I have a fuzzy castle - Help! - Aquarium Advice

CatatonicBug · 05-06-2008, 07:37 PM

Can anyone tell me what this black fuzz is? It keeps growing back after I remove it. I imagine it's some type of algae, but it looks more like dense bread mold. How do I get rid of it for good? It grows on the ornamental castle thing in my 47g tall.

warped1 · 05-06-2008, 08:28 PM

It looks like Brown Algae to me - it is also known as Diatoms. Is your tank a new set up? Because these guys usually show up in the course of tank becoming established. If they are Diatoms (let's see who else chimes in) they are generally easy to remove by using an algae scrubber. You might want to increase your water changes to help reduce the buildup of organic waste. And adding some plants (they eat what the algae do - starve the buggers) would also help. And finally some carbon in the filter would help take out any other stuff that the algae could use. Remember that algae showing up is a sign that all may not be right with your water parameters. So check them.

CatatonicBug · 05-07-2008, 01:33 PM

It's not really a new setup. It's been running for over a year, but recently went through a mini-cycle when I replaced the filter, and had never heard of bio-filtration. It's always had this stuff grow back, even after severe chemical treatments to the castle itself. I've even used bathroom mildew killer (of course I scrubbed and rinsed like crazy for a day after that), and the stuff still comes back after a month or two.

**Purrbox** · 05-07-2008, 01:37 PM

Does it brush off easily? If not, I'd say it looks more like BBA than diatoms to me.

Is the aquarium planted with live plants? (Algae treatments for planted vs unplanted are different.)

What are you water parameters? (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate, etc.)

CatatonicBug · 05-07-2008, 02:12 PM

it does not brush off easily. It likes to stick hard. It does have live plants, as I am slowly trying to make this a planted tank, even though it's so deep. Ammonia and Nitrites are both 0, and Nitrates are 20-30ppm. I don't have a phosphate kit.

**Purrbox** · 05-07-2008, 04:10 PM

Okay, I'm pretty sure it is BBA. The most common cause is low fluctuating CO2 levels. Are you injecting CO2?

CatatonicBug · 05-07-2008, 04:20 PM

Nope. Never have. I didn't have real plants until recently, but I have been dealing with this black fuzz for quite a while.

rich311k · 05-07-2008, 08:28 PM

Take out the castle, dip it in bleach and scrub off the algae. Hopefully it will not come back. Be sure to rinse it well.

**Purrbox** · 05-07-2008, 08:39 PM

What type of filter are you using? Any airstones? Do you have slight ripple to the water's surface or is it still? Since you're running a low light setup, aeration will help keep both your O2 and CO2 levels up. If you don't have enough, simply increasing it slightly may help with the BBA.

The other possible causes that I'm seeing in various articles don't seem to apply to your situation. One thing you could try, is spot treating with Flourish Excel. In higher doses it does tend to kill off the BBA and it will help you plants grow as well. If you have Anacharis or Vals, you may want to skip the Excel treatment as they are sensitive to it.

CatatonicBug · 05-15-2008, 03:15 PM

I have a Fluval FX5, and I am running a 3" circular stone under the castle and a 12" air bar across the back of the tank. Both are plumbed from a single pump, but it's considerable air. There is considerable flow all through the tank with the filter and the air together. Nothing sits still in there.

I also just upgraded my lighting with a DIY setup with two 27w and one 19w CFL bulbs in a box lined with aluminum foil as a reflector. It definitely makes a difference over the single 15w tube I had before.

I went ahead and bleached it again, so we'll see if it comes back. Maybe I'll look for that Excel stuff nect time I'm at the LFS.

05-07-2008, 01:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Purrbox Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa USA Posts: 4,546	Does it brush off easily? If not, I'd say it looks more like BBA than diatoms to me. Is the aquarium planted with live plants? (Algae treatments for planted vs unplanted are different.) What are you water parameters? (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate, etc.) __________________ ~Joy 10 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 5.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 2.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - Pico Planted Photo Log

05-07-2008, 04:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Purrbox Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa USA Posts: 4,546	Okay, I'm pretty sure it is BBA. The most common cause is low fluctuating CO2 levels. Are you injecting CO2? __________________ ~Joy 10 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 5.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 2.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - Pico Planted Photo Log

05-07-2008, 08:39 PM	#9 (permalink)
Purrbox Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa USA Posts: 4,546	What type of filter are you using? Any airstones? Do you have slight ripple to the water's surface or is it still? Since you're running a low light setup, aeration will help keep both your O2 and CO2 levels up. If you don't have enough, simply increasing it slightly may help with the BBA. The other possible causes that I'm seeing in various articles don't seem to apply to your situation. One thing you could try, is spot treating with Flourish Excel. In higher doses it does tend to kill off the BBA and it will help you plants grow as well. If you have Anacharis or Vals, you may want to skip the Excel treatment as they are sensitive to it. __________________ ~Joy 10 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 5.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 2.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - Pico Planted Photo Log

05-15-2008, 03:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
CatatonicBug Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 503 Images: 6	I have a Fluval FX5, and I am running a 3" circular stone under the castle and a 12" air bar across the back of the tank. Both are plumbed from a single pump, but it's considerable air. There is considerable flow all through the tank with the filter and the air together. Nothing sits still in there. I also just upgraded my lighting with a DIY setup with two 27w and one 19w CFL bulbs in a box lined with aluminum foil as a reflector. It definitely makes a difference over the single 15w tube I had before. I went ahead and bleached it again, so we'll see if it comes back. Maybe I'll look for that Excel stuff nect time I'm at the LFS. __________________ Remember - in Aquaria, nothing good happens fast. Starting a new tank? Click here for instructions. 47g tall FW, 10g planted, 2.5g planted office tank

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05-06-2008, 08:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
warped1 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: South Philly, Pa. Posts: 306	It looks like Brown Algae to me - it is also known as Diatoms. Is your tank a new set up? Because these guys usually show up in the course of tank becoming established. If they are Diatoms (let's see who else chimes in) they are generally easy to remove by using an algae scrubber. You might want to increase your water changes to help reduce the buildup of organic waste. And adding some plants (they eat what the algae do - starve the buggers) would also help. And finally some carbon in the filter would help take out any other stuff that the algae could use. Remember that algae showing up is a sign that all may not be right with your water parameters. So check them.

05-07-2008, 01:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
CatatonicBug Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 503 Images: 6	It's not really a new setup. It's been running for over a year, but recently went through a mini-cycle when I replaced the filter, and had never heard of bio-filtration. It's always had this stuff grow back, even after severe chemical treatments to the castle itself. I've even used bathroom mildew killer (of course I scrubbed and rinsed like crazy for a day after that), and the stuff still comes back after a month or two.

05-07-2008, 02:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
CatatonicBug Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 503 Images: 6	it does not brush off easily. It likes to stick hard. It does have live plants, as I am slowly trying to make this a planted tank, even though it's so deep. Ammonia and Nitrites are both 0, and Nitrates are 20-30ppm. I don't have a phosphate kit.

05-07-2008, 04:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
CatatonicBug Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 503 Images: 6	Nope. Never have. I didn't have real plants until recently, but I have been dealing with this black fuzz for quite a while.

05-07-2008, 08:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
rich311k Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 8,746 Images: 35	Take out the castle, dip it in bleach and scrub off the algae. Hopefully it will not come back. Be sure to rinse it well.