# Dark green algae growing on my plants



## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

A picture would be nice, but since you say it is at the edges of the leaves I would guess BBA- black brush algae. Go here and scroll down to the pic of a Java fern leaf (about 3/4ths the way down). Does it look like this?

http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1837&start=0

Another place with more examples, different types, and some information is George Booth's article posted on Ghazanfar Ghori's site:

http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm

HTH

James


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi James,
Sorry for not posting a photo. Yes, you are correct. It looks like the ones on the Java fern leaf. From the thread, black mollies, and those other algae eating fishes & prawns, should solve the problem?


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

The only fish confirmed to eat BBA is Crossocheilus siamensis, the Siamese Algae Eater. Some have reported the American Flag Fish (Jordanella floridae) will eat it, but IME it doesn't, at least not consistently enough to be of real value if you have a problem with BBA. 

Is this a new tank? What're the stats- tank size, lighting, fertilization, fish load, substrate, how well planted, water parameters?

James


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## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

aquaverde said:


> The only fish confirmed to eat BBA is Crossocheilus siamensis, the Siamese Algae Eater.


Not true: A group of hungry rosy barbs will absolutely decimate a stand of BBA in a fraction of the time a comparable group of SAEs would. Other similar barbs such as aurulius or spanner-T barbs will also consume BBA. Just watch out for your other soft plants when all the BBA's gone.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Tula you should have just stopped at this point in your reply... :lol: 


> Not true: A group of hungry rosy barbs will absolutely decimate


I think the only reason rosy's eat the BBA is to get to the tasty leaves of the plants that it is on... LOL
And then once you have them lil "Plant Destructors" in a heavily planted tank just try and catch them... hehe


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi All,
I managed to take some pictures. Here is one.


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

That's BBA, all right.

Fish didn't solve my BBA problems. I think for some spotty stuff, not a really serious infestation, the right fish might do pretty handily. I had more than that, and what really solved the problem was a change in tank parameters. I have given up on the silver bullet theory. I think all of us would like a recipe that works every time in every tank, but at this juncture in the hobby, such a thing apparently does not exist. You try this, you try that, and by exercising patience and not giving up, eventually you get the victory. Someone here may give you a tip that works for you. In my low light tank, I trimmed everything out that had BBA on it, did a 4-day blackout, 90% water change, filter clean, removed DIY CO2 and put the lighting up from 1.5 to 2.25wpg. BBA only now shows up in very small amounts on weak and dying leaves that have been left in the tank when they should have been trimmed out. Nothing like what is in your photo, and I had worse than you are showing there.

Tula, I had some Rosies for a short while, they succumbed before I could get a real good feel for how they would do with algae. They are also entirely too large for my small tanks, which limits their practicality IMO. Spanner-Ts get even larger. Are you recommending them as a good fit for BBA control?

James


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## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

Buck said:


> Tula you should have just stopped at this point in your reply... :lol:
> 
> 
> > Not true: A group of hungry rosy barbs will absolutely decimate
> ...


I think I've missed something here. I was addressing the statement that the "only fish confirmed to eat BBA is Crossocheilus siamensis," which isn't true. I'm not sure which part of my statement you believe is false, but myself and a clerk at my LFS did a quick experiment with a rosy and arulius barb tank there. He took one of the ceramic caves that were totally covered in BBA from one of the apisto tanks and placed it into the barb tank. I came back two days later and found that the cave was gone. "What happened to the cave?" I asked. "The barbs cleaned it off yesterday," he said.

I've used them specifically for this purpose before and they are definitely more efficient than SAEs. When the BBA disappears and I start to see little bite marks on my other plants, that's when I round 'em up and take 'em back (and why I added the caveat at the end of my reply). Catching them's not been a problem; it just takes a little more patience and persistence than the average fish.


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## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

aquaverde said:


> They are also entirely too large for my small tanks, which limits their practicality IMO. Spanner-Ts get even larger. Are you recommending them as a good fit for BBA control?


James, I'm not sure where I addressed your case specifically; I merely addressed the contention that SAEs were the only BBA-consuming fish out there. If rosy or aurulius or spanner-Ts don't fit in your tank (or skseah's tank), I'm certainly not advocating you (or skseah) employ them! If I gave that impression, I apologize, though I don't see how I did...


