Balck beard algae problems

[Obsessed with fish]

My aquarium has a black beard algae problem, I keep having too do bleach baths every month or so, is there a fish/method that will help keep the black beard algae under control permantly. (The aquarium is 25 gallons).

Inhabitants

2 honey gourami

5 Sterbai Cory catfish

8 Neon tetras

1 apple snail

Thanks In advance!

 

[Lcc86]

Short answer appears to be no, some fish will eat algae but they can't control it for you. Something must be out of balance if you're still struggling with it. What's your lighting situation?

 

[Obsessed with fish]

Short answer appears to be no, some fish will eat algae but they can't control it for you. Something must be out of balance if you're still struggling with it. What's your lighting situation?

I keep my light on for around 10-12 hours per day

 

[Lcc86]

I keep my light on for around 10-12 hours per day

That might be contributing, you could try cutting it back to 7 or 8 hours as that'll give the algae less to feed off. I suffered with this stuff in an old tank and poor water quality contributed to my own issues, which I didn't really understand at the time, so you could also try large daily water changes to help.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

That might be contributing, you could try cutting it back to 7 or 8 hours as that'll give the algae less to feed off. I suffered with this stuff in an old tank and poor water quality contributed to my own issues, which I didn't really understand at the time, so you could also try large daily water changes to help.

OK, will do! Thanks for your help

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Bleach bath?? What do you mean?

 

[Obsessed with fish]

Bleach bath?? What do you mean?

1 part of bleach to 20 parts of water, put plants and ornaments in for 3 mins then wash them with water.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

1 part of bleach to 20 parts of water, put plants and ornaments in for 3 mins then wash them with water.

And does it kill the black beard algae?

 

[Obsessed with fish]

And does it kill the black beard algae?

Yes, I do it all the time

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Yes, I do it all the time

OK well like mentioned above, you're going to have to keep doing them if you don't sort out what's causing it in the first place. Post us a photo of your tank so we can have a look at the algae as well, we might be able to spot something else you've not thought of. Lcc mentioned your lights being on too long which is a great place to start, getting a timer is very useful, it will take care of turning on and off the lights without you having to worry about it. How often are you doing your water changes and how much are you replacing?

 

[Obsessed with fish]

OK well like mentioned above, you're going to have to keep doing them if you don't sort out what's causing it in the first place. Post us a photo of your tank so we can have a look at the algae as well, we might be able to spot something else you've not thought of. Lcc mentioned your lights being on too long which is a great place to start, getting a timer is very useful, it will take care of turning on and off the lights without you having to worry about it. How often are you doing your water changes and how much are you replacing?

40% water change every other week

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Very nice

I think you and I have had discussions before about water changes? 40% is a fair amount to change but to only do it fortnightly could be what's causing the algae. Is there a reason why you can't do them every week? Because the more you change out on a frequent basis, the less excess nutrients will be available for the algae to feed on. Plus, your fish will really appreciate the cleaner water!

Imagine your kitchen and toilet are in your bedroom and you were stuck in there 24/7...would you mind the window being opened for some fresh air for only 20 minutes every two weeks?

 

[Obsessed with fish]

Very nice

I think you and I have had discussions before about water changes? 40% is a fair amount to change but to only do it fortnightly could be what's causing the algae. Is there a reason why you can't do them every week? Because the more you change out on a frequent basis, the less excess nutrients will be available for the algae to feed on. Plus, your fish will really appreciate the cleaner water!

Imagine your kitchen and toilet are in your bedroom and you were stuck in there 24/7...would you mind the window being opened for some fresh air for only 20 minutes every two weeks?

OK, I promise I will stop being lazy and do weekly water changes, thank you for your help.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Nice looking tanks!

BBA is though stuff. You have my sympathy. That stuff almost drove me out of the hobby at one point in my journey. In my experience, once you get a bad infestation, it is hard to get rid of and takes time to go away. As already said, increase your water changes to 50%+ weekly, decrease your lighting. Make a change, wait a couple weeks, then make another change.

In the meantime: The much-maligned Flourish Excel is deadly to BBA, and good for your other plants. Some people say it is toxic to fish; I haven't found this to be the case. But it's probably less toxic than bleach either way. Might be worth a try?

 

[Fishmanic]

1 part of bleach to 20 parts of water, put plants and ornaments in for 3 mins then wash them with water.

You need to wash them in double dosed dechlorinated water after the bleach bath.