Algae on low light plants problem
 

Okay I have this problem. I put in these low light plants and over several days green algae began forming on them. I reduced the light period which caused the algae to die or something and now the plants have black algae(dead algae? or diatoms?) on them which makes it look like the plants are decaying. My plants looked so nice before I reduced the light period. How can I remove these black stuff on the plants. Do I have to remove the plants and wash them?

Thanks

tigga

You might want to look at an algae eater. Snails, shrimp or a number of catfish would all be great at the algae. Also, are you over fertilizing the tank?

well its not the green algae thats the problem its the dead black algae or something that is suck on my plants that make it look so ugly

If it's dead, you should be able to easily wipe it off. There is a black algae that grows on plants as well. I have some on my swords in one of my betta tank that the algae crew is slowly cleaning up.

I have the same thing right now, it is like little balls of dead algae all over the plants. I took a piant brush with long bristles and simply brushed it off. If oyu had a couple otos in the tnak they might eat it but I would just take the time to either scrape it off or take the plant out and rinse it off if you don't mind doing so. I will need to do that to my Anubias and probably my Wisteria as bith are so thick I will never get it all off.

watch out for black beard algae, i don't know anything thats eats that up.

Caridina family shrimp eat it from my experience.

or perhaps siamese algae eaters ive heard they eat it.

Tigga:

As we express it in West Texan "tell me about it"!

I was "really up and going" before I began experimenting with liquid fertilizers.

If I had my camera at home I could show you a photograph which is probably "exactically" what you have.

I am "going back to the basics".

I am fertilizing with Flourish Excel (with a minor quantity of Flourish Iron in it) and using very, very fine mechanical media.

TR

Flourish Excel for sure if it is BBA or Beard algae. Fish aren't the cure, been there done that. SAE, Barbs and none of them controlled it. When I used Excel it got rid of the BBA I had in about 5 weeks and it has not come back yet.

BTW, I think what caused my BBA algae in the first place was my inconsistent CO2 levels from my DIY CO2.