Beard algae, I shouldn't have done that...

[lectraplayer]

I started getting beard algae in my 10g. I thought at the time that it looked cool, so I let it coat the back glass and the equipment, and I figured my three oto cats would keep it off the plants. However it started attacking my plants. I let it go for about a month, partly because my mollys also loved it and was getting them a hit of it almost constantly. Two weeks ago, I started loading this tank with plecos to knock some of the algae back. They quickly got a few leaves cleared off, and the leaves of these plants were almost white. Today I pulled all the plants up and bleached them for about an hour. This revealed a LOT of damage to my swords. However everything else fared a bit better. I also used this oppertunity to vacuum out the gravel really well, resulting in several 50% water changes one after the other. I've finished replanting everything a couple hours ago, but am waiting on the mud to clear before I can see what I have. I do still see some beard algae on the gravel so I have some API AlgaeFix ready to go. Should I add it now or will my plecos, oto cats, and mollys keep it knocked back at this point?

 

[Mebbid]

I would avoid algaefix like that plague as it has a nasty tendency of killing all the fish in the tank.

Instead I would use hydrogen peroxide. Turn the filter and lights off before use. Then add 1ml / gallon and squirt it directly on the algae with a syringe. Leave the lights off for 15 minutes before turning everything back on again.

 

[Fishperson]

I would avoid algaefix like that plague as it has a nasty tendency of killing all the fish in the tank.



Instead I would use hydrogen peroxide. Turn the filter and lights off before use. Then add 1ml / gallon and squirt it directly on the algae with a syringe. Leave the lights off for 15 minutes before turning everything back on again.

+1!
I agree.

 

[lectraplayer]

How would this affect my fish? I hear coppeh also works but you have to be extremely careful with it. I hear H2O2 is the same.

 

[Rivercats]

Algaefix won't kill BBA since BBA is a red algae. Algaefix is for simple green algae such as green water, hair algae, and such BUT it kills the algae through the use of surfactants which also can make it hard for fish to breathe. I do not recommend using it.

Also if you don't fix the problem that caused the BBA it will just keep coming back. I would use hydrogen peroxide 3% at a rate of 3ml to every 1 gallon of water but be sure to turn off filters before treating and leave off 20 minutes. This is safe for shrimp. It is also much easier on plants than bleach.

I suggest running lighting only 6 hours total daily until all algae issues are resolved then slowly raise the photoperiod. Or use a 3 on, 2 off, 3 on siesta schedule as this doesn't allow algae to grow since it needs a longer photoperiod to grow than plants need.

You also are way overstocked for a 10g. Molly's and pleco's are too large with too heavy a bio-load to be kept in that small a tank. Even if your doing 50% WC's weekly you are going to have excess toxin and nutrient issues.

Lastly very few fish eat BBA. Oto's eat bio-film, diatoms, and green dust algae. Pleco's tend to be lazy algae eaters preferring fish food over algae. They also don't eat BBA and all grow too large for a 10g. Honestly you shouldn't rely on algae cleaning crews to keep a tank algae free.

 

[thetrueblueram]

You should go get yourself a bottle of Seachem Excel, its liquid CO2 and it should kill off the BBA. I had it in my 16 gallon planted tank and now I dose the excel and diy CO2, the BBA will go from black to a pink colour before it dies, then it will simply fall off anf your fish will chow down. hope this helps

 

[philipraposo198]

Rivercats nail it.

You need to address your problem. Killing it will only be a quick fix for now and all algae will return unless the real cause is treated.

6 hour photoperiod, reduce the bioload, weekly 75% wcs, less feeding, and keeping you tank super clean. Ensure you plants are being fed the right amounts of ferts too.

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[lectraplayer]

I originally got the plecos for my 29g, but moved them to my 10g to handle algae duty when I realized it was a problem. With this in mind, I may move them back this evening. I may also prepare an algae tank with my hospital tank for two of the plecos.

I have also been changing 50% water daily for the past week to get nutes down.

