I Think I Need Help

[shifty619]

Ok so Im new the the fish world I recently bought and 60gal aquarium set up. I would say about 3 months ago. Now a couple of weeks ago I started getting what I think is black algae, I dont know because Im new hence the help needed. But what ever it is it growing on everything, the glass the filter the fake plants and decor. I bought a used piece of decor and I think that is where it stemmed from. Just need to know how to get rid of it. I have now bought all new decor, gravel and fake plants. I dont know if I should get a new filter, air tubes, heater? Or is the water contaminated do I need to do a 100% water change?
Thanks in advance for the help

 

[shifty619]

Now that Ive read stuff here on the forum I think it may be diatoms? Im posting pictures. Note that the tank is next to a window but I covered the window with foil also most of the time it also has blackout drapes blocking all light.

 

[Chad]

It does look like diatoms to me. Algae and other growth is common in the first few months of a tank's life. They all go through a period I call the uglies. 

 

[frapadoodle]

Yeah Diatoms are a nuisance in new set ups. I have one with the yuckies now. They are unsightly, but mostly harmless, and as the filter matures they should go away. But if you want to clean em up, they wipe off easily.

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the new tank.

 

[shifty619]

Ok I was worried but seems to be fairly common. About how long should I have to deal with this stuff?

 

[attibones]

You'll have the diatoms as long as there is an imbalance in the tank. The best thing you can do is wipe as much of the stuff off as you can and then reduce the photoperiod. How long do you keep your lights on a day? This plays a pretty big factor in algae production. It would also be helpful if we knew the nitrate reading and the wattage and type of your bulbs. High nitrates (fixed with a water change, but don't do this if you are fish-less cycling) can influence the growth of some nitrates, I read. If your light bulbs are very bright, adjusting your light period would be helpful. In a planted aquarium (plants also help combat algae because they eat up excess nutrients in the tank, leaving little food for algal species), your lights should be on for roughly eight hours depending on the types of fish and plants you have in the tank. In a tank without plants, the light is purely aesthetic, so if you do a black out for a few days, this will knock out plenty of algae cells. If you don't want to do a black out, just reduce your lights to just a few hours a day for a while.