Help with the fuzz!

[Pacers94]

Hey everyone! I tried to read up on this issue before I posted. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this, im still learning about different algae. From what I understand, this fuzz is caused by excess nutrients and/or lacking CO2 levels. I've seen people advise going easy on ferts and introducing CO2 to the tank to raise levels and have the plants out compete the algae. Any help to get rid of this. 

Also, what critters can I get to help this? Currently in the tank are 3 acara cichlids, 2 dwarf gourami, 8 corydoras, I rubberlip pleco. I bought some otocinclus but they didn't really touch the stuff. 

Tank has fluval stratum, ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate about 40ppm. Ph 7.2

[Keeg]

This is black hair algae, usually the cause is an abundance of light and high phosphates. With Accra cichlids, I wouldn't put shrimp so you could try some snails like rams or nerite, but those will leave eggs around and could cause infestation. CO2 can be added if you want to, but I always find it easier to under dose my tank and manually remove it until I can find that good balance between it. Guppies will munch on it, but with your fish, there isnt a lot of options that I know of. 

Best of luck!

[Pacers94]

Thanks for the advice! Best way to remove the algae? 

[Keeg]

On 9/15/2021 at 3:52 PM, Pacers94 said:

Thanks for the advice! Best way to remove the algae? 

manually: a clean toothbrush, I have one just for algae. Without touching it: balance the problem and it'll die on its own

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

You have the dreaded black beard algae - arrrggghhhh! 
There aren’t a lot of critters that eat it as @Keegstated. Siamese algae eaters do eat it but they’re pigs for fish food and get big. I’ve had to starve them in order to get them to eat bba- I’m only partly kidding. I bought 3 large pieces of Malaysian driftwood that were covered in bba and it took 3 of them the better part of a year along with chemicals to clear it off. 
Chemicals - you can use h2o2 in a syringe 💉 and spot dose these areas - @Irene did a nice video on this on the coop or her girl talks fish channel . H202 also can be used as a dip - pulls plants, dip for 2 minutes in 1:3 h2o2 to water. Then you’ve got algaecide like glutaraldehyde can help but in the end you have to make some decisions about how you’re dosing and lighting the tank as well to help keep this from recurring. It also works as a spot treatment. 
This is why hi-tech enthusiasts love co2 - it drives plant growth and prevents algae from taking hold. No balancing needed helps start with it out. Hi-tech plants that have been bred to require those conditions will never thrive without it. The pics you’ve provided show swords and crypts which don’t need co2 (although some may disagree). 
As @Cory has said many a time change one thing at a time - you can back off the ferts and light or my preference which is increase the ferts and throw in some guppy grass, hornwort or floaters to soak up the excess and then consider upping the light after a couple weeks if that doesn’t turn things around. 
Have fun don’t let this get you down it’s happened to all of us. 

[Pacers94]

On 9/15/2021 at 7:45 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

You have the dreaded black beard algae - arrrggghhhh! 
There aren’t a lot of critters that eat it as @Keegstated. Siamese algae eaters do eat it but they’re pigs for fish food and get big. I’ve had to starve them in order to get them to eat bba- I’m only partly kidding. I bought 3 large pieces of Malaysian driftwood that were covered in bba and it took 3 of them the better part of a year along with chemicals to clear it off. 
Chemicals - you can use h2o2 in a syringe 💉 and spot dose these areas - @Irene did a nice video on this on the coop or her girl talks fish channel . H202 also can be used as a dip - pulls plants, dip for 2 minutes in 1:3 h2o2 to water. Then you’ve got algaecide like glutaraldehyde can help but in the end you have to make some decisions about how you’re dosing and lighting the tank as well to help keep this from recurring. It also works as a spot treatment. 
This is why hi-tech enthusiasts love co2 - it drives plant growth and prevents algae from taking hold. No balancing needed helps start with it out. Hi-tech plants that have been bred to require those conditions will never thrive without it. The pics you’ve provided show swords and crypts which don’t need co2 (although some may disagree). 
As @Cory has said many a time change one thing at a time - you can back off the ferts and light or my preference which is increase the ferts and throw in some guppy grass, hornwort or floaters to soak up the excess and then consider upping the light after a couple weeks if that doesn’t turn things around. 
Have fun don’t let this get you down it’s happened to all of us. 

So will balancing eventually kill it on its own? And what's the best way to start? I reduced the light from 8 to 6 hours today so I don't want to change too much like you mentioned

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’d see what happens with less light. If there’s no change in 7-10 days then I’d make the next change. 
Yes eventually but it’ll take some time. Sometimes it will go white then kind of disappear. Other times like with chemicals it’ll go kind of purple and then kind of fade away.