Black Algae

[Annastasia]

Hi all,

I have Black Algae in my Amazon tank, and it won't go away! I've tried using Hydrogen Peroxide. That didn't work. I tried taking apart the whole tank, throwing out the plants, and sterilizing everything else, once with boiling them, and once with a mild bleach solution. Nothing works. I am so fed up with this, because I'm trying to get my Amazon tank looking good...and it keeps ruining it!

Anyone have any other ideas for what I can do?

Thanks!

 

[Cullen aquanaut]

Is the algae slimey?
If so it could be blue-green algae, which is a bacteria actually.
The best way to get rid of it is to use bright lights on for long periods to stimulate normal algae and plants to do the job the blue-green algae is doing.

On the other hand, what kind of light are you using.(watts,type)
If there is insuffisient amount of light algae will begin to grow but then die and turn a brown color.(maybe even black)
You can use the same solution that I wrote above or have you tried plecos.
I believe there are some from the amazon basin.
They'll do the trick.

Good luck.

 

[Annastasia]

Kind of slimey. It's possible it's blue-green alage...never thought of that.

Currently, I have 2 lights over it, one Aqua-Glo, and one Coralife Plant Grow. 50 watts total. And it's a 29 gal. I have tried Otos, Pitbull Plecos, and Bristlenose Plecos. None of them touch it.

I don't think it's dying alage, because it grows black...doesn't turn black or anything.

 

[Cullen aquanaut]

Yeah just keep the lights on for about 14 hours of the day and heavily plant the tank.
This should get rid of it.
Good luck.

 

[Annastasia]

The lights are already on for about 13-14 hours a day. The tank is pretty heavily planted. And it STILL keeps growing. Argh!

If it is Black alage, any other way to get rid of it?

 

[rdd1952]

I would turn the lights down to about 8 to 10 hours a day with a break in the middle. As a general rule, the longer the lights are on, the worse the algae will be. I run mine on a timer: on at 6:00 AM, off at 10:00, on at 5:00 PM and off at 10:00, total of 9 hours.

Since it is black, I doubt it's BGA as that is generally green. If it is however, you will have to remove it by hand or vacuum it out as there aren't any algae eaters that I'm aware of that will eat it. I had a major battle with it shortly after I got my first tank set up. It was all because I was running my lights too long, about 16 hours a day. Another big booster for it is direct sunlight. If you tank is in the cun at any time during the day, you will probably have a constant problem.

 

[Annastasia]

Ah, okay, I will try leaving the lights on less. And having a break.

The tank is pretty close to a window. But I have a lot of other tanks by windows, and they have never gotten black algae. Or any algae. So, why would it just be this tank? I checked the water parameters, and they are pretty much the same. The pH is slightly higher in this tank, by about .2. Would that make that big of a difference?

Oh, and I can't really get it off with my hand. I always end up tearing the plants.

 

[erick109]

Hi all

I too am having a problom with Black Algae, it is not BGA. I can,t even get it off my rooks, and it is killing the plants, I ahave done everything the Annastasia has done but tair down the tank Its a 50 gal and has been running for a year, not till the last 6 months have I had this problem with type of algae, it will not go away. I was discouraged to hear that Annastasia tore down his tank,to no prevail. Every thing I have read in here is good advice but not for this type of Algae. Is there anyone that has had this type of Algae that can help.
Erick

 

[Sime]

I've got BGA at the moment and you'll tell if its that as its realy bluey green. As said above, turning the lights down sounds a good option - maybe for 4 on, 4 off then 4 on or something and see what that does.

 

[StarOrbs]

I'm not saying I'm an expert with plants because I've only them for a few days. This is how I do my lights.

ON 10AM - 3PM
OFF 3PM - 6PM
ON 6PM - 11PM

 

[Annastasia]

Actually, I have figured out my tank doesn't have Black Algae, but a form of red algae that is...well, black!

So that explains why none of those methods worked for me! I thought I was doing something wrong.

I had to take the whole tank down again, but this time I soaked the plants in a 19 part to 1 part bleach solution. 2 minutes for the more fragile, thinner leaved plants, and 4 minutes for the Anubias, Crypts, Jave Fern...etc. The hardier plants. Make sure you have a bucket of clean water nearby, so you can dunk them in there, once you are done. Then, you can scrub the little spores off with your fingernail. After that, I soaked the filter, heater, and rocks in a 25% bleach solution, for about 10 minutes, then rinsed them in clean water. I used a clean brush, to clean off these things. Then I left everything out but the plants to dry in the sun for a while. Some of the things I can't put back in yet, such as a few of the poris rocks, because you can still smell the bleach on them. I'll be rinsing those for a while. I decided to just take out all the sand, as it was covered in algae. I have some other, brand new gravel I can put in. Oh...and if you have wood...don't soak it. It is pretty much impossible to get the bleach off, and it makes your wood a MUCH lighter color. It does look pretty natural though. Like sun-bleached driftwood.

If you don't feel like doing that quite yet, True Siamese Algae Eaters (Not to be confused with Chinese Algae Eaters) are supposed to be able to eat it. However, they get biggish (5-6"), and can be territorial with their own kind. So you either have to get one, or a big group. (5+) And a 6" fish, may not be suitable for most tanks...

Just something to add.. a fish or a plant from a fish store can bring this into your aquarium. So, I will now be soaking any new plant I have in the 19 part to 1 part bleach solution before they go in my tank. Don't want to battle this algae anymore! And of course...all fish will be quarantined. But they would be anyway!

Anyhoo, if it DOES come back...I'm going to try treating the tank with copper for a week or so, and see if that does anything. That will be my last, drastic measure. But it won't come back...I hope.

I'm sure you all are bored by now, but I just figured I'd say this, so it might be able to help somebody later on!

 

[guppygirl]

Woow shayla, that sounds awful!
How are the fishies in the tank doing?
I was thinking when you said you couldn't get it off the plants without damaging them, it couldn't have been cyanobac. That stuff comes off real easily in green, slimey, smelly sheets.
Anyways,
Keep us updated!
Robin

 

[Annastasia]

The fishies are all out of the tank. They have been spread out between various tanks, so as not to overload one tank! I currently get a few evil looks from them, because they have been taken from their precious tank....

I will keep you updated once I start the tank all over again! I'm going to be adding things gradually, so that if it does come back (It won't, it won't, it won't...) I won't have to do EVERYTHING all over again. I will update though!

 

[George Farmer]

Have you read this? Good luck.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=88353

 

[Annastasia]

Yes, I have. It's a very good article.

BUT...I had tried most of the things in there. I cut down the light...I added light...I didn't add my fertiliser...All my water params checked out..And I can't really starve my fish, because I have some delicate ones in there. Plus no algae eaters I can find around here eat it.