# Black Bushy Algae



## Ashton (2 Jul 2009)

I've got this horrid black algae now all over my tank.  I introduced it to the tank via a piece of bogwood that the LFS assured me would clear up in no time at all.  It soon spread to my Echinodorus 'Ozelot' and forms a edge to all the leaves.  I've cut some of the big old ones off, but as soon as the new growth get big its all over them as well.  It soon spread to the Juncus repens, although only a few of the stems seem affected.  My other plants Bacopa australis, Anubias nana and Cryptocoryne x willisii have now also become affected mainly growing this algae on the flat part of the leaves and not the edges.  And today, I've noticed its all over the lead to the heater which is usually covered by gravel but seems to have worked its way to the surface.

The tank is a 50 litre Arcadia Classica 24 x 12 x 12.  14 watt lamp which I only have on 5 hours a day due to the amount of natural light that gets on the tank.  The tank is on a wall near french doors leading into a conservatory, which faces NNW so there's very little if any natural sunlight gets into the house.

I dose daily with Easylife  easycarbo and weekly and ProFito and I have about 3 Nutrafin root tabs in the gravel. I do regular weekly water changes as I'm at my limit with fish stock, Pr Dwarf Cockatoos, 6 Ember Tetras, 7 Golden Tetras, 3 (I think) Panda Corries and a baby BN which will go back to the LFS when he gets bigger.  The tank has been running fully cycled for just over 3 months.

I want to change the lid on the tank putting a Classica Luminaire (2 x 15 watt lamps) on and do a lot more planting, I would have liked to have used some of the plants I already have but want to clear this algae up before I start the new venture.  Will I be able to use these plants or should I throw them all away, I'd be very reluctant to part with the Anubias as I've got 3 beautiful specimens tied onto a nice piece of bogwood (I threw the algae piece in the bin) 

Although I've only had the tank a short while, there has been a tank in this particular place for about 10 years and I've never had this trouble before so I must be doing something wrong, can anyone help me Please


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## Superman (2 Jul 2009)

Sounds like BBA, you need to improve your co2 addition into the tank.

It would be best that in the future you don't introduce algae into the tank knowingly.


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## Ashton (2 Jul 2009)

I don't have CO2, I use Easy Carbo.  And I didn't introduce the algae intentionally, I was told that in a new tank the algae would disappear. 

I asked for help and advice, I gave all the information I thought would be helpful and that reply didn't help in any way.


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## ceg4048 (3 Jul 2009)

Well, with that level of ingratitude you'll be doing well to get any further response at all. Superman was kind enough to give you a valuable clue. The reason it wasn't helpful is because you need to study more. You could have easily done a subsequent search on "BBA" in which you would have found tons of information including the following additional clues:
Easycarbo = CO2
Excel = CO2
BBA = poor CO2

If we put 2 and 2 together, here's the answer: You need to add more Easycarbo.

You DID introduce algae intentionally - thinking that it would go away, as "assured" to you  by a clueless LFS. In fact their response "...would clear up in no time at all..." demonstrates an astonishing level of incompetence. If their response was valid, why had it not "cleared up in no time" in _their_ tank? You could have easily boiled or bleached the wood to kill the algae prior to introducing it into the tank, or, had they not considered that? This may have only slowed the development of BBA though.

Hence, clue #2; Do not accept further advice regarding plants from this particular LFS.

Clue #3: There are several types of algae that fit the description of "black" and "bushy". You may therefore in fact have several types or a different type so it's always helpful to attach photos. If this is not possible then please check James Algae Guide in order to get a positive ID.

Cheers,


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## Themuleous (3 Jul 2009)

I suspect it might also be a symptom of the natural light and the high fish load.  Lots of light with lots of fish and a small amount of CO2 I dare say would give any tank algae.  Is there any way you could reduce one or both of these?

