What is this?

[ccurtis]

Got water wisteria growing in my tanks. One of my tanks has what I think is a form of algae on the leaves. It’s very dark almost black in color. It’s not BBA, it isn’t fury if that makes since. 
 

Is it an algae, or something else? 
 

[Fish Folk]

6 hours ago, ccurtis said:

Got water wisteria growing in my tanks. One of my tanks has what I think is a form of algae on the leaves. It’s very dark almost black in color. It’s not BBA, it isn’t fury if that makes since. 
 

Is it an algae, or something else? 
 

There might be _some_ beginnings of BBA. I think its a combination of nutrient deficiency and early onset algae.

[Mmiller2001]

BBA

[Seattle_Aquarist]

23 hours ago, ccurtis said:

Got water wisteria growing in my tanks. One of my tanks has what I think is a form of algae on the leaves. It’s very dark almost black in color. It’s not BBA, it isn’t fury if that makes since. 
 

Is it an algae, or something else? 
 

Hi @ccurtis,

I agree, it does not look like black brush algae (BBA).  It does look like the beginning of a blue-green algae (BGA) outbreak.  If it wipes off fairly easily from the leaf edges and has a pungent (somewhat obnoxious) smell it is likely BGA. -Roy

[ccurtis]

25 minutes ago, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @ccurtis,

I agree, it does not look like black brush algae (BBA).  It does look like the beginning of a blue-green algae (BGA) outbreak.  If it wipes off fairly easily from the leaf edges and has a pungent (somewhat obnoxious) smell it is likely BGA. -Roy

Hi Roy, 

 

I do not think it is BGA either. This does not wipe off easily at all. No smell either. I have to scrape it with my fingernail and even then it is difficult to remove. 

 

I decided to trim the stems that had it on it. I all of it out of the tank today that I could see. It was on water wisteria so it will grow back within a couple weeks at most. I am curious to see if it comes back. 

Any other thoughts on what it is? 

[ccurtis]

@Mmiller2001 This stuff isn't behaving like BBA. It's not fuzzy or getting bigger. Just staying like you see in the picture. I have BBA in others tanks. This does not seem to be the same. 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @ccurtis

No other ideas off the top of my head.  If it has been a while since you cleaned your filter or done a water change now might be a good time.  I find good circulation helps cut down on my algae issues.  -Roy

 

 

[Mmiller2001]

5 minutes ago, ccurtis said:

@Mmiller2001 This stuff isn't behaving like BBA. It's not fuzzy or getting bigger. Just staying like you see in the picture. I have BBA in others tanks. This does not seem to be the same. 

I'm looking at the dark stuff, building up on the edges of the plants. Is that what you are referring to?

[ccurtis]

@Mmiller2001 Yes. But its not fuzzy or growing like BBA. It's spotty and flat on the leave, if that makes since. It's also on happening on my water wisteria. My other plants have some algae, but its just green algae. 

[ccurtis]

@Seattle_AquaristFilters are regularly maintained once a month, water changes are weekly at approximately 25%. It's only on the wisteria. No other plants have it.

[Mmiller2001]

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/algae-control/how-to-control-bba

Look at the second picture. Is that what your seeing? Or similar.

[ccurtis]

@Mmiller2001No, none of those pictures look like what I have. This substance is not raised or fury. It's almost like green spot algae but it's black in color.