Can Anyone Identify This Algae Please

[ballyclover]

Hi
 
I am keeping cichlids and and have lots of ocean rock. I have started getting this horrible looking algae growing on the rocks. It looks black with the lights out (daylight) and green/gray with lights on.
 
I have no plants in the tank and the water is changed every week 25%. I do have green algae growing in one corner of the rocks from the direct light but this horrible stuff is even on the heater
 
 
 

 

[BerryAttack]

don't know what kind it is, but i believe i had this kind before... just scrub until you can't scrub no more, or until its off.. and limit light for a few days and it should clear up

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Looks like black beard algae to me.

 

[ballyclover]

bloody BBA was the bain of my life when I had plants. Thought it wouldn't be a problem once all the plants went

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Unless you've dealt with the cause, then no. 

 

[ballyclover]

I don't know what the cause was

 

[ballyclover]

anyone else have any ideas

if this is BBA  what can be causing it, I have no plants and the tank lights are only on for max 3 hours a day. It does sit indirectly near a window which would maybe light a quarter of tank.
 
I use a tetratec ex1200.. could it be lack of flow around the tank maybe?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

anyone else have any ideas


if this is BBA  what can be causing it, I have no plants and the tank lights are only on for max 3 hours a day. It does sit indirectly near a window which would maybe light a quarter of tank.
 
I use a tetratec ex1200.. could it be lack of flow around the tank maybe?

 
 
Bingo.
 
From: James' Planted Tank

Description Often grows on leaf edges of slow growing plants, bog wood and mechanical equipment. Also sometimes it grows in fast flowing areas of the tank. Grows in clumps or patches of fine black tufts up to about 0.5cm long.

Cause In a high light tank it is an indication of low or fluctuating CO2 levels or not enough water circulation around the plants. In a low light tank it is often due to changing CO2 levels.

Removal In a high light tank you will need to increase your levels of CO2 and/or improve water circulation around the plants. Scrub and cut off as much as you can first. Increase levels slowly to 30ppm or more but watch the fish to see if they are respiring heavily. Make sure you have good water flow around the whole tank along with some good surface movement. Adding a powerhead may help.
If you have a low light tank without CO2 injection then not doing any water changes will help. This is because tap water often has lots of CO2 dissolved in it which causes CO2 levels in your tank to fluctuate. The algae respond to this a lot quicker than the plants do.
Siamese Algae Eaters are known to eat BBA so can be used to control this algae.
Overdosing Flourish Excel will clear it up.

 

[ballyclover]

sorry, bit confused. It says it can grow in fast moving water and I need to increase CO2 in high lighted planted tanks, which I don't have.
 
So is the solution just to increase circulation?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If your tank is "low light" as you claim, then this would be your solution:
 

Scrub and cut off as much as you can first.
 
If you have a low light tank without CO2 injection then not doing any water changes will help. This is because tap water often has lots of CO2 dissolved in it which causes CO2 levels in your tank to fluctuate. The algae respond to this a lot quicker than the plants do.

 
 
But, I'm concerned about the window light coming in, which you said lasts for about 3 hours.  Is this direct light?  Is the BBA only growing on the decor in this section of the tank?  There is more going on here than I think you have mentioned, which is why its so confusing.
 
If you are dealing with a high light concentration for PART of the day, then the CO2 are going to go haywire on you... I'd investigate exactly how much light is coming from that window, and consider putting some curtains in front of it or something.  If this issue has arisen fairly recently (last 3 months or so) its probably from the increased sunlight during the spring and the new angle of the sun coming in the window.

 

[ballyclover]

hi
I have attached a photo this time to show the tank position. It sits at a right angle to the window and doesn't really experience direct sunlight.as you can see there is a part curtain in the corner of the tank. The worst of the BBA is the left hand side, further away from the window. The tank light comes on at 7 for 2 hours only.
 
I have injected excel flourish to the rock tonight and see how it goes
 
I have no plants, just coral sand and ocean rock.
 
just done water tests as follows
 
Ammonia 0.25ppm

nitrate 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
PH 8  ( which the range I am looking for with these fish)

 

[snazy]

Dose excel daily but make sure you don't exceed the dose recommended on the bottle, up to two times the recommended amount maybe fine without schocking the fish but observe and do a water change if needed.
BBA is an odd one. I've got 3 low tech tanks(planted) that get 50% water changes weekly, lights on on full blast before and after, one is next to a window and none of them have BBA. My tap water is full of CO2 due, plants pearl after water change.
So there's another reason than the common believes for it for sure, especially in non-planted tanks.
As I suggested in your other thread, it's possible it's caused by wrong Ca/Mg ratio, too much calcium compared to magnesium your rocks being the culprit, excess phosphates, etc... Do plenty of water changes. It will help bring the levels back in check.
A pleco will knock it off the rocks too but that's not a suggestion

 

[eaglesaquarium]

OK.  I get a better picture of it now. 
 
 
#1 - the ammonia is an issue.  At higher pH (like 8.0) 0.25ppm is a serious concern, much more so than 6.0.  So, you need to identify why you have an ammonia reading.
 
 
#2 - nitrate is 0?    Is this tank cycled?  The nitrate shouldn't be reading 0, unless you are getting a false reading.  If you're using the API test kit, the 2nd bottle needs to be REALLY vigorously shaken for a full minute before dispensing, and the tube needs to be vigorously shaken as well.
 
 
#3 - the window is the source of the problem.  A great deal of light, indirect or direct, is coming into the tank, and the angle of the light entering the room means that the far side of the tank is getting more light than the part that's closer to the window.
 
 
 
 
So, here's my take away from this.  The light from the window and the ammonia in the tank are causing the trouble. 
 
#1 - get rid of the ammonia - more than likely you are experiencing some sort of mini-cycle, possibly because of the cichlids are digging up the sand and might have been kicking up some stuff.  I'd do some extra water changes to make sure that you clear the ammonia.
 
#2 - Remove as much of the BBA as possible - using boiling water, Flourish Excel, scrubbing, etc.
 
#3 - I'd close the curtain during the brightest part of the day, at least part of the way more to cut down the light.  This by itself should keep the algae from returning.

 

[ballyclover]

thank you both for your help.. I do use the API test kit.
 
The tank was set up with cichlids around 3 months back and went almost straight from a tropical tank to the cichlids but with new sand and landscape, the filter should have been ok, but it did run in a water only tank for about a week after the tropical were removed and cichlids put in. Maybe the good bacteria died out and the tank is cycling, although I would have thought by now it would ok.
 
The cichlids are def mixing up the sand.
 
I may try to move the tank further away from the window if possible or as you say have a blind put in, curtain pulled.
 
I will retest for nitrates, today with a good shake, it maybe the test kit is out off date
 
thank you once again

 

[ballyclover]

revised test results, thanks to eagleaquiruims
 
nitrate reading is between 80 and towards the 160ppm if there was a coloyr inbetween them 2.
 
 
Could this be the cause of the BBA