Plant turning black

[Rinzy]

I have anubias in both my tanks but the one in my 20 gallon is turning black. It isn't dying, the leaves are strong and you can see new growth. Is it algae? The one in my 26 gallon has absolutely no discoloration. What is this and how can I fix it? It looks like caca

 

[nereksnad]

greetings.

yes, that is algae. anubias is a slow-growing plant which makes it a victim of algae, furthermore it is usually placed in plain light and elivated on driftwood, which suposedly makes the plant grow so fast that it releases nutrients that the algae feed off too.

sincerely,
nereksnad

 

[pleechford]

Are you tanks pretty new in age? They look like diatoms to me. Which come from a new tank. They leach from the glass of the tank. They will get better over time!

 

[Rivercats]

The question is... is it fuzzy algae which is like black beard algae or is it flat not fuzzy, brown, and wipes off easily which would be diatoms. Diatoms are common in new tanks where there is excess silicates. They are unsightly but will go away in time. You can easily keep them wiped off an anubia but they will come right back. Nerite snails, oto's, and bristlenose plecos all help by eating diatoms. If it's BBA then there is only a couple types of fish that help control it but it's better to improve circulation around the plant, move it to a shaded position, and if needed treat it with Excel. In the picture of the other anubia, it appears to have yellowing leaves which indicates a nutrient deficiency. Are you dosing any ferts?

 

[Rinzy]

It's not fuzzy. It's flat but it doesn't wipe off easily - it doesn't wipe off at all. It's almost like the leaves are painted. I don't dose ferts cuz I'm being cheap...I'm not working ATM so I have to be.

 

[Rivercats]

Ahhh, so the next question... is the actually leaf then turning brown, is that what I'm seeing?

 

[Rinzy]

No. The leaf isn't turning brown, it's definitely something growing on the leaves. How do I use peroxide to nail it? Can I do that?

 

[tim_s]

No. The leaf isn't turning brown, it's definitely something growing on the leaves. How do I use peroxide to nail it? Can I do that?

So if you rub your finger across it, they feel raised correct?

 

[Rivercats]

No. The leaf isn't turning brown, it's definitely something growing on the leaves. How do I use peroxide to nail it? Can I do that?

Then I think its the start of BBA. Yes you can try peroxide but the only way I've ever used it was to remove the plant rinse it with H2O2, let it sit a few mintues in a not light place then put it back in the tank. If you use Excel just put some in a syringe (no more than a total tank dose would be) and squirt the affected leaves. It might take a few days to get them all but it will kill BBA. Try the peroxide first. Move the anubia to a more shaded place after treating and give the algae a few days to die.

 

[okapizebra]

I've had this problem on my anubias. I started to increase my PWCs and it's pretty much all gone. It may not completely go away on the old leaves, but there is none at all on all the new growth that have come in after I did more PWCs.

 

[Rinzy]

So if you rub your finger across it, they feel raised correct?

Yeah, you can feel it but its not soft. It's like a stiff algae

 

[aqua_chem]

Looks like BBA to me too. How much light do you have?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Yeah, it's likely BBA. I have lots of anubias in my 5 gallon tank that truly did turn black from light burn. Changed the lighting to a 10w LED floodlight and burned the heck out of them in about a week. It looks very different from your anubias.