Black hair algae on plants. I’ve done everything I can!!

[Nuno Gomes]

When I was looking at your description of the problem I was expecting a lot worse, this means you truly want to succeed and are willing to accept that something is not right, which is a good start.
Like others have said, your tank doesn't look bad at all, no aquascape is completely algae free, even professionals have their share of problems - watch the video Green Aqua made about quality control on their showroom tanks, there's some algae in them, but it's kept to a minimum with regular maintenance.
As for your tank, besides what everyone else said, I'd increase the frequency of maintenance and water changes. Maybe do 50% twice a week, and make sure you dont let debris sit on the plants for too long, wave them around with your hand and suck out the dust and you kick up.

 

[bugs]

FWIW... Here's my battle with algae. I've been keeping planted tanks on and off for about 20 years. High tech and low tech. I was spoilt by an incredibly good experience with my first tank; following the precise methodology set out by some brothers from just north of Milton Keynes who also had a shop in Crews Hill north London (I seem to recall they were continuing the work of their father). It was largely the same methodology for high-tech we see today but sold in a complete package of CO2, 3-4 bottles of food with a dosing plan, substrates etc. The only thing that has changed is the use of heated cables no longer being popular.

Nevertheless, what I've learnt is that persistence is what seems to pay off - the tricky bit is working out what to be persistent doing (or not doing)!..... My only advice is to be persistently patient! Seek advice and choose which to follow based on your observations of what is happening in the tank and how it reacts to intervention or leaving alone. My initial plan for this tank was to use plants of sizes suitable for the size of the tank (i.e. were not growing out the top / across the top). I've abandoned that concept and just planted four (additional) "easy" fast and potentially large stem plants plus one other I liked the look of ("medium" difficulty). One of my four easy's is Elodea Densa - actually quite a nice plant. The idea being I'm going to massively push up the plant mass.

My primary intention is to simply keep on top of the algae rather than stop it completely. In my view the former takes the pressure off finding an instant solution and therefore lurching from one idea to the next; it gives time to observe and manage and probably most importantly learn what really makes a difference.

 

[Guest]

Like most problems the key is to identify the root cause and not just treat the symptoms. I think most algae problems occur because of too much light. The higher the light intensity the less wriggle room and the greater the chance that a mistake will allow algae to get a grip.
Optimising CO2 flow and distribution is key to healthy plant growth and a healthy tank. Good tank husbandry also helps, mainly by reducing the organic load which invariably triggers algal growth.
Healthy plant growth, high plant biomass and a biologically mature aquarium make for a very robust system which will resist algae.

 

[zozo]

Last 6 months i have an aquarium without lights, it's an old once was high tech scape already running for 4 years the last 2 years it's low tech and it gets no ferts.. It stands almost 2 metre away from an east fased window that's the only light it gets, containing a load of old anubias nana petite that grew into a big dense bush, bolbitis and Süßwassertang...

Funny thing is all the way down in and on the anubias roots there are some rather thick clumps of BBA growing, that is no lights and still growing in the most shaded spots of the tank. Lately discovered it with a flash light shinning in, it's barely noticable with the naked eye. Did cut some anubias out to place in an other tank. It had several roots all the way bellow the leaves covered in bba completely out of sight could see it till i cut a piece of plant out..

Here is one ball of BBA on a anubias root in sight all the way down at the substrate level under overhanging leaves almost in a dark cave. 🙂

Circled in red you see a new small clump of BBA growing on a root.


No idea which rodophyta sp. it is, but it grows about in the dark and preferably on the anubias roots.. The leaves are all free of BBA.

Also funny is, there is another tank without lights next to it, 30 cm from the same window recieving more light, no anubias but other plants but absolutely no BBA.

I wonder what it is with this algae and anubias?.. They seem to have a love hate relationship. In the BBA sticky somebody stated something about Vitamin B2 secreted from bacteria as a food source for algae. It might be the bacteria living on the roots feeding it.

This experience tells me, if the conditions are right it doesn't care much for light. Interestingly versatile organisme that BBA..

Root cause, funny play of words in this case, but it beats me, it aint to much light because its an absolute minimum, it aint ferts, becasue it gets non from me.. Or it is and both are extremely relative..

 

[Guest]

Interesting indeed. My failed last scape was covered in BBA. I managed to rescue some of the plants by removing the worst infested leaves.
I then placed the plants in a holding tank without CO2, knowing that they were still not totally free from the stuff and were very likely to become reinfested.

Anyway, when I got around to sorting through the plants again for my new scape, a couple of weeks later, I expected to have to throw them away, but they were totally clean; not a hair of BBA in sight 😵
I was overdosing the holding tank with LC, but similarly overdosing the doomed scape didn't make the slightest bit of difference.

It's highly likely that the root cause of the infestation was the rotting wood and consequent high organic load after all.
Like I mentioned I think organic load must play a key role in Algae infestations too.

 

[zozo]

Like I mentioned I think organic load must play a key role in Algae infestations too.

I think you are on to something.. Might also be it a tropical algae sp. that likes warmth too. Till now i never had any of it in the non heated setups. I can throw BBA infested stuff in and it just dies like it doesn't like to live or fully develop bellow 22°C. The 2 only tanks i have it are both heated + 22°C and it even grows on the heaters in the lit sump..

In th etank with the sump that only is skimmed by the overflows has a higher load at the substrate it also grows BBA on the substrate. I have soem lava grit mixed in, it's always on the porous lava grains..

 

[Guest]

Temperature related algal growth is a good point. Green Aqua mention it in the video below. They put algal growth down to high temps resulting in filter bacterial activity not being able to keep up with organic release, but I also think you might be right Marcel in that it's far simpler and just environmental. Obviously BOD may play a role too.
The holding tank was cooler than the temp my scape was kept at, so that might be another reason the algae disappeared. Overall BBA, like many algal spp., probably thrive owing to an unfortunate synergism of variables.

 

[st.john]

I've used willow whips in the past to suck up excess nutrients.. works well albeit look a tad odd sticking out the top! They'll take root from a cutting in no time and grow like the proverbial. Easy to remove with no disturbance to the tank. Just shove 4 or 5 x 6 inch whips in the top of the tank.
Your tank looks lovely btw - don't get done in!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I've used willow whips in the past to suck up excess nutrients.

Very old school, but it works.

We have a journal by @Greenfinger2 <"Wind in the Willows">, and I think Marcel @zozo has used them as well?

cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

I think Marcel @zozo has used them as well?

I did in the very dark past.. 🙂 I guess its a very old maybe Roman Catholic custom, our region is/was.. But about every year in every household you could find the Easter tree a vase with Willow Whips (Catkins) as decoration in the house during easter with easter eggs hanging in it.

Some Catholic aqaurium hobbyist likely most have tought, if it lives that long in a vase on the cabinet it will in the aqaurium as well.. It most be one of the earliest if not first emersed plant in the aqaurium ever used.

btw curl hazel was also used for this, actualy never treid that one.. 🙂

Dont know if there is a traditional culural connection to the Willow or Hazel as eatser tree, or if it just was choosen because they are easy to keep like that.

 

[zozo]

Looked it up, Easter Tree actualy is an even older Germanic Tree cult/worship tradition that was adopted (converted) by Christianity. 🙂