That darn black algae!!!

[ydono]

Hi. Thank you in advance for your help. I have been battling black algae for years and have posted many times. Nothing seems to work! I have bought algae eaters and that doesn't help. I take out ornaments and other removable equipment and treat with hydrogen peroxide and that does kill the algae on those items - but it comes back. I try treating the plants but they do not handle it well. it seems impossible. Theoretically,I would think the black algae is in the gravel too. I tried black out and that killed green algae and messed with my plants but the black algae thrives. Here are my stats:
55 gallon tank
ph: 7.6
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5
Phosphate 5
KH: 65 ppm
GH: 135 ppm
ammonia: 0

I do a 1/3 water change weekly then treat with stresszyme, stress coat and possible KH drops.
I fertilize with thrive low tech fertilizer 3 times a week. And thrive under gravel capsule fertilizers every couple months.
Lights are led. See below photos for settings.

 

[Allwissend]

Hello,
yes it is a relatively stubborn algae especially if you have a lot of hardscape exposed to light. Low organic polution seems to help to reduce its grow according to many reports... So increase water changes to 50%, maintain a clean filter with weekly cleanings, clean the substrate and under rocks, add only dechlorinator to your new water. You can continue dosing liquid fertilizer but discontinue root tabs as they are often ammonia based (some ammounts will get in the water column).

It is a long term solution so do not discourage. Peroxide will kill the existing colonies but you need to reducre the organic load for long term control.

 

[ydono]

thank you allwissend. What do you think about my lighting parameters do they need to be changed?

 

[ydono]

lighting: The lighting is an led Fluval Aquasky 35 watts. I'm running it at . Sunrise takes 3 hours - then full daylight (63% red light; green, blue and white 100%) for 4 hours and then sunset is 2 hours.

 

[Mooner]

One picture of one plant in a 55gal tank doesn't give an overall idea of what's going on. So how about a full tank picture? Are there fish?

For a low tech, non-CO2 tank, cut your light to 50% for all colors for 7-8 hours max (including ramp up/ramp down), stop changing the water weekly and continue the ferts. Monitor conditions and probably add more plant mass (full tank picture?)

Changing water at 1-3 months, stability is what you need.

Cheers

 

[ydono]

One picture of one plant in a 55gal tank doesn't give an overall idea of what's going on. So how about a full tank picture? Are there fish?

For a low tech, non-CO2 tank, cut your light to 50% for all colors for 7-8 hours max (including ramp up/ramp down), stop changing the water weekly and continue the ferts. Monitor conditions and probably add more plant mass (full tank picture?)

Changing water at 1-3 months, stability is what you need.

Cheers

 

[Allwissend]

lighting: The lighting is an led Fluval Aquasky 35 watts. I'm running it at . Sunrise takes 3 hours - then full daylight (63% red light; green, blue and white 100%) for 4 hours and then sunset is 2 hours.

Although one really needs to measure light levels with a quantum meter, 35W of Aquasky LED's over a 55 gallon will put you in the low / low -medium light levels and it's decent for the plant selection in this and previous photos. Schedule looks ok. Thing with BBA is, you will get it growing in low light or high light tanks and I've yet to see a study showing significant growth differences depending on spectrum alone.

Keeping the same stable conditions in which the algae grew will lead to stable algae growth not to mention that with increasing time a lot more of the non-measurable / hard to control aspects accumulate. Sure, like all photosynthetic organisms, not enough light won't grow the algae and more light will grow it faster. But we want to keep and grow plants in our aquariums, so complete darkness is not the way forward. With time you will increase the densitiy of your plants (especially that Egeria) and they will shade the hardscape enough to prevent rapid growth of algae on them. Keep on top of tank cleanliness and focus on growing plants!

 

[BJBiotope]

lighting: The lighting is an led Fluval Aquasky 35 watts. I'm running it at . Sunrise takes 3 hours - then full daylight (63% red light; green, blue and white 100%) for 4 hours and then sunset is 2 hours.

I have been dealing with BBA (Audouinella) for many years now. Adding a UV-light "filter" has helped me the most.

One of the things I've learned is that the part of the light spectrum that inhibits BBA is the ultraviolet. The easiest way to add ultraviolet into the system is through a UV filter and they have both HOB and in-line versions. While it will not remove existing BBA it will kill the spores and prevent spread. Doing this has made the biggest difference for me and has stopped BBA growth in my tanks.

I've also read that Diana Walstead switches her lights off for several minutes in the middle of the day, breaking an eight-hour light cycle into two four-hour segments, which inhibits the BBA. Why, is a bit too complicated for me to explain. She also emphasizes having a lot of plants.

In general vigorous plant growth will control BBA in aquariums. Plants will simply out compete the algae. The stem plants you have appear to be fast growing types. Once they have become established and start to grow-out that alone should help a lot. Anubias (like the one you pictured) are slow growing and typically the first to become infested. If possible I'd remove these for awhile and place them in a bucket of dechlorinated water with no light at all for an absolute minimum of three days and probably for at least a week. (I found some Anubias I'd forgotten doing fine after three weeks in near total darkness) Withholding all light will kill it. Separating the Anubias will prevent spread of spores.

It's a tough fight but don't get discouraged. There are many different ways to have a beautiful aquarium and it may take awhile to find which is the best for you.
Hope this helps - John

 

[Mooner]

lighting: The lighting is an led Fluval Aquasky 35 watts. I'm running it at . Sunrise takes 3 hours - then full daylight (63% red light; green, blue and white 100%) for 4 hours and then sunset is 2 hours.

Increase the plant mass 3-4x, stems preferred. For lighting, .5hr ramp up/ramp down, 7 hours 50-60% on all colors for 8 hours total.

What does your substrate consist of??

Cheers

 

[Baia82]

Your phosvate level is high and phosvate is one of the main triggers for the formation and growth of bba. The target value would be between 0.02 - 0.1 ppm. If you can't do this with the liquid fertilizer you have now, then consider switching to another type of fertilizer that doesn't contain phosvates. If your phosvates form even though you don't add them, it means that the aquarium is very dirty and you need to wash the substrate and filters.

 

[aditzas]

and I've yet to see a study showing significant growth differences depending on spectrum alone.

can you elaborate on the spectrum of colors and algae, can you tell me where I can find this study?

 

[aditzas]

Phosphate 5

BBA will Thrives în high phosphate environments, will no CO2, ideal level IMO will be 0.1 to 1 mg/l of phosphate,
( in general IMO ideal levels are a CO2 content of approximately 20-30 mg/l, 10 to 25 mg/l of nitrate (NO3), 5 to 10 mg/l of potassium (K), 0.1 to 1 mg/l of phosphate (PO4), >10 mg/l of magnesium (Mg), )
Go for more plant mass, a lot more, add CO2, change to a regime of 2 days a week macro and 4 days a week micro ferts, so that plants will consume all macro.... i do not know an algae that thrives in high micro regime, they all love macro ferts regime...
There is no plant that loves phosphate , but Ceratophyllum demersum - hornwort- will eat nitrate and phosphate and grow very very fast if floated on surface (co2 with 400ppm on surface)

 

[Allwissend]

can you elaborate on the spectrum of colors and algae, can you tell me where I can find this study?

I've yet to see a study showing significant growth differences depending on spectrum alone.

meaning that I have not seen any such study with the algae species we have in our freshwater aquariums.