I hate algae

[bshenanagins]

Hey Janis! WTH is this!!!! Lol

Btw added some color to the tank hard to see until it grows in.

 

[Rivercats]

That is BBA... black beard algae! Do you have your CO2 running yet? For now run your lights 6 hours, get your CO2 running as soon as you get the rest of your equipment, and do some spot treating.

Draw up 3ml of Hydrogen Peroxide 3% per 10g of tank water in a syringe. Turn off the filters, then slowly squirt the BBA. Leave the filter off 20 minutes. You may have to do an area a day or you can treat an area in the morning and one in the evening if you want. Within 24 hours the BBA will start turning white, pink, or red which means it dying.

I've found BBA happens when there is too much light on for too long without enough liquid carbon or CO2. It's also seems to happen on slower growing plants.

You've had so much going on in your tank it's not balanced and this reared its ugly head. Once you get everything dosing and running right and after some spot treating you shouldn't have any more problems.

 

[bshenanagins]

That is BBA... black beard algae! Do you have your CO2 running yet? For now run your lights 6 hours, get your CO2 running as soon as you get the rest of your equipment, and do some spot treating.

Draw up 3ml of Hydrogen Peroxide 3% per 10g of tank water in a syringe. Turn off the filters, then slowly squirt the BBA. Leave the filter off 20 minutes. You may have to do an area a day or you can treat an area in the morning and one in the evening if you want. Within 24 hours the BBA will start turning white, pink, or red which means it dying.

I've found BBA happens when there is too much light on for too long without enough liquid carbon or CO2. It's also seems to happen on slower growing plants.

You've had so much going on in your tank it's not balanced and this reared its ugly head. Once you get everything dosing and running right and after some spot treating you shouldn't have any more problems.

Yes I do have Co2 hooked up! Maybe I need more I opened the valve a little bit more. Sometimes I forget to add my ferts everyday could that be a problem too? Ill start the spot treating tomorrow, thanks!
Oh and yes it loves accumulating on my poor anubias nana, for some reason I can't get such a simple plant to thrive.

 

[Rivercats]

Yep not being consistant with ferts and not enough CO2 can all help algae. If you spot treat first and get your CO2 up you should be able to stop it. But don't forget that with the CO2 your plants are going to use more ferts so really watch your readings for nitrates and phosphates weekly as you may find you have to increase the amount you dose.

 

[bshenanagins]

Yep not being consistant with ferts and not enough CO2 can all help algae. If you spot treat first and get your CO2 up you should be able to stop it. But don't forget that with the CO2 your plants are going to use more ferts so really watch your readings for nitrates and phosphates weekly as you may find you have to increase the amount you dose.

Perfect, thanks! Always a big help

 

[drewsuf82]

I was having issues with BBA for a while once I left my co2 on 24/7 it disappeared, the min I dropped the co2 back down to 30 min before and after it returned, 24/7 for me keeps it at a minimal

 

[bshenanagins]

My fear of that is gassing out my fish at night

 

[drewsuf82]

I've spent a few nights worried about that up all night. Just remember to acclimate them to it slowly. I haven't lost a one and I've been running 24/7 for the last 3 weeks again

 

[Rivercats]

My fear of that is gassing out my fish at night

There is no need to run CO2 24/7 as the plants can't use it at night which means a big waste of CO2 and money (having to refill tanks more often), possible gassing the inhabitants, and most of all if the lights and ferts are balanced with the CO2 you don't have algae issues. Better to have a little algae to deal with for a short time and spend that time finding out and correcting the problem than running CO2 non stop.

 

[bshenanagins]

There is no need to run CO2 24/7 as the plants can't use it at night which means a big waste of CO2 and money (having to refill tanks more often), possible gassing the inhabitants, and most of all if the lights and ferts are balanced with the CO2 you don't have algae issues. Better to have a little algae to deal with for a short time and spend that time finding out and correcting the problem than running CO2 non stop.

Yup, thanks.

 

[Rivercats]

Are the plants perking up any now with the CO2?

 

[bshenanagins]

Are the plants perking up any now with the CO2?

Yeah they all look good except for my anubias and micro sword. They haven't grown really at all, just sit there and collect BBA. Quite irritating what a waste.

 

[Rivercats]

I'm not a fan of micro swords. Part of the problem is they just grow too slow but if you spot treat them with H2O2 and with the CO2 going now that should nip the BBA. Also have you added root tabs around the micro swords? That can help a little. I had to move my anubia's in a super shaded area of the tank finally. That is the only way I could keep them algae free. You'll get the kinks worked out eventually. I'm still having to mess with timing on the new light and the CO2 myself.

 

[bshenanagins]

I'm not a fan of micro swords. Part of the problem is they just grow too slow but if you spot treat them with H2O2 and with the CO2 going now that should nip the BBA. Also have you added root tabs around the micro swords? That can help a little. I had to move my anubia's in a super shaded area of the tank finally. That is the only way I could keep them algae free. You'll get the kinks worked out eventually. I'm still having to mess with timing on the new light and the CO2 myself.

Yeah custom root tabs, did nothing for them. All they have done is collect BBA. Such a disappointment. My fastest growing is def the Hygrophila, and when bunched properly looks very nice in the background. But unless I trim it the leaves tend to only sprout from the middle of the tank up leaving just bear stem below. So I just trim and replant. Really like it.