Is this algae on driftwood?

[celtic11]

This is my first time having a tank with real driftwood in it so I'm unsure if this is algae or something else? Just making sure its not something to be concerned about. My bristlenose pleco hasn't touched it. Its the dark brownish fuzzy looking stuff on the bottom of the driftwood.

 

[mrvincent]

This is BBA. You can treat with syringe without needle on the spots with peroxyde 3%.

You can spot treat up to 3ml/gallons of peroxyde 3% in the tank (with seringe), but the best thing you can do, is remove your DW, scratch the algae spots, put peroxide on where the BBA spots were, let it dry, retreat again after few hours and it should be clean.

If you treat in the tank, turn off the filters before doint it then turn it ON after 15 mins after treatement. The algae will become lighter and pink over days and will finish to die. You can treat once a day.

Do you inject CO2, what's your gallon size ? Lighting power ? Lighting time/day? Do you use a timer for lights/CO2 ? How much time your tank is cycled and running ?


Usually this is caused by excess of light compared to the CO2 levels.

 

[celtic11]

This is BBA. You can treat with syringe without needle on the spots with peroxyde 3%.

You can spot treat up to 3ml/gallons of peroxyde 3% in the tank (with seringe), but the best thing you can do, is remove your DW, scratch the algae spots, put peroxide on where the BBA spots were, let it dry, retreat again after few hours and it should be clean.

If you treat in the tank, turn off the filters before doint it then turn it ON after 15 mins after treatement. The algae will become lighter and pink over days and will finish to die. You can treat once a day.

Do you inject CO2, what's your gallon size ? Lighting power ? Lighting time/day? Do you use a timer for lights/CO2 ? How much time your tank is cycled and running ?

Usually this is caused by excess of light compared to the CO2 levels.

Thanks I'm going to take the driftwood out and treat it.

To answer your questions. I do not use CO2, my lighting is just a standard aquarium hood light, the light is on typically from about 7am-10pm, but that varies as I do this manually. Tank has been running for a couple months and fully cycled probably a month.

 

[mrvincent]

It's your light time the problem. 15 hrs/day is too much.

Using a timer so you don't go over 8 hrs/day will cause this algae to stop developping, that's the cause. You're not forced to reduce light time, but you'll have to treat this problem again and again in future, you'll probably have to treat some other algae that can come up, like green spots on the glass.

In my case I want to appreciate the aquarium lighting on the maximum, so it's timed to open in the evening on 16:00 - 00:00. That's 8hrs/day.

When you're talking about "standard" light canopy, there are aquarium that come with 2x fluorescent (T8). The model with 2xT8 is powerfull enough to grow this algae.

If you have the model with double light, you can grow some low light plants with ease, like java fern, cladophora (a green ball algae), or anubias.
They won't require ferts or CO2 in your case (and if you do it don't use ferts). And if you add plants, make sure you treat them with bleach (1bleach for 19 water for 1 min or 1 3%peroxide per 4 water for 30 mins), it will kill snails, diseases and other indesirable things like algae.

In my case I have grown java fern in a 10 gallon with 1x15W T8 without ferts and it have grown well.

 

[celtic11]

It's your light time the problem. 15 hrs/day is too much.

Using a timer so you don't go over 8 hrs/day will cause this algae to stop developping, that's the cause. You're not forced to reduce light time, but you'll have to treat this problem again and again in future, you'll probably have to treat some other algae that can come up, like green spots on the glass.

In my case I want to appreciate the aquarium lighting on the maximum, so it's timed to open in the evening on 16:00 - 00:00. That's 8hrs/day.

When you're talking about "standard" light canopy, there are aquarium that come with 2x fluorescent (T8). The model with 2xT8 is powerfull enough to grow this algae.

If you have the model with double light, you can grow some low light plants with ease, like java fern, cladophora (a green ball algae), or anubias.
They won't require ferts or CO2 in your case (and if you do it don't use ferts). And if you add plants, make sure you treat them with bleach (1bleach for 19 water for 1 min or 1 3%peroxide per 4 water for 30 mins), it will kill snails, diseases and other indesirable things like algae.



In my case I have grown java fern in a 10 gallon with 1x15W T8 without ferts and it have grown well.

Thanks I'll look into the timer and definitely cut back on the light. So far I have a Java Fern, Moneywort, anacharis, water sprite, and something called a jungle val I think. Everything is doing well except for the water sprite, which isn't dying but also not thriving. This was a used setup before me and I haven't put a bulb in it but I know its a single bulb hood. Is there a particular bulb I should look into for the plants?

 

[mrvincent]

White, 6700K.

The "Life-Glo" have a good spectrum for plants. Changing it once a year is recommanded for growing plants.

 

[celtic11]

White, 6700K.

The "Life-Glo" have a good spectrum for plants. Changing it once a year is recommanded for growing plants.

Thank you for your help.

 

[mrvincent]

Thank you for your help.

No problem, if you have more questions just ask.

