My plants are growing very well, but I have this thing that anchors on the leaves and just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Looks like some kind of algae. Does anyone know what it is and what to do about it? I've tried scraping it off the leaves of the plants, but it's anchored so hard it just breaks up the plant. And it grows back anyway. Here's a pic.
What is this?
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theotheragentm
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It will most likely come back. It's in your tank. That big piece is just what is visibly bloomed. You have some imbalance in nutrients for the plants that needs to be accounted for, but cutting away will help you out temporarily.
travis simonson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Black beard algae is often caused by low oxygen levels in the water. This can be the result of poor circulation of water in the area where the algae appears, an inadequate filtration system, or a number of other reasons. Low or fluctuating CO2 levels in a high-light tank can also cause BBA, but the first thing to check, like theotheragentm said, are your nutrient levels.
It is also recommended to remove all affected leaves. This can be a PITA, but BBA will not come off of plants once attached. It will die if spot-treated with Excel, like Algenco recommended, and I have seen fish eat the dead algae, but that isn't likely unless you've got a tankful of mollies
It is also recommended to remove all affected leaves. This can be a PITA, but BBA will not come off of plants once attached. It will die if spot-treated with Excel, like Algenco recommended, and I have seen fish eat the dead algae, but that isn't likely unless you've got a tankful of mollies
travis simonson said:Black beard algae is often caused by low oxygen levels in the water. This can be the result of poor circulation of water in the area where the algae appears, an inadequate filtration system, or a number of other reasons.
I have an Emperor 400 and a coralia 2 in a 72 gallon for filtration and circulation. It seems to be circulating fine. The fish love getting into the stream and swimming in and out against the flow. I wouldn't think aeration or circulation would be the problem.
Algenco said:
Can you explain what spot treating with Excel means? Isn't it a liquid that would spread throughout the tank instead of being applied just to the problem algae? Or by spot treatment do you mean a one time dose? I just need to understand this recommendation a little better.
Spot treatment means that instead of simply squirting it into the top of the aquarium, you squirt it directly over the affected area. This allows for a more concentrated dose right on the algae before it gets spread throughout the tank.
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