Is Excel glutarol? I have been dosing 15 mL API CO2 Booster daily or immediately after a PWC. Do I need to lose my mind and go higher?

I also have my photoperiod at 8 hours for now. I may shorten it more.

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[Rivercats]

Excel, API CO2 Booster, and Metricide 14 are all glutaraldehyde.

 

[lectraplayer]

So how much do I need? I've upped my dose from 5 mL every other day to 15 mL daily under twin 25w CFLs on my 10g. Not dosing any ferts whatsoever for awhile.

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[Rivercats]

I would not dose any higher daily but I would put in lower watt (15) bulbs as that is a ton of light. I would surely on run lighting 6 hours only. You need to dose proper micro and macro ferts as higher light and using high dose glut means plants grow faster and need more ferts. Your bioload is still too high with the molly's which shouldn't be in a 10g. Don't mistake toxin buildup for excess nutrients as only nitrates and some phosphates are the only macro nutrients that can build up if adequate WC's aren't done.

 

[lectraplayer]

Are my plants shown faded due to the bleach or the previous coating of algae? It will obviously take time for them to get their flavor back. I have root tabs down for them.

I also went to brighter bulbs as some of my plants (like the scarlet temple) were telling me the lights were dim, and the tank just looked dim. This was before the algae hit. I had nutes thick then. Now I don't.

I am keeping nitrates down around 15ppm after a week with no trouble.

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[Sk3lly]

View attachment 241856

Are my plants shown faded due to the bleach or the previous coating of algae? It will obviously take time for them to get their flavor back. I have root tabs down for them.

I also went to brighter bulbs as some of my plants (like the scarlet temple) were telling me the lights were dim, and the tank just looked dim. This was before the algae hit. I had nutes thick then. Now I don't.

I am keeping nitrates down around 15ppm after a week with no trouble.

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How did your plants tell you that lighting was too low?

I think the plants crys for light are being drowned out by the algae' shouts for more light lol.

Seriously consider rivercats advice of not only reducing photoperiod but swapping out bulbs. You will struggle to grow anything when its coated in algae


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[lectraplayer]

The keyword I used before was "before the algae hit," which means that I made these changes without the algae being there. Still my scarlet temple was growing lime green. Research there tells me more light. My crypts were also lime green. I hiked my micro nutrients and increased my lights from dual 15's to dual 25's at this point. I think more than anything I got my nutrients too thick, which started the algae. I may make a dive for those 10w 10,000K/Actinic bulbs I saw at Petsmart.

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[Sk3lly]

The keyword I used before was "before the algae hit," which means that I made these changes without the algae being there. Still my scarlet temple was growing lime green. Research there tells me more light. My crypts were also lime green. I hiked my micro nutrients and increased my lights from dual 15's to dual 25's at this point. I think more than anything I got my nutrients too thick, which started the algae. I may make a dive for those 10w 10,000K/Actinic bulbs I saw at Petsmart.

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Excess nutrients dont cause algae. The EI dosing method is based on overloading the tank with nutrients so that the plants always have them available.

Its more likely you didnt up your carbon source sufficiently


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[Coyne]

When red plants turn green then there may not be enough iron available. Of course, I'm assuming the Scarlet Temple plant is meant to be red.


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[lectraplayer]

This one is red. I thought I was going Captain Insano on the iron and potassium. When I upped the lighting and started dosing 5mL glutarol daily from every two or three days, it turned red as can be until the algae hit. I didn't up my nutes as I figured I was already INXS. Somewhere I just got something tilted.

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[schoeplein]

Up your glut dosing to daily. 1mL/10g. I'm up to 1.3'ish mL/10g, per day. Your lime green plants will pink/red out in a couple days if you keep your current lighting. Iron dosing certainly helps a lot, too.

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[schoeplein]

Also, do you have anything under that massive marble sized rock substrate?

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[lectraplayer]

I have soil with root tabs under the pea gravel. My water source has iron precipitating from it so I'm not concerned over an iron deficiency. The soil is also iron rich, as are the root tabs. I currently dose 5mL/10g glut. Should I cut back again?

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