Black Stuff Again (photo)

[Dave Spencer]

You have BBA, which is CO2 related.

There are no alga in our tanks that are caused by high nitrates and phophates. Truckasaurus, take a look at the EI sticky.

If this is a low light tank, you may want to cut right back on the water changes. Adding fresh water with a high CO2 content can cause sufficient CO2 instabiltity in a low light tank, which can trigger BBA. Your plants are busy using up their energy making RuBisCo while your BBA has detected this and is now moving in.

I can, and have deliberately triggered BBA by switching off the CO2 in my tanks. Within a couple of days I have BBA on my hardware.

For a more direct approach, when the BBA is exposed during a water change, use a pipette or something similar and apply it directly to the BBA.

Decaying plant matter won`t help the situation, either, so remove all the dead or dying leaves. Your test kit won`t tell you this, but you could have background ammonia levels that will exacerbate the situation.

Dave.

 

[saz326]

Doresy - sucks when this happens.

Algae like this always has a presence in our tanks, however it is usually kept in check by competing plants and friendly shrimp and lighting levels.

Have any of the plants in the tank started looking different? Algae takes advantage of low nutrient conditions, including low CO2 levels. (the algae outcompetes plants for nutrients when the nutrients are in low concentrations.) have any plants died off recently, or gone yellow, or stopped growing. Maybe its time to put new plants in.

maybe you could set up a quick cheap bit of Co2 (2 litre bottle and an airline with airstone). This would help to boost the plant growth in the tank, meaning that the plants will suck up all available nutrients so the algae dies back.

p.s. 3 of the 4 babies (Cories) are doing well. (one got caught in the filter... poor bu*ger).

 

[aaronnorth]

You have BBA, which is CO2 related.

There are no alga in our tanks that are caused by high nitrates and phophates. Truckasaurus, take a look at the EI sticky.

If this is a low light tank, you may want to cut right back on the water changes. Adding fresh water with a high CO2 content can cause sufficient CO2 instabiltity in a low light tank, which can trigger BBA. Your plants are busy using up their energy making RuBisCo while your BBA has detected this and is now moving in.

I can, and have deliberately triggered BBA by switching off the CO2 in my tanks. Within a couple of days I have BBA on my hardware.

For a more direct approach, when the BBA is exposed during a water change, use a pipette or something similar and apply it directly to the BBA.

Decaying plant matter won`t help the situation, either, so remove all the dead or dying leaves. Your test kit won`t tell you this, but you could have background ammonia levels that will exacerbate the situation.

Dave.

Beat me to it, now you know the causes, here are a few solutions on how to remove it:

remove as much as possible, do a 50% water change, then dose easycarbo or excel daily. Some overdose by 3x to get it done quicker, but dosing it at the reccomended levels will still work.
Or if it is really bad (covers most of the tank) then i would consider a blackout. Cover the tank up for 3-5days, no feeding or peeking. Do a 50% water change just before covering the tank up, and 50% after uncovering the tank. This helps to get rid of any algae spores, that will of died, as they will rot and produce ammonia, possible triggering another algae outbreak.

Obviously if you dont sort the cause (low CO2, poor flow) then it will come back again.

 

[doresy]

Ok, thanks guys and girls.....going for the Exel treatment again

Might try amano's too as they are only £1.25 a go when they are in at one particular LFS

 

[doresy]

Oh, I forgot to say....I also put in a thumping great pack of Fluval Clearmax (formerly Green-X) as it traps phosphate and nitrate.....allegedly

 

[aaronnorth]

That wont do anything to the BBA, it is CO2 related

 

[Dave Spencer]

Oh, I forgot to say....I also put in a thumping great pack of Fluval Clearmax (formerly Green-X) as it traps phosphate and nitrate.....allegedly

And your plants will hate you for it, and you will develop new types of algae as your plants deteriorate.........nitrates and phosphates do not cause algae. Look after the plants and forget the algae. Excel is added to aid plants. The fact that it kills some types of algae is a secondary benefit, and not why it was developed. Healthy plants that are unlimited by nutrients is your answer.

I say again.....nitrates and phosphartes do not cause algae. They feed it, but they do not cause it. Causing algae and feeding it is an important distinction. You will starve your plants way before you starve the algae, which is a far more adaptable and opportunist life form. I have grown algae using a very pure source of demineralised water and sunlight.

If you use that Clearmax stuff, I reckon there is a good chance you will get GSA for starters. I have proven it to myself by reducing phosphate dosing to see what happens. When I overdose, I see no algae. I can`t cause any type of algae by overdosing nitrates, either.

Dave.

 

[doresy]

You're the boss Dave......it comes out first thing in the morning

 

[Syphoniera]

Good luck, doresy!
(And don't waste the excuse to load up on Amano - they're such little beauties.)