# What algae is this growing on my glass and plants?



## jasa73 (Jun 3, 2007)

Looks like brush alage. Whats your photoperiod?


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

6 hours on then a 2 hour off period then on for about 5 more hours before its off the rest of the night.


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## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

I think its black beard algae, this is how it starts. you need to dose excel or metricide


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## Stone454 (Jun 1, 2013)

too much light
bba


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## mattinmd (Aug 16, 2014)

+1 on the BBA.. 

11 hours on per day is, generally speaking, way too much... I'd suggest reworking to something like 7-8 total on hours per day. You can keep the 2-hour mid-day siesta if it serves your personal preferences, but bear in mind that siestas don't have any benefit to the tank itself when you're using pressurized CO2... (they may be of some benefit in low-tech tanks, allowing CO2 levels to recover some, although this is also highly debatable).


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## johnpfaff (Oct 18, 2013)

Spot-treat the BBA with peroxide. Get some Siamese Algae Eaters to control the BBA after you get it under control. My lights are on seven hours a day and plants grow like weeds. I wish I could have the lights on all day, but am unwilling to sacrifice my tank to BBA.


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

Okay thanks guys! I usually do the siesta so that the tank is lighted before I go to work and when I get home for lunch and when I get home in the evening. Would it be better for my tank overall to just simply have a single 8 hour photoperiod?


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## mattinmd (Aug 16, 2014)

For an injected tank, there really is no difference either way. Keep it if it serves your personal desires.. I just wanted to make sure you weren't under the impression it was helping your plants.


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

mattinmd said:


> For an injected tank, there really is no difference either way. Keep it if it serves your personal desires.. I just wanted to make sure you weren't under the impression it was helping your plants.


Should I adjust the co2 timer to cut off during the siesta? Right now it runs from 1 hour before first light until about 30 minutes before final lights out.


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## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

I would leave the CO2 on all the time, maybe cut off at night. The extra co2 will help with the bba. you can spot dose hydrogen peroxide also.


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*algae*

Definitely BBA on your plants , but GDA "Green Dust Algae "on your glass. I have never seen or heard of BBA growing on your glass. Take a syringe and fill it with hydrogen peroxide , and apply directly on the BBA., with pumps and filters off for twenty minuetes , then back on.Be sure not to overdose your tank with the peroxide. Treat a few puffs of bba each day until gone. The peroxide will be gone by the next day.

The green dust algae is a different story. The only thing I have found to keep it down , are Bristle nose plecos. Not a cure , but an ongoing maintenance. Will need at least one bnp per ten gallons of water. I have green dust algae , and this is the only thing that has helped. 11 hours per day is way too long of a light period. need to cut back to 8 hours max. or less , until your algae is under control. And the 2 hour break does nothing to prevent the algae , but it doesn't hurt if it is for your visual pleasure when you are there. But still , no more than 8 hours per day total.
Good luck


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

I am currently dosing: 
1/2 tsp KN03 T/TH/Sat
1/8 tsp KH2PO4 T/TH/Sat
1/8 tsp CSM +B(trace) M/W/F
3/4 tsp GH Booster once a week after WC I just changed my photo period to one 8 hour period to see if that helps it out. Here is a picture of all of the plants that are in there. The S repens carpet has started off pretty good. I also have a planted+ on my tank in addition to the fugeray so that is where the green algae is coming from. I am still adjusting the light period down for it.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

That is BBA

It can also definitely grow on glass and hardscape and anything else.
I agree that you have too much light, not enough plants, imbalance of CO2. Just because you may have good CO2 does not mean BBA cannot exist. If you have too much light your plants can only take advantage of so much - even at maximum CO2 uptake.

Spot dose H2O2 in order to gain an advantage. It will come back unless you solve the root problem (too much light IMO). That is quite a bit of BBA - generally if it appears on your glass you are in trouble. This ruined my entire tank before so I have a 0 tolerance BBA policy now.


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## badbart (Jul 28, 2009)

I have a planted plus and a Ray 2 on my 75 gallon co2 injected tank seachem ferts 3 times the recemended dosing and I'm starting to see a similar problem. I run the Ray 2 for 7 hours and the planted plus for 10 hours. Do you guys thinks that's still too much light?


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## mattinmd (Aug 16, 2014)

You probably have a bit too much light duration there... Nothing drastic, but while the planted+ isn't exactly high light on that large a tank, it is powerful enough that 10 hours is probably too long, particularly when paired up with a Ray2 for 7 hours a day..

Also, 3x the Seachem beginner label rates is really very little fertilizer for a high tech tank... keep an eye out for deficiency problems in your plants... EI dosing rates are approximately 14 times what Seachem beginner label rates are (however EI does come with a need for heavy water changes).


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## badbart (Jul 28, 2009)

mattinmd said:


> You probably have a bit too much light duration there... Nothing drastic, but while the planted+ isn't exactly high light on that large a tank, it is powerful enough that 10 hours is probably too long, particularly when paired up with a Ray2 for 7 hours a day..
> 
> Also, 3x the Seachem beginner label rates is really very little fertilizer for a high tech tank... keep an eye out for deficiency problems in your plants... EI dosing rates are approximately 14 times what Seachem beginner label rates are (however EI does come with a need for heavy water changes).


Wow, did not know that. I was switching to EI as soon as the seachem is gone, I think I'll switch now. If I dose 14 times the seachem recommendations my water would be a cloudy mess. thanks


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

badbart said:


> Wow, did not know that. I was switching to EI as soon as the seachem is gone, I think I'll switch now. If I dose 14 times the seachem recommendations my water would be a cloudy mess. thanks


I just started EI after using seachem ferts and rootmedic liquid ferts for 3+ years and it is a world of difference! My plants look much better, grow faster, and it is so much cheaper! I highly suggest getting your ferts from nilocg on here.


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## badbart (Jul 28, 2009)

crice8 said:


> I just started EI after using seachem ferts and rootmedic liquid ferts for 3+ years and it is a world of difference! My plants look much better, grow faster, and it is so much cheaper! I highly suggest getting your ferts from nilocg on here.


I order EI from Green Leaf Aquariums, I'll have try nilocg next time. I'm turning my lighting down until I get my EI ferts.

Thanks


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

Yeah I order pretty much anything I can from GLA. And they have really cool new cannsiters for the ferts. But Colin aka nilocg is awesome and I have bought many things from him. His new bags for the ferts are really cool as well. Supet fast shipping. But Orlando at GLA is top notch for sure.


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