Bright green algae and black fuzzy algae

[BBfishes]

I’ve had a 45 gallon fresh water tank set up for about a year. Recently though I’ve had this green spike of a bright green algae growing on a sea shell that’s been used in fresh water tanks for two years but only recently started growing this green algae. The snails and Lexi both tried chewing on it but could not eat it. I took a tooth pick to scrap it off and didn’t make a dent. What kind of algae is this and is it dangerous? I also just for the first time started having black fuzzy algae that seems to be eating one of my live plants and webbed over one of the plastic plants. I’ve struggled with over feeding a lot lately and finally getting the nitrates under control and this black algae started blooming. I think it’s the water I put in the aquarium has high phosphate a the other aquarium that doesn’t have nitrates embalance seems to have a dark brown algae that seems to be the begging stage of the black algae (at least the black seemed to grow where the brown started a month ago). How best to deal with it or clean it off? I’ve attached photos of both below.

 

[Rocky998]

I’ve had a 45 gallon fresh water tank set up for about a year. Recently though I’ve had this green spike of a bright green algae growing on a sea shell that’s been used in fresh water tanks for two years but only recently started growing this green algae. The snails and Lexi both tried chewing on it but could not eat it. I took a tooth pick to scrap it off and didn’t make a dent. What kind of algae is this and is it dangerous? I also just for the first time started having black fuzzy algae that seems to be eating one of my live plants and webbed over one of the plastic plants. I’ve struggled with over feeding a lot lately and finally getting the nitrates under control and this black algae started blooming. I think it’s the water I put in the aquarium has high phosphate a the other aquarium that doesn’t have nitrates embalance seems to have a dark brown algae that seems to be the begging stage of the black algae (at least the black seemed to grow where the brown started a month ago). How best to deal with it or clean it off? I’ve attached photos of both below.

The black one is black beard algae. Do you like shrimp? Well too bad if you don't cause you may want to get some amano shrimp depending on if they will like the water conditions of your tank.

 

[Tacocat]

I’ve had a 45 gallon fresh water tank set up for about a year. Recently though I’ve had this green spike of a bright green algae growing on a sea shell that’s been used in fresh water tanks for two years but only recently started growing this green algae. The snails and Lexi both tried chewing on it but could not eat it. I took a tooth pick to scrap it off and didn’t make a dent. What kind of algae is this and is it dangerous? I also just for the first time started having black fuzzy algae that seems to be eating one of my live plants and webbed over one of the plastic plants. I’ve struggled with over feeding a lot lately and finally getting the nitrates under control and this black algae started blooming. I think it’s the water I put in the aquarium has high phosphate a the other aquarium that doesn’t have nitrates embalance seems to have a dark brown algae that seems to be the begging stage of the black algae (at least the black seemed to grow where the brown started a month ago). How best to deal with it or clean it off? I’ve attached photos of both below.

The green algae is cyanobacteria, which is normal in a tank. It's not dangerous but unsightly. You can remove that by scrubbing it off. To prevent it I would leave the lights off for 2 or 3 days and do a water change. The black algae looks like BBA, but I'm not sure. Someone else will know how to get rid of it.

 

[Rocky998]

The green algae is cyanobacteria, which is normal in a tank. It's not dangerous but unsightly. You can remove that by scrubbing it off. To prevent it I would leave the lights off for 2 or 3 days and do a water change. The black algae looks like BBA, but I'm not sure. Someone else will know how to get rid of it.

Yeah, easy... Get 2-3 amano shrimps! They clean super good!

 

[Colin_T]

The green on the shell looks like blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria). However, that stuff is soft and comes off things really easily, it usually lifts off in sheets or a film.

If it is hard and doesn't come off, it could be Cyanobacteria growing in the top layer of shell, or it could be coralline algae. Coralline algae normally grows in saltwater but on rare occasions it grows in freshwater. If it is coralline algae, then encourage it to grow because it's rare in fresh water.

If you lift the shell out and smell it, Cyanobacteria will smell musty and mouldy, whereas coralline algae won't smell of anything, just the water.

 

[BBfishes]

The black one is black beard algae. Do you like shrimp? Well too bad if you don't cause you may want to get some amano shrimp depending on if they will like the water conditions of your tank.

Does the black bearded algae feed on living plants? It seems to be growing on the edges of my live plants.

 

[Colin_T]

Does the black bearded algae feed on living plants? It seems to be growing on the edges of my live plants.

No it doesn't feed on plants but it starts growing on the edge of the leaves and slowly encroaches inwards until the entire leaf is covered.

 

[BBfishes]

The green on the shell looks like blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria). However, that stuff is soft and comes off things really easily, it usually lifts off in sheets or a film.

If it is hard and doesn't come off, it could be Cyanobacteria growing in the top layer of shell, or it could be coralline algae. Coralline algae normally grows in saltwater but on rare occasions it grows in freshwater. If it is coralline algae, then encourage it to grow because it's rare in fresh water.

If you lift the shell out and smell it, Cyanobacteria will smell musty and mouldy, whereas coralline algae won't smell of anything, just the water.

Okay thank you that is helpful. I do as salt to my aquarium because of one having a cotton like stuff sprout in my tank floor and started growing on my fish. The treatment and prevention recommended was too as aquarium salt so maybe that would explain how it’s about to survive in a fresh water tank. I will do the smell test to double check. Is there anything I can do to get rid of it or of not I’m assuming it is harmless?

 

[Rocky998]

Does the black bearded algae feed on living plants? It seems to be growing on the edges of my live plants.

No, although it does cover it as Colin said

 

[BBfishes]

No it doesn't feed on plants but it starts growing on the edge of the leaves and slowly encroaches inwards until the entire leaf is covered.

I wonder why I’m struggling with this now. I finally got the nitrates under control the last week from over feeding. How could it be the water off I didn’t have a problem before in the last two years?

 

[Rocky998]

I wonder why I’m struggling with this now. I finally got the nitrates under control the last week from over feeding. How could it be the water off I didn’t have a problem before in the last two years?

Things can happen... Bacteria wants a day off?

 

[Colin_T]

Black beard algae can be introduced into a tank via spores in water or on plants. If you added something that contained spores a while back, it will be settling in and doing well now.

The green stuff on the shell, if it's coralline algae, it is harmless. If it's blue green algae, then it can be a problem if it spreads.