Algae ID

[keddre]

Anyone know what kind of algae this is? It has the structure of hair algae but is black like BBA.

Thanks in advance

[Isaac M]

Hello @keddre, I am not an expert in algae so maybe someone else can help you better than I can but it looks like staghorn algae to me. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. 

Could you provide some information on your lighting? What lighting fixture? How long is it on for? Intensity? 

This and your water parameters/ fertilization method and schedule would be helpful information as well. 

[Colu]

I would say stag horn algae

[RockMongler]

I third the staghorn algae ID.

I got rid of it by reducing light, and increasing flow in my tank.

[keddre]

6 minutes ago, Isaac M said:

Hello @keddre, I am not an expert in algae so maybe someone else can help you better than I can but it looks like staghorn algae to me. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. 

Could you provide some information on your lighting? What lighting fixture? How long is it on for? Intensity? 

This and your water parameters/ fertilization method and schedule would be helpful information as well. 

Oh man that’s a lot lol. 
55 gallon

0ppm ammonia

0ppm nitrite

10-20ppm nítrate (2ml of Thrive All-in-one being auto-dosed daily. I verified that the doser is still running properly)

150-300ppm GH (crushed coral but this is stable)

80ppm KH (this is the main reason I use crushed coral, as it’s almost 0 from tap)

PH somewhere between 7.4-7.6

light: marineland something (sorry I got it in high school and the name and original charger are long gone)

     Blue leds: 9am-10pm

     Blue &white leds: 10am-9pm

ferts:

     Thrive and easy root tabs (what I use at a given month depends on which website I’m on) (also I have 4 swords and 3 lillies so I THINK I need to go monthly)

     Thrive all-in-one: 1ml at 9:50am and 1ml at 13:00 daily (this is the minimum to keep 10ppm of nitrates and has been working for a few months, this algae “appears” new, but I may just now be noticing it)

     “Flouramax” substrate that I’m certain is a dud because it can’t grow plants for poo (3” in planted areas), sand/gravel mixture in originally unplanted area

stocking: 21 white clouds, 5 black mollies, 1 paradise fish feed once a day

 

water temps: heater set to 70° but rises to 73.8°  when the lights cut on

 

[keddre]

Also, stag horn algae looks just like it. Thanks y’all. I got so focused on hair algae that I had google tunnel vision

[Isaac M]

@keddre sorry haha it is a lot but the more information the better as there are many possible causes usually. I would reduce the amount of time the lights are on for and see if that helps. Reduce it by 2 hours or so and monitor the staghorn algae. 

[keddre]

3 minutes ago, Isaac M said:

@keddre sorry haha it is a lot but the more information the better as there are many possible causes usually. I would reduce the amount of time the lights are on for and see if that helps. Reduce it by 2 hours or so and monitor the staghorn algae. 

It's fine, I have to ask for more info at least 20 times a day at work lol. I'll give that a shot, but educational question. Could upping ferts do a similar thing? Then the plants would (theoretically) grow faster and out-compete the algae?

[Isaac M]

@keddre That is a good question, typically aquariums need a balance of lighting, carbon dioxide, plant mass and nutrients for plant growth to out-compete algae. So increasing the fertilizer or nutrients would work assuming you have the carbon dioxide and amount of plants to consume those nutrients(given you have enough lighting). It will not work however if one of those limits the consumption of the increased nutrients. Then there will be excess light and nutrients which will lead to algae growth. Algae will show up to help “balance” your aquarium as it will use the excess light and nutrients your plants could not use. 

This has its limits as well because plants can only grow for so long. You cannot have the light on all day and night. The plants have their own effective “photoperiod”. The plants will need a period of rest like we do when we sleep. 

I hope that made sense! Let me know if you would like further clarification or even just discussion. It is a lot to take in haha

[Patrick_G]

A dose of Easy Carbon will probably knock it back. Then you can work on balancing the light period etc. One thing to try first is to cut out the blue light. There seems to be a consensus that blue light encourages algae growth.