# What is This Black Stuff



## Coys (19 Aug 2017)

The title speaks for itself really. Plant leaves get covered in black algae; its especially noticable on the Amazon swords, but also affect other plants. I have some brown diatoms on the glass, which I remove weekly along with the worst affected leaves, but I don't think the stuff on the leaves is the same. It's not raised or "furry", so I don't think it's BBA.

I have a CO2 injection system with a pH of 6.7 and dose EI plus extra iron on mico days. I usually do a weekly 20% water change with shop bought RO, but now I have my own RO system so yesterday did a 40% change. Current water parameters: TDI 310, GH 5, KH 6, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40. LED lights on full for 8 hours.

ID of the algae and suggestions for getting rid of it?


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## Planted Bows (19 Aug 2017)

How long has the tank been setup for? 

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## Planted Bows (19 Aug 2017)

Also lights on for 8 hours is a bit much. I'd reduce to 6. 

Other things I would like to know is, when does your gas come on and when do your lights come on? 

The idea of 1ph drop before lights on is the one to roughly go on.

My gas comes on 3hours before lights on and my DC is green once lights are on and my PH is roughly 6.5. 

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## Coys (19 Aug 2017)

Planted Bows said:


> How long has the tank been setup for?
> 
> Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk



Almost three years!


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## Coys (19 Aug 2017)

Planted Bows said:


> Also lights on for 8 hours is a bit much. I'd reduce to 6.
> 
> Other things I would like to know is, when does your gas come on and when do your lights come on?
> 
> ...



CO2 on one hour before lights. pH about 7.7 before CO2 starts and 6.7 around lights on.


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## Coys (21 Aug 2017)

As an update, I've also noticed that my Ottos don't seem to eat the black stuff (I'm still not sure what it is). So, should I:

- Get some more/different cleaners (maybe Nerite snials or bristlenose Plecs)?
- Cut back on the EI dosing (could it be an overdose of nutrients)?
- Cut the light intensity and/or duration?

For info, my present light schedule is:
Dawn 1 hour (W15%, B10%)
Surise 1:30 (W50, B50)
Day 8:00 (W100, B100)
Sunset 1:45 (W25, B40)
Night 1:15 (W1, B50)


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## kadoxu (21 Aug 2017)

If the tank has been running for 3 years and is only showing problems now, then you either changed something recently or you should consider the possibility of your substrate being depleted of nutrients, or the lights loosing power after all this time.


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## Coys (21 Aug 2017)

kadoxu said:


> If the tank has been running for 3 years and is only showing problems now, then you either changed something recently or you should consider the possibility of your substrate being depleted of nutrients, or the lights loosing power after all this time.



My lights are LEDs and are about 18 months old; I've run with that lighting schedule for all of that time from what I can remember. Apart from CO2 and EI plus extra iron I also add root tabs to the substrate every few months and generally the plant growth is fine.

The black stuff has been around for some time, but seems to be getting worse lately. As I said I recently added some Ottos (four to be precise, but I wonder if should I have more to service a heavily planted 240 litre?) and have had SAEs (I recently moved the second batch on as they got too big and lost interest in eating algae) and bristlenoses (also moved on due to their habit of munching holes in my Amazon leaves rather than cleaning them when almost fully grown).


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## Coys (10 Oct 2017)

Update: Whatever it was, when I returned from a two week holiday the black stuff and the diatoms had completely gone and the water was crystal clear, having lost a slight cloudiness which was visible when viewing the tank end on. The only thing I did was to increase the Ottos from four to ten and add three small bristlenoses who are now happily munching their way through my Amazon swords.


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## Cactusface (14 Oct 2017)

Hi Coys.
                So did your fish get any food during you holidays? Or perhaps not feed so well, with perhaps not any laying around the tank, smoldering away. I have just got a few Ottos for 2 of my tanks which have/had a BBA problem. Having said that I did just teat it with Hydrgen peroxide 9% this did the trick but killed a few Tetras. In my 170L tank that also has LED lighting and CO2, I added 100ml, this was a bit too much as it resulted in the dead tetras, but it seems to have done the job. In my Rio125 I added 50ml and this killed all the thread algae in there, fish didn't suffer at all as far as I clould tell. So perhaps 75ml in the 170L would have been about right.  I have now upped the CO2 and reduced lights on 9am-12am and 5pm-10pm. Too early to tell as yet, will report back later.


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## Coys (15 Oct 2017)

Cactusface said:


> So did your fish get any food during you holidays?


Yes, I have an Eheim autofeeder. 

It could be due to less food over the holiday, but I doubt it; I've been back for a month and all still looks good. I just think that the algae and diatom blooms ran their course and finally the plants/CO2/lighting are just right. For now...


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## Cactusface (15 Oct 2017)

Hi Coys,
                 Let's hope so! I have just changed my CO2 and lighting times too, only time will tell.


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