What causes black beard algae?

Question

I have a few planted tanks, and up until now I've had pretty good luck. One of my tanks is going wild with black beard algae. I'll change about 1/3 the water and it will appear to die for a day and then come back twice *** strong a couple days later.

I was operating under the assumption that it was caused by excess phosphate levels and elevated nitrate levels. But now I'm reading contradictory reports that its caused by elevated iron levels in the water column.

What gives? Does anybody know for real the best way to combat it and its root causes from EXPERIENCE, not from internet links.

Answer 1

Iron will do it. I didn't know about Iron either (I also throught it was phosphate / nitrates), but last month I bought some Blyxa Japonica, and, having read that they like iron, I was a little over-zealous with the iron ferts and the next morning, bam, BBA on my anubias.
Not to say that BBA ISN'T caused by nitrates or phosphates, but irons is a definite contributor. In my experience, BBA will take root wherever a tank isn't correctly balanced between lighting, carbon, and fertilizers - and will do so more readily and more tenaciously than other algaes.

The best way to combat it is to target the cause (obviously ;]). When I realized what the iron was doing to my tank, I did a large water change and the BBA has stopped growing. I also increased the CO2. I don't know if that made a difference or if the receding BBA was purely incidental.

Answer 2

Your assumptions are correct. Black Brush Algae, Black Beard Algae are all forms of red algae. BBA thrives in situations of high phosphates iron has nothing to do with its growth.

The problem with changing water, have you tested your tap water or the water you are using in your tank? Tap water in some cities have elevated phosphate and nitrate levels.

I tested my home tap water and the levels of nitrates weren't the problem it was the phosphates that were off the wall.

Honestly if it is a real problem, and only one of my tanks has this problem due to its location (Near the heat duct) grows bba in riveling sea weed porportions. I cleaned what I could and I added a phosphage pad to the filter and after about a week and a half the algae has been kept at bay with little to no effort on my part or even having to add algae eating fish (like mollies). It is hardly noticable any more and I didn't have to add chemicals.

I have overdosed my planted tank with iron (of course not over doing it since I have fish in the tank) and never had a problem with algae growing with the added iron. Much of the dogma concerning iron causing algae, or PO4 causing algae is due in most part to some other nutrient or light/CO2 issues. It isn't the iron.


Although I have a friend who had been using chemicals, and still continues to to keep her algae at bay.

Hope this helps

P.S.
Also if you live in the USA, give your local water company a call and request the latest water analysis report. By law they must give you this info and will mail you a copy for free. This one or two page report will give you lots of good info about your tap water like pH levels, hardness levels, copper, iron, alkalinity, etc. etc. Most of these you will not care about and many you may not care now, but might be interested in that info later on as you learn more. So having the report is a nice reference to have on hand.

EDIT:

IT IS CAUSED BY TOO MUCH Phosphorus Hun. I've explained how to rid your tank.

Answer 3

It's always been my understanding that it;s high phosphates but LOW nitrates. More of an imbalance situation that excess of anything particularly. I had not heard of the link to iron before and can't really comment on that, but I do know high phosphates will set it off like fireworks. I not long ago accidentally double dosed a tank with phosphate rich fertilizer and within 2 days I thought the black algae was going to come out of the tank and eat me for lunch.

I have read that a way to combat it is by actaully increasing the nitrate levels, but something just feels wrong about that if you know what I mean. Somehow that almost sounds like you might swap from one algae problem to another. I would try to drop the phosphate levels in the tank a bit and try to feed low phosphate foods for a while to see if that brought it under control. The next time I get an out break of it I'll look forward to testing the various nutrient levels and playing with them a bit to see what gives.

MM

Answer 4

Buzzard and Danielle are correct. Black beard algae is caused by too much phosphorus in your tank. Coupled with heat and light it can quickly grow out of control.

Do not increase your nitrate levels. This will do nothing to combat the problem. A more subdued manner are the use of phosphate pads. This will keep the algae under control and eventually eliminate it.

Answer 5

Red algae: Also called Black Beard Algae (bba), or Black Brush Algae. Short hairs (1/4" long), closely packed together. Appears dark green, black, or dark red. Grows on plant leaves, and sometimes on decorations/substrate. Often grows all around the edges of plant leaves.
BBA thrives in situations of high phosphates. Phosphates come from fish waste, excess food, and occasionally will be present in the water supply. The best way to eliminate BBA is to let the plants out-compete the algae for the nutrients.

