# black brush algae / black beard algae



## Nick16 (22 Jan 2009)

hi, i have this stuff in my tank, i take it its the same stuff just named differently. anyway, i have heard about using excel and easycarbo but i have done spot dosing and it works but it is all over the tank so is not possible nor is removing the plants and doing a bleach dip. its not really bad but i can see it and it hasnt gone and is now annoying.

i know it is co2 related but my co2 is fine, blue in the morning and by the time it goes off it is more yellow than green. it is on 2 hors before lights on and 1 hour before lights on. if i turn it up much more the fish start to gasp and as im not there from 8 to 4 i dont want to risk it. and i cant put an airstone in as that would drive off the co2 so its pointless
i dose tpn (not tpn+ as i bought the wrong one   ) but i do put some micro nutrients in the water every other day. (and occasionly a 3 or 4 ml of my macro stuff) flow is fine, it is a rekord 120 with the juwel filter and a fluval 4+

so how do i get rid of it?

cheers


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## Ed Seeley (22 Jan 2009)

When you say the drop checker is blue in the morning do you mean when the lights come on?  It should be green when the lights come on. 

Also where is your drop checker positioned?  Have you tried it in different positions to check the CO2 levels all over the tank?  Just checker but is your drop checker filled with 4dKH water?  

I would continue with the EasyCarbo dosing at double the recommended rate too as this will help remove the CO2 deficiency as well as knocking the algae back.

BTW tpn will provide all your micro nutrients, you just need to add the macros daily too.


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## Nick16 (22 Jan 2009)

right, i will absorb that info cheers. well the DC is just a blue green when lights come on, so i might crank that up a bit more. i dont want the diffuser to sing though!
with easycarbo it says 1 ml per 50 litres so for me i would dose 2.5ml i normally dose 3ml anyway as i have 3ml pipettes. but it says no more than 2ml should be dosed per day on highly planted tanks. should i ignore that and dose say 5ml per day?


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## Ed Seeley (22 Jan 2009)

Nick16 said:
			
		

> right, i will absorb that info cheers. well the DC is just a blue green when lights come on, so i might crank that up a bit more. i dont want the diffuser to sing though!
> with easycarbo it says 1 ml per 50 litres so for me i would dose 2.5ml i normally dose 3ml anyway as i have 3ml pipettes. but it says no more than 2ml should be dosed per day on highly planted tanks. should i ignore that and dose say 5ml per day?



Turn your CO2 on a bit earlier if it's not green before the lights come on rather than upping the bubble rate.  The bubble rate should be set so that you have sufficient CO2 during the light period.

I've always dosed Easycarbo at the higher rate.  For my 180l tank I dose 7ml, roughly 1ml per 25l.  So for your tank I'd go with 5ml.  I only dose mine after large water changes or any disturbances though.

You might want to check the flow around the tank too so that the CO2 is being distributed properly as this can give you the symptoms of unstable/low CO2 even if you're pumping huge amounts in!


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## Nick16 (22 Jan 2009)

the flow is immense, the juwel thing pumps along the back and the fluval along the front, the plants sway mentally and the fish seem to like fighting the flow.  flow is the one thing i have alot of (shame its not cash  )

the bubbles go all around my tank as i ofen watch to check on that very thing and there is also bubbles on the surface all of the way around. so i guess 5ml a day of easy carbo may be my best option.


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