Is this Black Beard Algae?

[JillS]

This started on a plant I got. I had cleaned it before I added but now ugh! My tank is 75 g and I have 6 Discus and a few corys . I change 50% water weekly. I use Flourish for my plants. I’m so frustrated with this. Besides gutting the whole tank how do you get rid of this stuff for good?

 

[MaloK]

100% positive. and it's covered with biofilm.

It's one of my favorite to combat. It's hard as a nail. And when you can cope with it... You will have won every other algae battle from boot.

The first move to effectively reverse the propagation in order are: Nutrients, light and water circulation.

Without digging too deep in hair algae species and strains... Some will love high current and light and other nope , just high light is enough...

This can be used as a supplemental advantage in your favor, depending on the beard growing.

Water changes is the natural way to lower nutrients in the water. So ramping to 75% will have short them effect ( well in around 7 and more but you should end with enough more water changed to cope with buildup)

Yet, until it recesses, I would keep it very thin in fertilizer addition. And cut on light when not necessary.

With a severe cure you don't have to dismantle anything.

 

[Fishfunn]

I had black beard algae growing in my tank when I had too much light intensity and nitrates. I would have to dim and reduce light intensity and duration. I had to clean the tank gravel with my Python hose and clean filters.

First, you have to clean the algae off manually and use 1:20-part mixture of disinfecting bleach to tap water as a 30 sec to 90 sec dip for the plants. Some plants are more sensitive than others, but the hardy ones like Anubus or Amazon swords can take up to 90 secs.

After the bleach dip, rinse the plants in running water, then put the plants in a bucket of fresh water with extra de-chlorinator water and let sit for a hour or so.

You have to manually clean any other algae-contaminated objects with bleach-water solution or use hydrogen peroxide, then rinse off with alot of water.

 

[JillS]

I have tried sucking the algae off the gravel but that stuff just doesn’t suck up easily. So bigger water changes, no Flourish, little to no light and cleaning plants. Will that also take care of the algae on the gravel? I’ve considered adding more gravel on top of it to see if it would smother it. This stuff is a royal PIA!

 

[Fishfunn]

I have tried sucking the algae off the gravel but that stuff just doesn’t suck up easily. So bigger water changes, no Flourish, little to no light and cleaning plants. Will that also take care of the algae on the gravel? I’ve considered adding more gravel on top of it to see if it would smother it. This stuff is a royal PIA!

You can use hydrogen peroxide to clean the gravel. You can scoop the 'affected' gravel out and soak them in a bath of three percent Hydrogen Peroxide for around three minutes. After the three minutes is up, you simply just rinse everything off thoroughly in freshwater to remove the Hydrogen Peroxide.

 

[MaloK]

Yes, you don't have to bleach the plants, just a good rub to remove the excess and prune... Just a good rinse of the plants less affected is good.

But the principal points are Nutrients, Light and current.

 

[MaloK]

I have tried sucking the algae off the gravel but that stuff just doesn’t suck up easily. So bigger water changes, no Flourish, little to no light and cleaning plants. Will that also take care of the algae on the gravel? I’ve considered adding more gravel on top of it to see if it would smother it. This stuff is a royal PIA!

Clean the gravel as much as possible and make sure you disturb as much as possible. the rest will die off once buried.