# Need Advice for Black beard/brush Algae



## Tazzy_toon

I am currently running a low tech 33 gal lightly planted tank with driftwood. The driftwood is right under the outflow of the filter but is covered in the black beard algae.

I have 5 dalmation mollies, 3 juvi albino bn plecs, 4 kuhli loaches, 3 amano shrimps and a few guppies that i will be rehoming soon.

I don't mind the algae for the most part, it almost looks pretty, except that it's starting to get on some of the plants, which doesn't flow so nicely.

I don't have/will not have co2, I reluctantly use (flourish) ferts once a month.

And for lighting I have .5 watts per gallon (stock lighing) on for 12 hrs a day.

15 to 20% water changes weekly.

Plants are moss, crypts, elodia and java fern. 

I've been just picking it off during water changes but was wondering if there was any natural treatment, if not I will just live with it.

Thanks for your time.


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## monkE

the 12 hour photoperiod is your problem... really the light shouldn't be on more than 9 hours or so, maybe 10 max. 

I have my light turn off for a few hours durring the day while i'm at work so that I can enjoy the tank for longer time in the evening and remain at 9 hours total photoperiod.


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## Tazzy_toon

I thought it might be that. I love to see my fishies, and since i'm a stay at home mom, the lights always on.

I have been turning it off when i go out, but I'll try to have more of a schedule with it.
Thanks


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## monkE

simple timers work great for that, the plants really seem to thrive on routine so if you have a timer set then you don't have to worry about it


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## monkE

a second option if you want to leave the light on all the time is raise the light fixture higher above the tank. The further the light is from the surface of the tank the less the algae can live off it


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

I found that Amano shrimp did a good job eating up any nuisance algae that grew on my plants.


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## CRS Fan

How about a Crossocheilus reticulatus (aka BBA monster )? I have a larger one available for $25. PM me if interested.

Best regards,

Stuart


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## Maple

I had trouble with black algae on my plants so I bought a Siamese Algae Eater. Steve deserves a ribbon for his amazing cleaning job. My plants are beautiful again and he never stops grazing.


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## cdsgo1974

Directly quoted from Removing Black Hair Algae

Text and pictures by: Souly

First off what is Black Hair algae?
Black Hair Algae goes by a few other names: Black Brush Algae, Black Beard Algae but is usually known as BBA. It can sometimes be mistaked as Staghorn Algae, but the color Staghorn Algae is Greenish blue.

Depending on amount of growth it could look like small patches of black hairs, or a black carpet (as in the picture).

The strands don't usually get very long, one centimeter is the usual size.

The algae usually forms on slow-growing plants such as Anubias, but it can also grow on gravel, diftwood, or rocks in your tank.

How To Remove:

Using different fish or snails: There are a few different types of fish known to eat BBA,
Siamensis, CAE / SAE Algae Eaters, Black Mollies, Angelfish may eat it. Apple snails will also eat BBA.

Algae Eating Shrimp: Japonica Shrimp (Caridina japonica).

Chemical fixes:

Before doing this, it is recommended that you take out all the decorations covered with the BBA and soak then in a mild bleach and water solution. That will kill the Algae, and then you should scrub the plants with a soft brush to get it off to help it from growing back.

(If using live plants you can do the same, however I find it easer to just remove the leaf.)

Warning: Using too much bleach can remove the dies.

You can Soak wood as well but you will have make sure you really rinse it out well. You do not want left over bleach getting into your tank.

Flourish Excel: Works great if your tank is planted, and that is cause for your Black Hair. And diluted amounts are said to work well in non-planted tanks thats have contracted it.

Lighting: Reducing your light to 6 hours a day will cut back on the growth, which will help when using a chemical fix.

Algaefix, works well to.

The biggest reason you get BBA iis that your plants aren't getting the right amount of support they need. Lowlight, not even nutrients in the water.


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## Chappy

April has a goldfish that eats the stuff......seriously


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## gklaw

-N/A- said:


> April has a goldfish that eats the stuff......seriously


Witchful thinking :lol: Seriously, no way


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## Chappy

gklaw said:


> Witchful thinking :lol: Seriously, no way


Wouldn't have believed it in a kazillion years if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. It was so obsessed with eating the stuff, it got banished to another tank. No word of a lie, I promise


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## neven

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/plan...lic-enemy-1-black-brush-algae-how-fight-2286/

nice sticky that explains many of the causes and what you can do.

Since you are low tech, there isnt much you can do except ensure there minimal dead zones of flow in your tank.

Other than that increase surface agitation or air stones to help keep co2 levels in the water stable (its 3 ppm without injection)

Oh and lights, watts per gallon is useless, need to know the type of light fixture, bulb and how high the bottom of the bulbs are from the top of the substrate.


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## gklaw

Will go see it with my own eyes Wed  FS ?


