Complexity Journal: 29g / New Pics! From perfectly clean to BBA and Clado. Ack!

[Complexity]

Oh, are you in for a disappointment! This tank is not a seat edger at all.

At least there are some plants in it. Maybe the BBA will be a nice shade of red to give the tank color!

[Complexity]

Oh, boy! Now the tank is running without CO2. Can we say BBA and Clado party!

Ran out of CO2 in my 75g cylinder so I grabbed the cylinder from my 29g to keep the 75g going until I can get them both refilled tomorrow. Of course that means the 29g has no CO2 now. I can't wait to see how much BBA and Clado I'm going to get!

[Karackle]

Oh Vicki, I'm so sorry to hear about the issues! I am glad you are taking such a positive attitude about the whole thing though...I think we'd all go nuts if we didn't take a positive approach to our tank issues though! Good luck with the eradication!

Can't wait to see the pics either way, been looking forward to seeing how the wood fit into the finished product!

[Complexity]

I'm not as happy with the final outcome of the wood. I had a lot of problems keeping it all together and making it fit the small tank. The bottom driftwood is higher than I wanted because I forgot to take into consideration the substrate height. I figured I'd wait until it all grew in and decide if I wanted to change it or not.

I think I now know why that tank is getting BBA and Clado. I think the pH controller electrode is bad. Remember, this is the one that I let dry out when I moved. I thought it was working, but now that the CO2 isn't being injected into that tank, the pH controller is still registering the same pH reading as before. That's not right.

So I just ordered a new pH controller electrode. Between the new electrode and a freshly refilled CO2 cylinder, I should be able to get the CO2 where I want it. Then it's just a matter of killing out the existing BBA and Clado.

I think I've had planted tanks long enough now to have a good attitude when things go wrong. I've had all kinds of things go wrong, but in the end, it's just part of the whole process and you can recover from it. Even BBA and Clado. Actually, I think learning how to kill out the BBA is making me much calmer now. It's not going to destroy my tank and all of the plants. It's just a pest that's telling me that I don't have the CO2 high enough. It's like a CO2 meter!

[Karackle]

Well I don't know much about CO2, but I do know it drops the pH, so I would assume you are right if it isn't registering a change now that there is no CO2.

Sounds like you'll get the tank into good shape in no time, and I'm sure knowing how to kill the BBA now definitely helps with sanity, calmness, and of course, getting the tank looking beautiful quickly!

[Complexity]

I'm updating this with OLD pics, and not the best ones at that. But it's what I have.

I took these pics on Dec 13, 2008 while I was working on the tank.

First, is the tank — soooo sparkling clean as a brand new setup — with the driftwood and substrate. The plants in the picture are just in there to keep them alive. The rocks in the picture are there to keep the driftwood in place while I anchored it down with the substrate.



I got really lucky and discovered these power strips. I got them from Amazon (Tripp Lite Outlet Strips). What I really love about these is the spacing between the outlets. I have a ton of timers and bricks, and they fit perfectly with these.

I'll have to show an updated picture with how I have the wiring. It's all neat and tidy. I like it.





The cabinet I got is so cheap! I knew it would be, but there aren't many cabinet and canopy sets made for a 29g tank so I took what I could find. It claims to be "wood", but even paper is wood so that's not much of a claim. Scratched it right away.

The cabinet is the Perfecto Sedona pictured here. It's okay to look at, but crappy quality.

Notice how clean that canister hose is!

[Complexity]

Fast forward 3 months to March 4, 2009. Say goodbye to the perfectly clean tank! And say hello to BBA and Clado!

The wood is completely covered in this. Clado is growing on the substrate. I haven't really done much about it other than pull it off when it gets like this because I am certain my CO2 is off. I think it's the electrode on the pH controller. So I ordered a new one, but it came in all crusty! Emailed the seller and absolutely NO reply. My next step will be to call Milwaukee for a replacement. Meantime, the tank is getting NO CO2 since I had already pulled out the old electrode not knowing the new one was bad.

Maybe I should be more worried about this than I am, but I think getting the CO2 adjusted right will do a lot to clear up the BBA issue. If I can catch them, I could move some of my SAEs from my 75g to feast on the BBA. I'm not sure what I'll do about the Clado. It's a new one for me. I guess I'll have to learn something new now.



