Black Plants that started green

[imcgary]

So i apparently have an algae problem. about half of the leaves of my plants are covered with a black carpet like algae. what type of algae is this and how do i get rid of it. I have 2 DIY co2 system in a 46bow tank i dose Flourish every other day and have about 2 wpg weekly 5g water change. and all of my otos died. the tank is moderately planted with several different varities of swards and some others

I need your help my girlfriend has threatend to throw a brick through the tank because it looks so bad. please save my tank

 

[rich311k]

The black algae sounds like BBA, Black Beard Algae. Does it grow primarily around the edges of the leaves?

What kind of CO2 system are you running. It probably is not adequate. BBA is usually caused by low, fluctuating CO2 levels. Do you know your PH and KH levels.

With only two watts per gallon, you may be better off pulling the CO2 all together if it is not working.

Do you dose anything besides the Flourish? Flourish Excel another product in the Flourish line can help control BBA.

What is your nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[Angry the Clown]

Not to hijack, but what is there a recommended way for testing phosphate levels?

EDITED: for spelling

 

[JustOneMore20]

You can buy phosphate tests. I have the Seachem brand and its pretty easy to read.

 

[imcgary]

It actually covers the entire surface of the leaves but it does not grow on anything else in the tank. Im going to try to get a picture and post it. I have 2 of the Nutrafin natural plant system (DIY like) PH aprox 7.2 ill have to test the KH. also my light is acutally 2.8 wpg (130w)

I have not dosed anything else except the Flourish i did however order several other supplements (most everything Seachem makes for planted tanks) so i can test to see what i am actually going to need.

this is what i ordered i am going to try the suggested dosing that is on seachem site to see how that works
Prime-250 ml (Treats over 2,500 gal) $6.29 x 1 = $6.29
CD-923092 Seachem Flourish (250 ml) $3.99 x 1 = $3.99
CD-925536 Seachem Flourish Iron (250 ml) $3.99 x 1 = $3.99
CD-215052 Seachem Flourish Excel (250 ml) $3.99 x 1 = $3.99
CD-215000 Seachem Flourish Potassium (250 ml) $3.99 x 1 = $3.99
CD-438530 Seachem Flourish Trace (250 ml) $3.99 x 1 = $3.99
CD-14124 Flourish Nitrogen (250 ml) $3.99 x 1 = $3.99
CD-14126 Flourish Phosphorous (250 ml) $3.99 x 1 = $3.99

.

 

[Purrbox]

Two of the Nutrafin CO2 Systems is no where near enough for your tank. You should be running about 4-5 2 Liter Bottles to be able to get sufficient CO2 levels. That's 4-5 times what you currently have on your tank. You'll probably also want to look at a more efficient diffusion method. Pressurized CO2 would be much easier if you can afford it.

Low fluctuating CO2 levels are the number 1 cause of BBA. DIY CO2 is variable by nature, so it's especially important to keep CO2 levels above 30ppm at all times if you're going to inject CO2 using DIY CO2.

Also skip the Flourish Trace and Flourish Iron. Regular is a much better way of dosing traces including Iron. If you decide to stick with CO2, you'll find that the Flourish products are going to get expensive quickly with a tank as large as yours. The Flourish dosing schedule is minimum starting point, you'll actually need quite a bit more when running a higher light tank with CO2. You'd be much better off going with dry ferts from GregWatson.com.

 

[imcgary]

it wont let me post a pic somebody help

 

[Purrbox]

What exactly are you having problems with?
1. Finding where to add an attachment.

You'll have to do this in the advanced Reply rather than the Quick Reply. There's an area near the bottom that allows you to manage attachments.

2. Getting an error while trying to add the attachment.

Two most common errors are due to trying to upload pictures that are too large or using up your disk space. For the first you need to use a program to resize your picture before you upload it. With the second you need to go into the attachment management tool and delete enough pictures to free up space for the new pictures.