Algae help

[beard514]

So this algae started growing on a piece of my drift wood a couple months back. It starts out purple and then turns brown/black. my fish don't seam to be bothered by it but clogs up my java moss and java fern. Do you have any idea what it might be and how to get rid of it?

 

[Rivercats]

Looks like Black Beard Algae. How long do you run your lights daily? What kind of lighting and bulbs are you using? Do you use CO2 or liquid carbon? What ferts do you use?

For starters only run lighting 6 hours until algae is gone. You can also spot treat the BBA with hydrogen peroxide 3%. Turn off your filters, pull up 1-3ml of peroxide for every 1 gallon of tank water, hold syringe as close to the algae as possible and slowly squirt with the peroxide. Leave filters off 20 minutes. If you have a lot of BBA you'll have to do an area a day. Also usually within 24 hours you'll see the BBA turn white, pink, or red which means it's dying.

Just remember you need to fix the problem causing the BBA or it will keep returning no matter how much you treat it.

 

[beard514]

I just bought a timer and it is set to 8 hours. I use full spectrum LED lights, no c02 or liquid carbon, I use API leaf zone. I do water changes at least twice a week.

 

[Rivercats]

Using a liquid carbon daily such as Excel, API CO2 Booster, or Metricide 14 Day Solution at a rate of 1ml per every 5 gallons of tank water daily will help.

Leaf Zone is basically iron and potassium. You need to at least be dosing something like Flourish Comprehensive for a broader range of nutrients but depending on the type of plants and how many you have along with your tank size dry ferts are not only much cheaper to use but also provide all the macro and micro nutrients plants need.

I still suggest running lighting only 6 hours daily or use a siesta period running lights for 4 hours, off 2, then on 4 again. Many algae can't grow properly without longer photoperiods so having a siesta break can often be the answer to keeping algae at bay.

 

[beard514]

Would running the lights for less time effect my plants at all? I have java fern, java moss, anubias, melon sword, amazon frogbit, and spiral val.

 

[Rivercats]

I run almost all my planted tanks lighting for 6 hours only. The plants will be fine.

 

[BTM88]

I had a staghorn algae problem on a piece of drift wood and some rocks in planted 20g long. I changed my lighting period to 4hrs on 2 hrs off and 5 hrs on again, the staghorn is almost completely gone after a 1.5 weeks. What remains is so minimal I don't care about it. So since then I have kept the siesta period during the day and haven't had any issues.