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

You didn't give that impression- I knew what you were adressing. I was asking your opinion, as I'm always pressing the practical in these discussions. And the question is not limited to small tanks, as I already don't think that's a reasonable fit. You've pretty much answered it in your post to Buck.

James


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Dang Tula you are a sensitive one.... I wasnt saying you were false, they do eat the heck outta BBA. I was merely shedding a small bit of humor as to them eating everything else like you STATED in your post as well... 

ahhhh.... never mind... you aren't by any chance a scientist are you? 

Scientists rarely find humor in anything and need a reason for everything :hehe:


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## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

> Scientists rarely find humor in anything and need a reason for everything


  It's sad.... really  

Marcel


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## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

I don't think I'm sensitive; I just don't think you were clear on what you were joking about. I just tried to clarify the point in case there was some misunderstanding, that's all. And don't talk about humor or you'll open up a great big can of worms. My sense of humor doesn't play well on a family board... 

Besides, I once joked about 'oldtimers' in the hobby in another post here and got reamed for it by PM. Misunderstandings happen. Believe me, I know... :roll:


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi,
The BBA have spread to other plants. I am now thinking of re-doing the whole tank. Anything important I should remember? Can I use the same sand? the same filter element so as to reduce the time to build up the bacterias?


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Please provide as much info as possible:

tank size, how long has the tank been up, filtration, type and amount of lighting, substrate, pH, KH, GH, CO2 level, plant types and how well-planted is the tank (a photo would be great), fish load

The accuracy of any advice you get will depend on you providing this information. So please let us know everything you can and then we'll be better able to help!

For instance, here's my 20xh info:
20gal, set up for 6 months, XP1 canister filter, 2-15W Aqua Rays 9325K ODNO 2x, Onyx/Flourite/gravel mix substrate, 7.6 pH, 6 deg. KH, 8 deg. GH, no CO2 injection, heavily planted with Crypts and Anubias, 14 small tetras, 2 Ancistrus, 1 small Chaetostoma thomasii, 3 oto cats, MTS, a few Nerite snails

Just provide what you can and don't worry about it if you can't tell us all this.


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

I thought I replied just now but it seems that it was not 'recorded' in the forum. Info:
2 ft tank, re-setup 2 months, Ehiem Ecco canister, 2 x 20W NECFL20SS, 7 PH, 6.8 Kh, but GH below 2.3 as according to my Dennerle test strip, maybe it is not correct. CO2, Chiller at 25 deg, 8 guppies, 8 otos, previously less otos and guppies, but were added hoping to stop this aglae from growing. Also have 2 tetras. Attached is pic I took just now.


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Here is the pic, I do not know why it was attached earlier.


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Here is the pic, I do not know why it was attached earlier.


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

I tried to attached the photo but seem to be unable. Pls. assist.
Thanks


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

The image needs to be less than 75kB and 800x600 pixels or smaller.

I would not tear down a tank because of an algae infestation. Algae exist in many places, and even if you sterilize and redo everything there is no guarantee that they will not be right back. 

Someone mentioned an increased light level, but there are many possible solutions. Basically any change in your tank might change the favorable conditions in which these specific algae grow. First off test NO3 and PO4 levels, they should be around 5-10ppm and 0.5-1ppm respectively. What are they now? Most likely there is some imbalance in your tank, this is what makes algae take over.


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi,
Let me see how I can test the NO3 and PO4. Let me try to attach the pic. I reduce it to 73K.


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi Wasserpest,
I was looking around but can't seem to find info on how to check NO3 and PO4. Any kit to recommend. I tested for Ammonia, and it was OK.
I started to reduce the light, ie shorter time on and off.. Also change 20% of water.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

http://www.tetra.de/default.cfm?uuid=28F781BB9D374650ADDB1E547848CE13&lang_id=2


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## skseah (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi Nordic,
Thanks for the link. Someone advise me to use 'Algae Remover' and tells me that when the water turns milky, add bacteria to replace those 'destroyed' by the 'algae remover'. Also recommended to use 'geo liquid' to remove this 'algae remover' after a few days. Anyone can give their views?


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