# Black beard algae in unplanted tank!



## jayc (May 23, 2010)

I have a 45 gallon tank that has black beard algae all over my driftwood, rocks, basically everywhere. It is an unplanted tank with a few cichlids. I have eco complete substrate in it because when I first started up the aquarium I was thinking about doing planted but changed my mind and left the substrate there. Would that be a problem? Anyways, any kind of help would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

I am assuming that you'd like to control this ... Siamese Algae eaters - _Crossocheilus oblongus_ are the best fish I have found to control this algae ... which is actually a type of fresh water red algae.

*Black Hair Algae - Before*









*Black Hair - Algae - After*









*SAE - Clean-up Crew*






​


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## jayc (May 23, 2010)

I have a few cichlids although a bit smaller which I believe might eat them either now or later. (Severum & Green terror). Is there anything else I can do? Will a UV sterilizer work?


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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

My experience has been that black hair algae is a function of high nutrients in a tank, with lots of light. 

How often you do water changes in this tank? 

What’s your filtration?


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## jayc (May 23, 2010)

I do water change around once every 7-10 days. I forget exactly which one it is but it’s a eheim canister good for up to around 100 gallons I believe. There’s was a time that I neglected my fish tank for about 3-4 weeks which is when it first started to come out. Not sure if it was that that may have started it. Looking forward to the responses. Thanks!


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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

In general that all sounds good ... what is your water parameters:

• pH 
• Ammonia
• Nitrite 
• Nitrate

How long do you have tank lit each day?

What bio-media do you use in your canister filter?

How often to you rinse out the foam in your canister filter?

FYI: My experience is Black Hair Algae in my ranks doesn’t grow in tanks that are unhealthy.


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## jayc (May 23, 2010)

My parameters were good the last time I checked. Light is lit about 6 hrs on weekdays and around 10-12 hrs on weekends (I know it’s a bit much). Filtration is everything that the filter came with. I believe two foam pads, one carbon, one fine pad, and two levels of white rings.I rarely clean the canister. Maybe 6 months.


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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

Okay ... I don't think the lighting is an issue unless you have super bright lights. I'd check your nitrates my guess is that is the fertilizer source for the freshwater red algae (BBA) ... my guess is the canister needs cleaning. What ever the case you should clean the canister. To control the nitrates you have 2 options.

*Chemical filtration control of Nitrates: use Purigen*


Add an intake sponge to your canister filter in-take
Clean your canister sponges in tank water now
Swap out 1/2 your white ceramic bio-media with Hydroton now & other 1/2 in 2 months when you rinse the sponges again
If you really want to get serious about this follow the ideas from Pond Guru / Filter Pro

*Biological filtration control of Nitrates: this is the system I use*


Add an intake sponge to your canister filter in-take
Clean your canister sponges in tank water now
Swap out 1/2 your white ceramic bio-media with Hydroton now & other 1/2 in 2 months when you rinse the sponges again
If you really want to get serious about this follow the ideas from Pond Guru / Filter Pro
Add a biocenosis filter basket and/or plenum

I get my Hydroton from Jon's Plant Factory on Hastings St. close to April's Aquarium.

I have been using the ideas from the Pond Guru now for 2 years with great results. I have also found a way to build biocenosis filter baskets into my tanks - even with digging cichlids.

Hope this helps.


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## jayc (May 23, 2010)

I actually cleaned my canister about a month ago. Replaced one of the two coarse foams and also the fine foam. I already have purigen in it from about a year ago but just rinsed it. Didn’t replace the carbon. What do you think about taking out all the substrate and either replace with a different kind or bare bottom. Do you think that would resolve it? Take out all my driftwood and scrub the glass.


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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

Before going to that extreme ... which I don’t think is necessary, test your water. See what that tells you. You may find a parameter is out of whack. 

A couple of other simple steps you can try. 

1) Use a thick layer of inert substrate like silica sand, since you are not using it as a planted tank. Your substrate may be your nutrient source - I never have a Cichlid tank where they can’t dig. Remember new substrate is bound to start an ammonia spike as it populates with bacteria. 

2) Reduce the light to the few hours a day when you are watching it will help. 

The BBA is being fertilized some how ... you have to eliminate the source or use a fish that eats it and can withstand any unwanted attention from your Cichlids. Like I suggested in the beginning I use a fish that loves it and have never had a problem afterward. 

FYI: I know you might not like how it looks but I have never known BBA to grow in an unhealthy tank.


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## jayc (May 23, 2010)

So I just checked the water. 

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Ph: 6.0

Not sure if it has to do with my ph level being low. But everything else seems fine. What do you think would be a good next step.


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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

Everything sounds great in the tank ... one thing you didn’t mention was temperature - what temperature are you running the tank at?

As a general rule I’d buffer your water a bit too to help raise the pH slightly ... 6 isn’t terrible but 7.0 or 7.2 would be better. An easy way to fix the pH gradually is a cup of crushed coral for every 10 G of water mixed into your substrate. 

As suggested before I would also reduce the lighting period for now to just the hours you want look at the tank 5 - 6 hours a day. 

I would also consider a school of SAEs with good places to hide they shouldn’t all become expensive Cichlid food. 

That’s about it for me ... like I said before in most cases I let BBA do it’s thing in a tank or let SAE control it. 

Hope this has been helpful.


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## cyber_ecco (Apr 21, 2010)

You most likely have high phosphate. You can use excel/metricide to kill it. Watch youtube video below. That will kill it off, but if you have bba you have a bigger problem. Usually caused by over feeding, over stocked tank, lack of filtration, not enough water change or some combination. If its only fish cut down your lighting to only when you need it. Algae can't live without light.


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## Gardener (Feb 13, 2011)

BBA is often a problem. I've battled it for many years in my heavily planted tanks. Good tank hygiene is the best answer in my experience. Clean your canister filters at least once a month if not oftener. Sounds like you may go longer than that (like I used to). That made the biggest difference for me a while back. Your Purigen needs to be recharged, not rinsed (google it). But as others have already suggested, if you have too much light and too much nutrients, something is going to grow - grin. I've not had great success using SAE. They tend to be opportunistic feeders, so if your fish are well fed they would much rather eat that then BBA. Not much will eat BBA because it is so course and tough. I have heard that Flying Foxes are better though. King Eds usually stocks silver FF.


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