Black Algae on plant leaves

How big is the tank? Without knowing that it is hard to guess what the problems are.

 

What do you use for phosphates for the plants? For the light level you have, the plants aren't going to grow really fast, but they still need some phosphate. Also, once you get plant leaves infested with algae you almost always have to prune away those leaves before you can get control over the algae. You can kill the algae on the leaves, with a 1.5-2X overdose of Excel, but the leaves will mostly die anyway, which will lead to more algae later.

My 2.5 gallon nano uses Excel for carbon, no CO2, relatively low light, and the plants in it grow very slowly, but almost entirely algae free. I dose KNO3, KH2PO4, CSM+B traces, and Excel in it, every other day. It has a 27 watt PC desk lamp about 6 inches over the water. So, you should be able to make your tank grow algae-free.

 

Is this black Algae?

Tom,

After reading this post, I am curious if I have the same thing. I'm posting a few pics. I don't know if you remember from my other posts here, but I am just now getting my tank to where it 'should' be. I made your DIY reactor the other night and installed it. I ordered ferts from Greg, which shipped and should arrive in a few days, I've increased my lighting by OD'ing my two 40 watt t12's plus the single t5 38 watt.

So, I'm expecting to start getting some good growth finally once this is all started, but I have algea on almost all my leaves, with the exception of the crypt for some reason and the java fern. But the anubias, the sword, and the long tall I don't know what they are in the back.

Anyway, as I'm writing this, I'll bet I'm going to be guilty of the 'write before you read' sin, so if it's here, just yell at me and tell me to search. But if it's not here already, then what should I do once I get the ferts going? I was assuming I'd let everything start growing strong and then trim away the bad stuff. If I trim now, there wouldn't be much of anything left. So, what do you think? What is this stuff? And how should I attack it?

Thanks,



This anubias is growing a new leaf right now, though it's not in the shot:


What is this long tall single strand each thing?:


Here's the overall of the tank before the reactor install:

 

Just to clarify...

Boy, I can tell I still have a LOT to learn! The stem plants do seem to grow a little faster now in the last few days. Soon we'll be dosing with EI and away we go. I wanted to make sure things started growing well before I bought more plants, but maybe that's the wrong way to think about it.

Be "export the algae," are you saying get rid of all the plants or at least trim off all the stuff that has algae on it?

Is it a bad idea to start dosing, let it start growing first, and THEN trim, dispose and buy new stuff?

(I am reading almost exclusively here on your site now a couple hours a day, so I am trying to put the research effort in, as well as ask some of these questions. It just takes so much to absorb all of this as well as finding it. Love your site. Very glad I subscribed. Definitely expect to become lifetime member.)

Thanks,

 

Black Agae/ Dark Spots

I am interested in understand the cause and the remedy for this.
CAUSE
What is deficient or in excess to cause the dark spots on Anubias. Is it light, CO2, other nutrients?
Is the cause different in a non CO2 tank?

REMEDY
How can one correct this problem. Quantities, period etc
- CO2 tank
- non CO2

 

Out of curiousity what is that plant in the top background of the 2nd pic, and the bottom forground of the 3rd pic? Is that Creeping Jenny or Money plant?

 

It's some sort of stem plant that I just don't remember what I was told the name to when I purchased it. I'm sorry I don't know, I just buy they ones that look nice at the store after asking a few questions from them about it. :-s

jeff