In heavily planted tanks, BBA will often show up when the plants have used up all the nitrates. This causes plant growth to slow or stop, which leaves the excess phosphates available to the algae. By supplying extra Nitrate to a planted tank, we allow plant growth to continue until all phosphate is consumed. Then plant AND algae growth will slow/stop. As long as a usable (5-10ppm) level of Nitrate is maintained, the the plants will continue to use up the available phosphate, effectively controls BBA and other phosphorus-dependant algaes. See the article "Adding Nitrate to a Planted Tank" for detailed instructions on how to increase your Nitrate levels.

Very few fish will eat BBA. The most famous one is the SAE (Siamese Algae Eater). I've got 5 of them in my 75g. I added several BBA infested stems of Bacopa to the tank recently, and overnight, the SAEs had completely cleaned it. But even these amazing fish won't be able to control it you don't have the phosphate level under control. Another fish rumored to eat BBA is the American Flag Fish. In tanks with very large amounts of BBA, the BBA covered leaves should be removed once the phosphate level is controlled.

This is from
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_algae.htm

Answer 6

It can be caused by a number of factors. Generally it's too much nitrate, or other nutrient. I find the best way to combat it other than reducing the amounts of available nutrients is a fish like the \ Siamese Algae Eater (not the common chinese algae eater), or Oto. Most pleco won't eat it, and will uproot/eat your plants in any event. I find that molly like eating it, but some people claim they don't. (Possibly molly don't like the taste of some species or are over fed.)

Answer 7

You need to look at ALL the possibilities.
Of coarse Nitrates and Phosphates are major players here.
Your nitrates are best below 20 (40 is OK) and your phosphate should be 0.
Iron is also a factor too.

However in my research with the Redox potential and BG algae, this should NOT be discounted in difficult cases. Generally Aquarium Redox is not a concern (as normal aquatic husbandry keeps it in check); however this is not always the case.
Having a Redox of -300 mV is best.

Factors that will affect this are poor aquatic chemical balance such as minor or trace elements (see this blog: http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/2007/02/plaster-of-paris-aquariums.html )
Also an improper GH and KH level can also be a factor (I recommend 50 to 100 ppm for a general tropical aquarium).

UV Sterilization can help with establishing a better Redox, but is not always needed.

For more information about aquarium Redox, please read this article:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Redox_Potential.html

Answer 8

You are getting good advice so far. Iron and other essential plant vitamins promote the growth of all plants, so to have water conducive to plant life means that you run a higher risk of getting any kind of algae; some are more common than others.

One of the few fish that will eat black beard algae is a siamese algae eater. I got a few when I had this problem. They are temperamental with their own kind, they either get along great, or one kills the others. The latter was my experience, although I've seen several live together happily. These fish got most of it off the smooth surfaces and wood, but they never got it off of my plastic plants. I eventually had to throw them away and get new ones.

Answer 9

I had that problem in the previous and that i hated it! at first, i attempted sliding the hair algae (that's what I call it) off my straight away vallis even nevertheless it did no longer artwork - the leaf broke! Then i attempted a sparkling answer to this problem. I made a CO2 diffuser utilising a a million.5L Ribena bottle. you ought to use 2L instead. I crammed it 3/4 packed with heat faucet water straight away from the faucet - no could desire to transform it into aquarium water. and make valuable the faucet water has reached its warmest to turn on the yeast. I poured a teaspoon of yeast interior the bottle and shook it till the water grew to become a beige shade - shake it as stressful as you are able to for 10 seconds. After that, I poured 3/4 of a medium sized cup of sugar (any sugar) into the bottle and shook it back for yet another 10 seconds. Now, you drill a small hollow interior the lid on the real of the bottle with a screwdriver and squeeze a bite of airline tubing in it. make valuable the hollow is a tiny bit smaller that the airline tubing so carbon dioxide could no longer get away. connect the different end of the airline tubing right into a smaller bottle - medium sized - drill 2 holes into the lid of it too. Fill it with favourite faucet water (chilly this time) and placed the top of the airline tubing into the water interior the water. This bottle will extract the carbon dioxide from the alchohol and carry the carbon dioxide into the aquarium. placed yet another piece of airline tubing (longer this time) into the bottle, no longer interior the water and the different end of THAT tubing into the aquarium. Squeeze some wool into that end of the airline tubing so as that it could make the bubbles smaller and dissolve greater handy into the water. that's it. And use magnificent lighting fixtures. And after this, you're performed.

Answer 10

What Causes Black Beard Algae