Please excuse the awful looking plants. Can you tell this tank was neglected for awhile?

Actually, what I took a picture of are my new pygmy cories! I ran across them by accident, and I just had to have them. There are 10 in the tank. Here's one of them. He's looking very seriously at that plant, trying to figure out what the heck happened to it!



Uh oh, I think he figured out what happened to the plant. *I* neglected it! He had just finished giving the disgusted look stare-down before he lowered his head in shame. Poor thing. He does deserve better.

There's another little cory just to the right of the first one. He seems to be trying to figure out what happened to the tank, too!



Oh, well, at least there's one inhabitant that's not complaining. Nothing like lots of algae to make for a fat and happy otto!



Sorry, now FTS this time. My memory card filled up, and I didn't get back to take more pictures. I'll try to get one sometime this week.

[fastfreddie]

Originally Posted by Complexity

Actually, what I took a picture of are my new pygmy cories! I ran across them by accident, and I just had to have them. There are 10 in the tank. Here's one of them. He's looking very seriously at that plant, trying to figure out what the heck happened to it!

He looks in shock like a hurricane victim returning to a devastated neighborhood.

I'm so sorry about the Co2 issues and resulting algae problems. I know your luck will turn around soon!

[Complexity]

Originally Posted by fastfreddie

He looks in shock like a hurricane victim returning to a devastated neighborhood.

Yes, that's the look. Exactly! Poor fella. He got all excited about going to his own tank, only to find it a mess! Oh, well. He gets clean water and great food all the same.

I'm so sorry about the Co2 issues and resulting algae problems. I know your luck will turn around soon!

It's okay. I'm actually not that worried. I guess if I hadn't already battled BBA successfully, I might be really upset, but I know how to get rid of it. And I know I can make this tank a whole lot better. I really haven't done much to it because it's not ready because it's not stable yet (the balance of light, ferts, CO2). I actually kind of like the wood not being so absolutely perfect anymore. It looks more natural to me.

I'm also very lucky in that the BBA and Clado aren't attacking the plants very much. Maybe just a little, but not really. The plants need for me to remain consistent in my fert dosing and for me to get the CO2 issues straightened out. I think they'll do much better once I get that done. And then I can add some more plants that will liven up the tank.

[sewingalot]

How do you even get rid of Clado? I like the driftwood with the dark substrate. Very cool.

[redfalconf35]

I'll have to watch this thread and how you solve your BBA/Clado issues, because i've been hit with the exact same problem when my DIY CO2 was neglected for a few weeks Good luck on the algaecide!

[Complexity]

I've conquered BBA before in my 75g so I'm not too worried about that one. It's a matter of getting the CO2 high enough. I'm not trusting my pH controller's electrode right now, and the replacement I bought came in bad. So there's no point in messing with the BBA until I can fix the root cause of the problem — the CO2.

Clado is another story. This is my first time to fight it. I did hit it with some H2O2, and it appeared to kill it. I didn't hit it with much so I'll have to be sure to get it directly next time I try.

What gets me about the Clado is that I put it in the tank! I had a patch of it on a piece of driftwood. It's been there, being very harmless, for over a year. So I didn't worry about it. But now that the tank has higher light, ferts and CO2, the clado decided to make the entire tank its home! Ugh!

There are very few algae out there that I haven't had to conquer yet so being hit with Clado is just ensuring that I experience them all!

[sewingalot]

I have a tank at work with beautiful plant growth. It is lower light with just java ferns and mosses. I just noticied clado this morning! Argh. I am going to try the H202 method as well. Good luck!

[Complexity]

Do a test of H2O2 on the moss. I think it kills moss. I'm not sure about Excel. But best to test it out, as well.

Get that clado out as fast as you can. If it's still in just one spot, be aggressive so it can't spread. Mine is now all over the tank. Wish I had known better.

[sewingalot]

I used excel and it did nothing. Thanks for warning me to test the H202. I will pull it out of the tank first thing Monday morning. If it hasn't taken over by then. I'm scared now, lol!