Algae ID Please

[Bhunsucker]

Last night I was looking in my tank and noticed this stuff growing on some of my fake plants, it sort looks like tiny spiders and its black. I'm guessing thats its some sort of hair algae. Its not bad but I dont want it to take over the tank. What should I do.

Do you think that a SAE would help out? I've got a Pleco and hes not doing much.

55Gal lightly planted


PH- 6.8
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-20 after PWC was higher had gone longer than norm with the PWC due to adding the new plants in. I wanted them to take a good root before I got back into my weekly PWC.

Using Seachem Florish 2x a week one capful each treatment, Treating tank on Sat and Wed.

Lights are on from 09:00 - 21:00 80 total watts 10K bulbs

Thanks for your help, The plants look great and are putting out new buds like crazy.

 

[BillD]

That is BBA, or black beard algae. SAE are supposed to eat that type of algae, but mine aren't.

 

[Bhunsucker]

Ok I've got my SAE crew and they have a job to do. Lets see how good these things are going to be. They were not the essayist things to find around here. My LFS had never heard of them said they were the same as the Chinese algae eater. I had to drive over an hour away to a specialty fish store they had them!