Hello all, I have been successfully keeping planted tropical tanks for a number of years now but have finally run into a problem I just cannot seem to beat. I have one tank that is a small tropical community tank that had been heavily planted and lush at one time. Months ago, literally from nowhere, a small plant began to take over.
It’s not very tall, only about .5” tall, very dark in color, a black/green in fact. It grows on EVERY thing and smothered my plants. Eventually, the tank was completely covered in this stuff, I just couldn’t fight it down.
I bought a new tank with new substrate and transferred the fish after conditioning with no problems. I even replaced the filter!! After adding new plants, I had hoped things were going to go nicely.
I will admit I tried to save some of the old rocks from the older tank. I boiled them for hours in salty water. I then baked them in the over for a very long time. Eventually I scrubbed the top layer off of each one with brillow pads then cleaned the rocks again to make sure no roots remained.
Well, the new tank went well at first but then it appeared AGAIN!!! This time it started on the new filter tubes and proceeded to spread quickly from there. I can only guess that some parts of it may have been in the water that the fish were transfer in.
I have taken ALL the plants out of the tank, they were getting smothered, and pitched them. How do I get rid of this plague like plant? What the heck IS it anyway???
It’s not very tall, only about .5” tall, very dark in color, a black/green in fact. It grows on EVERY thing and smothered my plants. Eventually, the tank was completely covered in this stuff, I just couldn’t fight it down.
I bought a new tank with new substrate and transferred the fish after conditioning with no problems. I even replaced the filter!! After adding new plants, I had hoped things were going to go nicely.
I will admit I tried to save some of the old rocks from the older tank. I boiled them for hours in salty water. I then baked them in the over for a very long time. Eventually I scrubbed the top layer off of each one with brillow pads then cleaned the rocks again to make sure no roots remained.
Well, the new tank went well at first but then it appeared AGAIN!!! This time it started on the new filter tubes and proceeded to spread quickly from there. I can only guess that some parts of it may have been in the water that the fish were transfer in.
I have taken ALL the plants out of the tank, they were getting smothered, and pitched them. How do I get rid of this plague like plant? What the heck IS it anyway???
) 