 

[celtic11]

I am still having a problem with this algae. It will basically take over that same piece of driftwood if I let it. I don't notice it or see it growing on anything else, other than that same piece of driftwood. I've been scraping it off and sucking it out when I do my water changes but it keeps coming back. I only turn on my light for about 6 hours a day. Where the tank is located it would be getting some natural sunlight during the day but I wouldn't think it would be too much.

Admittedly and embarrassingly I did a water test yesterday and my parameters were not good. We've had some various family issues these last couple weeks that have put tank maintenance on the back burner more than I would like. I had .25-.5 Ammonia, and 80ppm Nitrates. I did a 50% water change and am going to test again today. Would bad parameters be a cause of this algae?

 

[Rivercats]

Excess lighting plus excess nutrients and ammonia can indeed contribute to algae growth. Often times sunlight in a tank can aid in algae growth as well.

 

[mrvincent]

This algae usually thrive in poor CO2 environment with a combinaison of strong/excess lighting. For sure sunlight won't help. You can reduce lighttime to 5-6 hrs...

If it's only your driftwood that is infested, wait a bit, then scrub it again with a bit peroxide.

You lucky, this algae is growing ON my plants.

 

[celtic11]

This algae usually thrive in poor CO2 environment with a combinaison of strong/excess lighting. For sure sunlight won't help. You can reduce lighttime to 5-6 hrs...

If it's only your driftwood that is infested, wait a bit, then scrub it again with a bit peroxide.

You lucky, this algae is growing ON my plants.

Across the room from the tank is a big picture window on the south side of the house (I am in Ohio) so it would definitely get sunlight, but that window looks out over our front porch, so there is a big eve that should keep sunlight to a minimum. I normally turn my light on between 5-6pm and shut if off between 10-11pm. I havent gotten around to getting a timer, but hopefully after christmas should do that. What would cause low CO2 conditions? Its been a while since I have kept fish tanks but this is my 5th or 6th one in my adult life and never have experienced this algae before? Is it due to the plants? I am going to try and keep the curtains closed on the window more and do better upkeep on the tank maintenance. Last time I removed the driftwood to treat with peroxide, but now there is a Java Fern that is attaching itself to it so I would hate to pull it out again. I finally have my tank setup in a way that I really like so Id like to treat it without disturbing the layout this time.

 

[mrvincent]

I glue java fern with cyanocrylate (super glue, krazy glue, etc) Hmmm I can tell you I did an experience theses last 2 weeks, trying 6% peroxide instead 3%, but half dose.

It didn't killed my plants leaves when I spray them with 6%. My staghorns and BBAs (like yours) turn light pink after 1-2 days. Magick tricks.

 

[Rivercats]

You can spot treat the algae in tank easily. Turn off filters then pull up 3ml of hydrogen peroxide 3% for every 1 gallon of tank water. Hold syringe right up to algae and slowly squirt. Leave filters off 20 minutes. The algae usually begins to change color which means it's dying within about 24 hours. If you have a lot to treat you'll have to do a treatment a day.

 

[celtic11]

So I can safely put 60-75ml of peroxide in a 29g tank?

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[mrvincent]

Rivercats is an advanced aquarist, but I will tend to not go over 2ml/gal. In my case it work well with 1ml/gal. What will do a difference is how you squirt it on the algaes. In you case it look like it grow under the wood, so turning the wood would probably help...

I never go over 30ml of 3% or 15ml of 6% on my 29g. Don't want to harm shrimps, as they don't look to like this...

 

[celtic11]

Rivercats is an advanced aquarist, but I will tend to not go over 2ml/gal. In my case it work well with 1ml/gal. What will do a difference is how you squirt it on the algaes. In you case it look like it grow under the wood, so turning the wood would probably help...

I never go over 30ml of 3% or 15ml of 6% on my 29g. Don't want to harm shrimps, as they don't look to like this...

In the picture its on the bottom but more recently it will grow nearly anywhere on the wood. I scraped a lot off with my last water change but I will probably try it tonight because there is still some on the back I didn't get off. I'll probably do 1ml/gal and see how that works for me. Everything else in the tank is doing really well so I don't want to risk anything.

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[Rivercats]

So I can safely put 60-75ml of peroxide in a 29g tank?

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You can do up to 90ml in a 29g tank at a 3:1 ratio. I've used this quite often without problems. If you feel you don't want to use that much use either 30ml or 60ml. It's about using what you feel comfortable with. You can also use liquid carbon for spot treating but I wouldn't go above 1ml of liquid carbon to every 1 gallon of water.

 

[mrvincent]

Squirt it slowly, all over the drift wood.

+1 for liquid carbon, I use Seachem Excel as spot treatment 15 mins before I dose peroxide spots..

your algae should turn pink in 1 day or 2

 

[Rivercats]

If you do a peroxide spot treatment then after 20 minutes do a 1:1 liquid carbon spot treating your more apt to have problems with sensitive species since this is a double whammy. I rarely ever do this.