Help with algae

[dinokath]

Hi all,

Need some help and advice on identifying and erradicating this algae. I read th guides but still can't figure out what this is and the best course of action. Have a look. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Purrbox]

Definitely BBA (Black Brush Algae). Remove affected leaves and fix nutrient deficiencies. Often caused by fluctuated CO2 levels.

 

[mfdrookie516]

i got rid of the bba in my tanks by breaking up the photo period.... i run my lights 4 hours, then off 4 hours, then on 4 hours, then off until the next day. I had it bad too, and its all gone now. Btw, i dont use co2 or dose ferts appropriately, which is probably part of the reason i had it to begin with (as joy pointed out)

 

[dinokath]

Alrighty. Here's my waters tests and what I did to correct it. Keep in mind I haven't dosed since this last Wednesday. This is a 55 gallon moderately planted tank:

Test Result
NO3 20 ppm
NH3 0 ppm
pH 6.8
Fe 0 ppm (this is the Red Sea test. I am not convinced it works...)
GH 12 Degrees
KH 5 Degrees
PO3 0 ppm
NO2 0.1 ppm


Dosing

Fert Amount

KH2PO4 1 gram
K2SO4 8 grams
MGSO4.7H2O 10 grams
Kent Iron 5 ml

That sound about right? I used The Fertilator to figure it out. Thoughts are always welcome.

 

[7Enigma]

Do you have a CO2 source? I had a constant battle with BBA when I was doing DIY CO2 with sugar and yeast. Once I switched to compressed CO2 I never saw it again. As an alternative, dosing Excel as a CO2 suppliment should help.

Fert schedule looks good except I doubt you need the magnesium sulfate (epsom salt btw) if you do frequent water changes. Your water seems hard enough that you probably have quite a bit of both calcium and magnesium.

 

[dinokath]

Yep, I have injected CO2 and have for a year. My problem came about when I left town for a couple weeks and didn't have my tank managed per instructions coupled with a busy holiday season (I work for the Red Cross to boot so I have been extra preoccupied lately) and there you go. Nothing died, yet. My wisteria looked like total crap but I trimmed it all back to get rid of the BBA and it seems to be springing back.

I am dosing 3x Excel (and have spot treated rhizomes on annubias) and just got Sera test kits for NO3 and PO3 since the API kits I have are very hard to read. I think I may just get it under control yet!

Thanks for the advice!

 

[7Enigma]

Yep, I have injected CO2 and have for a year. My problem came about when I left town for a couple weeks and didn't have my tank managed per instructions coupled with a busy holiday season (I work for the Red Cross to boot so I have been extra preoccupied lately) and there you go. Nothing died, yet. My wisteria looked like total crap but I trimmed it all back to get rid of the BBA and it seems to be springing back.

I am dosing 3x Excel (and have spot treated rhizomes on annubias) and just got Sera test kits for NO3 and PO3 since the API kits I have are very hard to read. I think I may just get it under control yet!

Thanks for the advice!

I've found that Excel does wonders for BBA. Takes a couple days to get going but then it completely eradicates the tank of it and most other algae.