Hi...I hope I've chosen the right forum thread. I'm new here and I have a problem.
I set up an 8.5 gallon hex tank in mid-March. I was still cycling when everything went into lock down here in Ontario, Canada. No way to get fish to put into the tank. So, I've kept the tank running, adding aquarium ammonia as needed to keep the cycle going. I test every other day for ammonia and nitrites and nitrates. Ammonia keeps going down, but nitrites don't. I was recommended not to do water changes so as not to disrupt the fishless cycle.
About two weeks ago I noticed a little black/grey film on the heater. It began to cover the entire heater and one small ceramic barrel decoration on the bottom, quite a ways away from the heater. At first it was a thin film, hard to see.
I've been researching and phoning our local aquarium store. It seemed like the like culprit was black beard algae. I did a 30% water change and treated the tank with Flourish Excel and kept the lights off. It was recommended not to try and remove the algae until it was dead so as not to spread it more.
It has now been 5 days since I started treatment. The growth does not look like algae but more like a mold or fungus. The Flourish Excel seems to have made it grow faster! The heater is encased in a filmy, billowing grey film that goes up the cord to the water's surface.
What is it? And what should I do about? There are no animals in the tank so I do have lots of options without risking the fish! The same thing happened last year to a 3 gallon, filtered and heated beta tank I had. I kept cleaning it out but it kept growing back. I assumed that was a mold combined with my inexperience, but this is a totally new set up and I've tried to be diligent in setting up the tank and it's happened again! Help!!!!
I set up an 8.5 gallon hex tank in mid-March. I was still cycling when everything went into lock down here in Ontario, Canada. No way to get fish to put into the tank. So, I've kept the tank running, adding aquarium ammonia as needed to keep the cycle going. I test every other day for ammonia and nitrites and nitrates. Ammonia keeps going down, but nitrites don't. I was recommended not to do water changes so as not to disrupt the fishless cycle.
About two weeks ago I noticed a little black/grey film on the heater. It began to cover the entire heater and one small ceramic barrel decoration on the bottom, quite a ways away from the heater. At first it was a thin film, hard to see.
I've been researching and phoning our local aquarium store. It seemed like the like culprit was black beard algae. I did a 30% water change and treated the tank with Flourish Excel and kept the lights off. It was recommended not to try and remove the algae until it was dead so as not to spread it more.
It has now been 5 days since I started treatment. The growth does not look like algae but more like a mold or fungus. The Flourish Excel seems to have made it grow faster! The heater is encased in a filmy, billowing grey film that goes up the cord to the water's surface.
What is it? And what should I do about? There are no animals in the tank so I do have lots of options without risking the fish! The same thing happened last year to a 3 gallon, filtered and heated beta tank I had. I kept cleaning it out but it kept growing back. I assumed that was a mold combined with my inexperience, but this is a totally new set up and I've tried to be diligent in setting up the tank and it's happened again! Help!!!!
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