What is the black fuzzy stuff growing on plants and caves in my fish tank?

Question

There is something black and fuzzy growing on everything that sits still in my fish tank. It does not grow on the fish. I tried scrubbing the caves and wiping the live plants off with no success. Any ideas on what it is and how to get rid of it? (I have a well established 30 gallon tank.)

Answer 1

It is algae.

There are a few ways to control algae. Also, monitor your lighting and excess food in the tank.

Algae are mostly-photosynthetic organisms that sometimes resemble plants but are not plants, having no true roots, stems or leaves. Algae grow in freshwater and saltwater. Saltwater algae are sometimes referred to as "seaweed." Like plants, algae require light and nutrients to grow. We supply plenty of both in our aquariums, with several hours of aquarium lighting a day and nutrients like nitrates and phosphates from fish waste.

Algae come in many forms. There are microscopic, one-celled algae, filamentous algae that resemble hair, algae that grow in sheets, and macroalgae that look like plants. There are even algae that live inside the outer integument ("skin") or calcium shell of some corals, anemones, and other sessile invertebrates called zooxanthellae. There are slimy-looking algae that are often not algae at all, but a colony of primitive photosynthetic organisms known as cyanobacteria. There are also very hard-to-remove little dots of green that sometimes grow on aquarium panels which also are not algae, but diatom or radiolarian colonies (microscopic, one-celled, animals with hard shells) with algae incorporated in their matrix. With all that said, let us answer some common questions right up front:

Algae growth is inevitable in an aquarium.
Algae consume nutrients in the aquarium that if allowed to accumulate, are harmful to fish. Algae can be a good thing.
The presence of green algae in an aquarium indicates a healthy environment for fish.
There is absolutely no way to completely prevent algae from growing in an aquarium, without killing the other life in the tank.
Chemicals should never be used to control the growth of true algae in an aquarium, and should only be used in rare circumstances to control cyanobacteria.
Correcting a severe algae problem requires time and patience.
Natural methods of controlling algae are the best and most effective.

Algae removal from the tank panels can be done on an as-needed basis, but no more than once a week. Removing algae involves either correcting negative water conditions to control or slow excessive algae growth, or an age-old process known as "elbow grease" (scrubbing it off!). Algae removal in an aquarium should be done only when necessary. We have seen many aquariums where daily removal of algae resulted in fish that were so stressed, most had diseases and were dying. You should never remove all of the algae from your tank. Allowing some algae to grow in the aquarium can be beneficial to the aquatic environment.

When algae is removed from aquarium side panels, care should be taken to select an algae scrubber that will not hurt the finish of an aquarium. Be careful not to get gravel caught in an algae scrubbing pad where it can scratch the aquarium. Never use household cleaning pads to remove algae. They contain fungicides that kill fish.

First, test the water you are filling up your tank with. Many public water supplies (our homes) have a concentration of nitrates at around 7ppm or higher. (Bottled water is no better).
This could be the start of your problem.
Be sure your tank is not within direct or indirect lighting such as a window or in a room where the lights are on constantly. Is you tank near a heat source. Sometimes we do not take into consideration a fishtank is near a heat register which can and does add additional temperature changes to your tank.

be sure to clean the filter as well? Be sure the entire filter is cleaned and free of algae.

Use a razor or scraper and gently scrape all sides of your tank. Clean your gravel and return it to the tank as well.

If you have a stick on thermometer, get yourself a floating one. The stick on thermometers pick up ambient air temperatures from OUTSIDE the tank and can be up to 10 degrees off. DON"T trust them.

You can also purchase phosphorus pads for around $2.00 at your local pet store. These can be cut to fit with your filter and remove large amounts of phosphorus. These can be reused over and over just remember to rinse them out well when you clean your tank.

Test your water. You will want to scrape the sides of the tank and do a water change no more than 20% every other day. This should only be done if the algae returns in a heavy form.

If you need any more help, you can im or email me.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the black fuzzy stuff growing on plants and caves in my fish tank?
There is something black and fuzzy growing on everything that sits still in my fish tank. It does not grow on the fish. I tried scrubbing the caves and wiping the live plants off with no success. Any ideas on what it is and how to get rid of it? (I have a well established 30 gallon tank.)

Answer 3

Black Fish Tank

Answer 4

It is a form of algea that is hard to kill without chemicals. You can purchase an algea-killing chemical anyplace that sells fish. They even have a type that is safe to use in a planted tank. Using bleach is NOT a good option. It may kill any fish you ever put in it because it is almost impossible to rinse out completely. So in the future, use the algea-killing chemical, it will not harm your fish, and you won't have to dismantle your tank, which also kills the good bacteria in your filter that is keeping your fish healthy. It is easier to control algea than to fight it, though. In an unplanted tank, shorten the amount of time your tank lights are on. In a planted tank, some fast-growing plants and some carbon dioxide are good controllers, because the fast growing plant uses all the nutrients, including the carbon dioxide, before the algea can get any, basically starving it away.

Answer 5

It sounds like black beard algae. The stuff is a mess, and generally shows up in planted tanks with not enough CO2.

The only permanent ways to get rid of it are by fixing the source of the problem, a lack of carbon for your plants. Siameese algae eaters will eat it, but they are just masking the real problem and not solving it.

You can either:
1) Inject CO2 into your tank via a regulator and diffuser (please research this more if you go this route)
2) Use a product called Excel. Excel is a liquid carbon supplement that will solve the low carbon issue. By dosing it at its initial dose for a week and then moving to the standard dosing routine listed on the bottle the BBA will die. It will turn a red shade as it is dying and then it can easily be brushed off or eaten by snails.

Answer 6

It is a type of algae. It can be called beard algae or hair algae. It is very difficult to get rid of and the most common way of contracting it is introducing a plant with the spores.

If you want to get rid of it mechanically then you would have to pull off any leaves or ornaments that it is growing on and discard them. Filters and heaters can be treated with a 25% bleach solution and then cleaned well and treated with dechloinator before putting them back in the tank.

If you want something not so invasive and time consuming both Otto cats and Siamese algae eaters work well for getting rid of the algae. The later works better than the fore-mentioned though. Good Luck!

Answer 7

I'll agree with some of those directly above - it's probably what's called black beard (or black brush) algae. See photo: http://www.floridadriftwood.com/brush_algae.jpg

Siamese algae eaters are one of the few fish that will touch it. Other controls include bleaching equipment (rinse well before putting back in the tank), removing infected leaves of aquatic plants, reducing CO2, raising the pH, and frequent water changes to reduce nitrates and phosphates. See article below:

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/algae/tonealg.shtml

Answer 8

It sounds like an algae caused from live plantage. I suggest getting rid of the live plants an get an algae eater. I have dealt with a lot of fish tanks and every one that has live plants end up with this. I hope this has helped you.

Answer 9

i have some too defiantly not algae blooms in the dark and in my filter. algae eaters all clean around it. fungus or mold. i cant get rid of it

Answer 10

Sounds like mold. Pond snails and red ramshorn snails can help prevent that from getting to be too much of a problem.