Sam


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## Ashton (3 Jul 2009)

I've been doing my homework and have lightened the load fishwise by my friend taking  the Golden Tetras, I've also increased the daily dose of Easy Carbo.  So thanks Sam for that advice.

I've found on other forums that people are very friendly and helpful so I admit I've cut corners in the past and just asked for help rather than do a load of research.  I wasn't being ungrateful, just stating a fact as I didn't understand what the answer meant.  I'm not an imbecile or a child but am not well up on CO2 and things technical, I'm what you might call a 'silver surfer' who's only taken up tropical fish since my retirement.  

In future I wont ask for help or advice on here, but with the greatest respect and with no offence meant "What is this forum for?"


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## Themuleous (3 Jul 2009)

Ashton said:
			
		

> In future I wont ask for help or advice on here, but with the greatest respect and with no offence meant "What is this forum for?"



Please dont do what, that is exactly the forum _is_ for! 



> I've found on other forums that people are very friendly and helpful so I admit I've cut corners in the past and just asked for help rather than do a load of research.



And so on here, but you will appreciate that we get _a lot_ of the same questions 

I think this just boils down to a misunderstanding of the written word.  Its difficult to get across the same expressions and nuances when writing that you add to the spoken word without even thinking.

Hopefully no permanent harm done 

Sam


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## Nelson (3 Jul 2009)

hi,


> by ceg4048 Â» Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:11 am
> 
> Well, with that level of ingratitude you'll be doing well to get any further response at all. Superman was kind enough to give you a valuable clue. The reason it wasn't helpful is because you need to study more. You could have easily done a subsequent search on "BBA" in which you would have found tons of information including the following additional clue



have you tried putting BBA in the search :?: .see what comes up.
not meant to sound agressive but i've searched for a few things and can't always find it.


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## ceg4048 (3 Jul 2009)

Hi Neil,
           Yes, you are 100% absolutely correct. The search term "BBA" by itself has a no return. I don't know why that is. We'll look into that. If you search with "BBA algae" or "black algae" you do get plenty of hits. My point, however was that OP failed to even do that much at the time, became defensive and insulted someone who was trying to help.  As Sam points out the pen can be mightier than the sword, so it would have been better to have simply omitted the second sentence or to state, as now clarified, that the response was not well understood.

In answer to the question of what is the forum for, it's to foster the development of the art of the planted tank hobby in the UK and elsewhere, to share information, to pass on knowledge and importantly, to build positive relationships - none of which can be accomplished with impatience or acrimony.

Cheers,


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## MasterMoriarty (9 Jul 2009)

Just out of curiosity, has something been done to sort out the search as mentioned here :?: 
It's just that I typed BBA and got 324 hits    :?   

Cheers


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## ceg4048 (9 Jul 2009)

Umm...Yes. Our good JamesC sorted it out in true genius fashion. The issue was related to using a search parameter of three characters or less. The character number limit has now been adjusted down to accommodate three letter word searches such as BBA, GSA, BGA and so forth . Thanks for noticing. And thanks for validating the fix!  

Cheers,


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## GiZZeRR (17 Jul 2009)

I have the same problem and the search of BBA still doesn't get any hits so it has either been switched back to more than 3 characters or still not fixed.

John


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## JamesC (17 Jul 2009)

Sorry about that. I was going to say earlier that I've had to revert back to old 4 letter word searching because we had problems with the stability of the forum. Some of you may have seen the other day that the forum kept going down. It's a bit of a pain but I'm afraid we're going to have to live with it.

James


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## JDowns (18 Jul 2009)

For searching for 3 letter acronyms that would not normally be found in a larger word. Example BBA, GSA, etc. You can use the typical search wildcard option (*) and it shouldn't affect performance.  Example search would be BBA*.  A much quicker search would be via your search engine of choice.  Example in the search line would be  BBA site:ukaps.org/forum. 

Hope that helps


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## GiZZeRR (18 Jul 2009)

Thats a big help JDowns, thanks. That's a tip that I will use when searching for other things on other forums.

John


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