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## Chappy

gklaw said:


> Will go see it with my own eyes Wed  FS ?


Pretty sure it's for sale. I gave it to her a couple of weeks ago when I was rearranging my tanks to move my heckels. It's a cute little pearlscale with one blue and one orange eye. It has a perfectly round orange circle underneath it's tummy. Very very cute


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## Tazzy_toon

cdsgo1974, thank you, I did read that thread, that is why I bought a few amano shrimp, plus i have mollies, they do nibble, but not enough to do anything. I'm not comfortable with bleaching the wood and i do clean the ornaments and leaves when it gets bad.

I do use flourish as a fert, but i guess that confused me because it says flourish exel. I have seachem flourish. 

Frankly, i'd rather look at the bba then a dark tank. My other tanks don't have the problem. So wierd. 
Like i previously stated the problem is under the flow and I do have a sponge and hob filter. 

So ya, guess i'll just live with it. 

Thanks for all the input


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## Tazzy_toon

neven said:


> http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/plan...lic-enemy-1-black-brush-algae-how-fight-2286/
> 
> nice sticky that explains many of the causes and what you can do.
> 
> Since you are low tech, there isnt much you can do except ensure there minimal dead zones of flow in your tank.
> 
> Other than that increase surface agitation or air stones to help keep co2 levels in the water stable (its 3 ppm without injection)
> 
> Oh and lights, watts per gallon is useless, need to know the type of light fixture, bulb and how high the bottom of the bulbs are from the top of the substrate.


It's why I just said stock lights, there isn't anything special about the lighting. 17 watt daylight on a 33 gal, 18" deep.

Thanks for the input tho. It's a good sticky, and I did read it.


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## cdsgo1974

Tazzy_toon said:


> cdsgo1974, thank you, I did read that thread, that is why I bought a few amano shrimp, plus i have mollies, they do nibble, but not enough to do anything. I'm not comfortable with bleaching the wood and i do clean the ornaments and leaves when it gets bad.
> 
> I do use flourish as a fert, but i guess that confused me because it says flourish exel. I have seachem flourish.
> 
> Frankly, i'd rather look at the bba then a dark tank. My other tanks don't have the problem. So wierd.
> Like i previously stated the problem is under the flow and I do have a sponge and hob filter.
> 
> So ya, guess i'll just live with it.
> 
> Thanks for all the input


Hello Tazzy_toon,
You're welcome. Seachem Flourish and Seachem Excel are two different additives. Seachem Flourish is macro nutrients while Seachem Excel is a liquid CO2 supplement. Seachem Excel will do more in terms of addressing the algae issue. Until you get Seachem Excel, maybe stop applying Seachem Flourish. This may be the source of your problem. Without CO2 and sufficient lighting, the plants cannot absorb the nutrients available in the water. If you are applying Seachem Flourish but you're not injecting CO2, then you're pretty much just feeding the algae. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong as I'm no expert... just compiling in my mind what I've learned from the various members in this forum and from doing my own research.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying. However, it may be smart to shorten the period of time you have your light on for now to 6 hours until the algae problem subsides.

cheers


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## Tazzy_toon

I'll do my best to shorten the lighting period and I agree about the flourish, I was only using once a month because my plants are not as healthy as they could be, they have grown better since I started using it, but as you would expect, so has the algae.

I tried tonight to just aim my table lamp on the tank for a little ambience, it was ok and only lit the bottom corning so maybe that will be a good middle ground for lighting, I'll give it a try and see if that helps. 

Thanks again.


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## Tazzy_toon

Just wanted to update you all. I have cut down on my lighting period for about 2 weeks, and started dosing excel almost a week ago. I was starting to think nothing was working, but then today I spotted a little red area. Does this mean it's working?


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## The Guy

I only have my lights on 6 hrs a day from 5pm to 11pm for the evening and I have 3 flying foxes in my 72 bf as well that do an awsome job on BB algea as well as the build upon surfaces. I had been leaving the lights on all day as well, but since I cut back on time I have not had a problem


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## gklaw

Excel does not work instantly, it is also good for your plants.


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## pdoutaz

I had the same issue in my 120G for a VERY long time - solved it by adding 2 power heads to increase the current -ALMOST no BBA any more


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## Tazzy_toon

well, it seems to be slowly ying. It isn't a problem with flow, it started directly under the flow of my hob filter. It has continuous water movement and there is less BBA where there is less flow. I am contributing the problem to to lighting and co2 problem, since it is getting better with excel and and shorter photo period. 

I am tempted to just pull out the driftwood and give it a scrub to make it go quicker, but I have to move in a month anyways, so i'll see how it goes and if it isn't gone by then, I might as well just scrub it down and rescape and hope that with prober lighting and excel that it will stay under control.


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