# Black bushy algae really getting me mad!



## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

Ok i have this small black bushy algy growing to length of a centimeter, and I can't get rid of it. Is there a fish that will eat it, becuase I really need one that will. I'm not keen about soaking my plants in stuff to kill it. BUt i am willing to buy a fish that will eat it. Also i have this redish hair algae growing on my plants leaves as well, how do i get rid of that? (fish wise)

Thanks

-Joel


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## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

This is the algae i have.










PLEASE I NEED HELP!

-joel


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

That would be the dreaded bba (black brush algae). I've been fighting that one off to varying degrees forever.

Check out *this* and *this* and *this* and good luck. Keep us posted.

ETA: nice pic btw!


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

And when you are done with that home work, I would suggest posting your tank specs and what your water specs (ph,kh,gh,nitrates,phosphates,ect)are. That way we can help you find the cause of your algae....

Jason


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

And no tv until you get that homework done...


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

amanda huggenkiss said:


> And no tv until you get that homework done...


 :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

I finished my homework, although am currently studying for the chem unit test :roll: . I thought those sites were very useful, but I will have those results by tomorrow, unfortunetly i do not have a phosphate test kit. Sorry! And my LFS finds it hard to get the SAE in, very rare now.

-Joel


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

scalare altum said:


> I finished my homework, although am currently studying for the chem unit test :roll: . I thought those sites were very useful, but I will have those results by tomorrow, unfortunetly i do not have a phosphate test kit. Sorry! And my LFS finds it hard to get the SAE in, very rare now.
> 
> -Joel


A+ for effort thus far :wink: ... Tell us about your tank specs; C02, lighting, fish load, plants etc....

Jason


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

scalare altum said:


> And my LFS finds it hard to get the SAE in, very rare now.


Some fish seem to come around in cycles. It's often impossible to find SAEs around here too, but right now they're everywhere. Same with female bettas. Didn't see them at all for the longest time, and now there are tons. Beautiful little fish.


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## SueNH (Feb 25, 2004)

I guess I'm a bit of a heretic. I actually like the stuff. I have a piece of driftwood that's fairly covered in it. Doesn't spread much since I got lots of plants and high light. The SAE's and mollies keep it trimmed to a pretty uniform height and they seem to be able to keep it from spreading much now.

When I had only a few plants and low light I would have to fight it to keep it in check.

I did dip the driftwood once in a bleach solution. Killed it but now I've got veins of java moss all through it and it looks cool. Only other place it grows now is on the cord to a submersed heater and the backs of a few older pond snails. Java moss and java fern are spreading slowly over it and I supect eventually it will lose.

It even pearls a bit in the afternoon.


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

SueNH said:


> I guess I'm a bit of a heretic. I actually like the stuff.


[small voice] it _is_ pretty [/small voice]

But when you're at that low light & fighting it stage, and it's _everywhere_... aaaargh!


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## jwholmes (Feb 27, 2004)

Don't mean to walk on scalare altum's thread but hate to start a new one for the same problem! I have a 2 month old 75g "upgraded" from an existing 29g. I have 39 small fish (tetras, rasboras) and several dozen plants. My water is

ph: 7.2
gh: 4
kh: 6
phosphate: .04
nitrate: 11
nitrite & ammonia: unmeasurable
watts/gal light: 3.4
fluorite/gravel substrate
DIY CO2 (works so far, besides can't afford better right now)
15% water change twice weekly

I had multiple algaes spreading everywhere but fish are happy and plants are growing like mad. I have to trim weekly. I began dosing Flourish and Kent FE per the bottle and adding potassium chloride per Chuck's calculator to find a balance and stop the algae. Algae is better except I can't stop the bba. It is overrunning all the slower growing plants and the substrate. Also leaves on some plants are curling and others are yellowing on the edges.
Typing in the info I realized that my phosphate is .04 vice .4 so I just double checked and .04 is correct. Looks like I need to run to the drug store and get some Fleet Enema yes? If I missed something else please point it out. I'm not to proud to seek advice. Geez, balancing a high light tank is MUCH harder than my old 1.8 watt/gallon tank. Also being patient enough to let adjustments take effect is tough.


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

Yep phosphate is a little low. But looking at your Ph/Kh you are only running at @7.5ppm of C02... Try and get that C02 level up to the 20ppm range which should bring your Ph under 7 this should help alot....


Jason


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## SueNH (Feb 25, 2004)

When I had low light and no plants to speak of it was easy to clean. I could root around and dip things to my hearts content. I will admit it was everywhere then. It did try to get the plants when I first up graded but the plants won on their own.

2 months now I think on high light for me. The BBA is really pretty much staying on the one old piece of driftwood. I see it on one rock too but Java moss is creeping into it. 

I'm fairly patient when it comes to plants and critters. I enjoy watching things grow and change. I do notice a subtle color change in the BBA. It isn't so dark now as it was. Not a happy dark green now.


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## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

Sorry I'm late passing in my homework.

Ok here is my results: pH=7.0, GH=20ppm, KH=60ppm, ammonia=0ppm, nitrIte=.2ppm (what is up with that, my tank is 10 1/2 months old), nitrAtes=5ppm

Hope this helps, i plan to get my phosphates tested soon.

-Joel


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## rumples riot (May 29, 2003)

BBA from my experience is caused by two factors that are present. 

1. PH over 7
2. high phosphate and nitrate reading.

Drop the PH below 7 by adding more CO2 and Reduce phosphate in the water column. Keep Nitrate to 5-10ppm.

If you do this, I can tell you that your tank will be devoid of BBA. You will just get something else then.  

Siamensis cats are really useful but you will need at least 5 or six.

Lots more plants also help. (stems)

Paul


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## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

Is the reason I need more stem plants, is because they remmove a lot of nutrients form the water collum?

-Joel


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## rumples riot (May 29, 2003)

Yes, in particular they will use up more phosphate (in small amounts)between all the plants and more nitrate.

Paul


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## Daemonfly (Oct 1, 2003)

rumples riot said:


> BBA from my experience is caused by two factors that are present.
> 
> 1. PH over 7
> 2. high phosphate and nitrate reading.
> ...


Mine's spreading with the exact opposite conditions :lol:


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## rumples riot (May 29, 2003)

What are your parameters Daemonfly?

Paul


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## ninoboy (Jan 26, 2004)

I'm not an expert on this but I just got rid of those algae in my tank. It was brown black brush algae. It didn't look as bad as the picture but it's like brushy and hard to remove by hand algae. I think it was bba. I had this covering my crypts. I had those when my nitrate was at 3ppm and PO4 at 0.25, pH 6.9. I just started dosing npk 3 weeks ago in that tank and those algae's were gone in a week (nitrate 10ppm, PO4 0.75ppm, pH 6.9). I have no idea why they're gone nor why I had them in the first place :roll: . But I think getting the right level of npk must have something to do with the dissapearance.


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## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

Sorry i'm new to this, NPK?

-Joel


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

scalare altum said:


> Sorry i'm new to this, NPK?
> 
> -Joel


N=nitrogen
P=phosphates
K=potassium


jason


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