phosphatre sponges, pruning etc.
At about the height of the infestation, my school of cyps began exhibiting signs of an external parasitic infection. My LFS recommended Seachem's Cupramine based on the types of plants in the tank and the fact I have no inverts in this set-up.
The Cupramine not only worked like a charm on the parasites, but we started noticing that the BBA was dramatically dying back. After 2 weeks of treatment the once thick growth on the rocks was about 75% gone, and areas that receive current from spray bars and powerheads were totally clear. Growth on the edges of the plants is now also negligible.
In fact, after two weeks, I had to clean the grates on the bottom baskets of my eheim 2128 and xp3 filters due to the amount of dead algae clogging the squares.
I realize that Cupramine and other copper treatments are fatal to some plants, but I had no idea it killed BBA so efficiently. Again, just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences with the stuff............
In fact, a sign that your tap water contains cupper is when you have dark blue BGA growing with no apparent reason 
