fish tank black algae?

Question

please help!!! i have got a 110 litre fishtank with black algae growing on the rocks and plants. i just bought a new $50 plant and i dont want it to get it on it. i dont let any sunlight in and i have the tank light on for 6 hours a day. how can i stop the algae from getting on the new plant and how can i kill it all together? i have got one small flying fox but it doesn't seem to be doing much

Answer 1

1. Algae killers will almost always do harm to your plants (though they do a great job of killing algae), and with a $50 plant, and untold money invested in the rest of the plants, this is NOT a good choice.
2. Starving the tank of light can be effective for many types of algae, but Black Beard Algae is rarely affected by something as small as darkness (this stuff is demonic).
3. Starving the tank of nutrients can be a good choice (if you are fertilizing your plants with liquid fertilizers, use about a half dosage). Liquid fertilizers are immediately available to algae, while substrate fertilizers [either a plant specific substrate, fertilizer tabs, or potting soil (that is FREE of nitrates and phosphate) beneath the substrate] are only available to plants, which can draw the nutrients from their roots. Also, limit nitrate and phosphate, two of the components that classically spark algae growth (do not totally remove either, or your plants will die). To remove the current BBA, the best option is to pull or scrape it off, or remove the afflicted plant... Unfortunately, even your valiant Flying Fox will not be able to handle this infestation.

By removing much of what the algae needs to survive, you stand a much better chance of letting your plants outcompete it. Also, if you aren't already, balanced CO2 injection (it must be balanced with your lighting intensity and nutrient addition) will help the plants' growth replace algae growth.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of plant did you just get? You may want to put it in a different tank to keep it from being overrun with algae... Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

Answer 2

I don't advise buying "janitor fish" for tanks because more often than not the algae-eating fish you buy may not even like the type of algae you want it to eat.

It would be easier to test your water regularly and keep your nitrates in check by doing regular partial water changes. This way, you keep the nitrate levels from building up and starve the nuisance algae of nutrients. You could also starve it of light for a few days, but if the $50 plant you mentioned is live this would not be advisable.

Answer 3

get rid of the fish and get a dog. As many dogs that I have had I never had a algae problem with any of them.

Answer 4

SOL clean the tank and buy a few algie eaters after you fill it back up

im not sure if theres a fish that feeds on black algie but the AE's eat the green stuff