Black Hair

[trihard]

I wish I had as much black hair on my head as is growing in my aquarium on live and artificial plants.
I have been given to understand that this black hair is phosphate related (in the aquaruium that is!) but do not know its name. Please advise me!
I am trying to bring the phosphate level down using Rowa phosphate adsorber. Any comments or further action I should take?

Trihard.

 

[loachman]

I wish I had as much black hair on my head as is growing in my aquarium on live and artificial plants.
I have been given to understand that this black hair is phosphate related (in the aquaruium that is!) but do not know its name. Please advise me!
I am trying to bring the phosphate level down using Rowa phosphate adsorber. Any comments or further action I should take?

Trihard.

General actions are:

1. reduce time lights are on
2. reduce feedings
3. increase water changes/cleanings
4. clear as much algae out manually as possible.

 

[Dave Spencer]

It sounds to me like you have black brush algae (BBA), but a picture would help a lot.

If it is BBA, then you will probably not have to look further than fluctuating CO2. I can induce BBA in my tanks with monotonous regularity by switching off the CO2. If you are not injecting CO2, then there is a likelihood that it is water changes that are bringing on the fluctuations. Your plants will suffer from low and fluctuating CO2 too. This will cause your plants to start storing carbon via the production of RuBisCo, hampering growth, rather than growing healthily in a CO2 rich environment. Poor plant health could also result in them leaching ammonia through their cell walls.

These are some of the possible triggers causing your algae outbreak. If it is a low light tank, your best bet is to either cut back on water changes to bring some stability to the CO2 levels or, better still, dose Flourish Excel. Excel will provide your plants with inorganic carbon as a substitute to obtaining it from CO2, and it will kill the BBA due to the Polycycloglutaracetal in it.

I would bin the Rowaphos if I were you. Your plants need the phosphates, and you will never be able to starve the algae of phosphates through this method.

Dave.

 

[trihard]

It sounds to me like you have black brush algae (BBA), but a picture would help a lot.

If it is BBA, then you will probably not have to look further than fluctuating CO2. I can induce BBA in my tanks with monotonous regularity by switching off the CO2. If you are not injecting CO2, then there is a likelihood that it is water changes that are bringing on the fluctuations. Your plants will suffer from low and fluctuating CO2 too. This will cause your plants to start storing carbon via the production of RuBisCo, hampering growth, rather than growing healthily in a CO2 rich environment. Poor plant health could also result in them leaching ammonia through their cell walls.

These are some of the possible triggers causing your algae outbreak. If it is a low light tank, your best bet is to either cut back on water changes to bring some stability to the CO2 levels or, better still, dose Flourish Excel. Excel will provide your plants with inorganic carbon as a substitute to obtaining it from CO2, and it will kill the BBA due to the Polycycloglutaracetal in it.

I would bin the Rowaphos if I were you. Your plants need the phosphates, and you will never be able to starve the algae of phosphates through this method.

Dave.

Thanks Dave,

I tried unsuccessfully to attach a picture but it needs a website url. I do not have a website to upload my pic to. I believe BBA is normally around 2 to 3 mm long whereas my growth is up to 50 mm long and is "tree" like in shape. It may be a very dark green colour rather than black.

I have an Aqua One tank with two pairs of overhead lights. I only have one of the pairs switched on at a time and the lighting only comes on for about 5 hours per day.

Feeding is once a day.


TriHard.

I wish I had as much black hair on my head as is growing in my aquarium on live and artificial plants.
I have been given to understand that this black hair is phosphate related (in the aquaruium that is!) but do not know its name. Please advise me!
I am trying to bring the phosphate level down using Rowa phosphate adsorber. Any comments or further action I should take?

Trihard.

General actions are:

1. reduce time lights are on
2. reduce feedings
3. increase water changes/cleanings
4. clear as much algae out manually as possible.

Thanks Loachman!

Will do!
Please see also my response to Dave Spencer.

TriHard.

 

[trihard]

I have a poor picture of the "Black hair" now

I am NOT using CO2.

TriHard.