# Black spots on anubias leaves



## Kayakbabe (Sep 4, 2005)

hmm. if this weren't a forum about planted tanks I would say that looks like a philodendron with a black powdery mildew on it.


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## obet_07304 (Jul 23, 2006)

I have the same problem w/ my Anubias. Anybody here have any idea?


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

bump for more help


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

I had a bunch given to me that had that black spots and bba on it. I mixed a gallon of water with 1 cup peroxide in a bucket and put them in it with the roots up. I then let it set over night and every bit of it is dying and coming off the leaves.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

it's not algae


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## god of jibbrock (Nov 19, 2007)

its black algae just get a bucket of water put 2 does of flourish excel then put ur anubias in the bucket for and hour or more or a full does into the the tank then u'll see the algae die off


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## crazie.eddie (May 31, 2004)

Strange though. It looks like a paint splatter, since there is some kind of pattern.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

yup, much more like burn marks than algae. these are unscrubable.

i have some coffeefolia in the same tank without those marks.


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## owlavatar (Feb 15, 2008)

ikuzo said:


> yup, much more like burn marks than algae. these are unscrubable.
> 
> i have some coffeefolia in the same tank without those marks.


I think you may have spilled your coffeefolia and stained the plant.


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

owlavatar said:


> I think you may have spilled your coffeefolia and stained the plant.


:icon_ques say what!


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## NeverEndingNinja (Jan 4, 2008)

I think that was a joke, NeonShrimp 

Did you purchase the plants with these spots on them? If so, perhaps they were grown immersed, and while doing so, someone spilled fertilizer on them and it burned the leaves?


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

i bought them with clean leaves. it's similar to what Walstad's book suggest, iron toxicity at slow growing plants. i can try reducing my micro ferts but are these reverseable?


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## owlavatar (Feb 15, 2008)

Does new growth have the marks? If you are right about the iron toxicity, new growth may reveal that the conditions are now good/bad. As far as the marked leaves I would guess that the damage is permanent. From the picture I personally think it looks neat, some kind of camouflage. Maybe plant some iron loving plants to eat up the extra?


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

yup i got a vast growing vallisneria. it's pretty good allright. like somekind of variegated anubias with black marks instead of white


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yeah, overdosing micros can happen but I've never seen it.. How much did you add?


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

5 ml per week. it's not that much, that's why i got confused here.

what about lighting burn? i know i don't have that much lights but i just realized my other anubias in lower position don't have these marks.


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## obet_07304 (Jul 23, 2006)

I doubt its lighting burn. Here is a pic of my Anubias w/c seems to get this black stuff after maturing. New leaves don't seem to have this stuff.

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## LiQuiD SmoKe (Mar 13, 2015)

*Anyone find an answer?*

So, not sure anyone had an answer to this? I have black spots on both my Anubias Frazeri and Anubias Nana. Its not algae that rubs off. Some of the leaves have a sort of black rim, and some have small holes. Is this normal leaf deterioration? 

I dose twice a week with Florish and daily with Prime.

Dual T5 6700K light is on for 8-10 hours a day. All other plants are doing fine.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I think the various pics are of different problems. 

Step 1: Try wiping it off. If it comes off, it was Diatoms. Irregular location, usually starts as small not-quite round circles. Mostly looks brown or yellow-brown. 
Otos, Bristlenose Plecs, some other fish eat this. 
If it does not come off then it is something else. Does it feel like it is actually part of the leaf? (nutrient deficiency or excess) Or stuck on? (bba, green spot, other algae)

Step 2: Treat as listed above: soak in water with excel, H2O2 or bleach (properly diluted). If you want to try multiple treatments do not mix any of these together. Prepare a different product and thoroughly rinse the plant between treatments. Look up One Two Punch (a method here at PT, in the Algae forum)
Does it turn pink? It was bba or related algae (this group is called Red Algae, even though some species look black). It might fall off, now, or certain fish will eat it. Strongly stuck on, often at the edges of the leaves, will also grow on tank equipment, such as the outlet of a canister filter. I have NO idea how it gets started there, the water flow is so strong! Eventually grows hair that waves in the current. 
Does it go away? It may have been green spot algae. Several sorts, some are stuck on so well the various algae eating fish or snails have a hard time with it. 
Is it still there? Nutrient excess or deficiency. 

Step 3: (really should be step 1- fix this first, or else the algae will keep coming back) Research nutrient deficiency, excess, and how one nutrient may block the availability of another. Test your aquarium water before dosing any ferts and after (give it an hour to circulate), and test the source water before you have added anything, then after you have prepared it for the tank (dechlor, other). 
If it is nutrient problem the marks won't go away. The affected leaves won't recover. But the new growth should be strong, healthy green (or golden green in the case of that type of Anubias). While not fast growing, they should be putting out new leaves. 

Step 4) Anubias can burn in too much light. This will show on the upper leaves, the most exposed to the light, and won't be a problem on lower leaves. Either lift the light, or add floating plants to the tank, or something that will grow arched over the surface (Cabomba, Jungle Val, other)


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## Zapins (Jan 7, 2006)

This stuff is almost certainly algae. Many species are very hard to scrub off and can damage the leaves when you do.


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## LiQuiD SmoKe (Mar 13, 2015)

Diana said:


> I think the various pics are of different problems.
> 
> Step 1: Try wiping it off. If it comes off, it was Diatoms. Irregular location, usually starts as small not-quite round circles. Mostly looks brown or yellow-brown.
> Otos, Bristlenose Plecs, some other fish eat this.
> ...


Thank you for the help Diana. I have no other algae anywhere else in my tank. Its really quite spotless. I have tried removing it with my finger quite aggressively, and it doesn't budge. There is some small brown build up on my filter return, but that is it. All other plants are spotless and growing fine. I will try the peroxide. I have since moved this anubias to a low tech tank and hoping it goes away.



Zapins said:


> This stuff is almost certainly algae. Many species are very hard to scrub off and can damage the leaves when you do.


I hope so. Not sure why its only on these species though.


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