What is this black looking biofilm/algae on my driftwood?

[CPowers]

This tank does get filtered sunlight (via white curtains) and seems it is starting to get this black fuzzy algae look... Thoughts on what it could be and perhaps how to treat it? 

[clownbaby]

It looks like a very young black-beard algae. Algae is a plant, so treat it as one. If you want to reduce it, you can:

1. manually remove it
2. reduce light
3. do more water changes (removing nitrites, nitrate, ammonia, and excess nutrients)
4. reduce the amount of fertilizers you're using
5. add more plants to out compete the algae
6. add a critter that will eat the algae

You could do a combo of this, and I would recommend doing a combo. I've heard otocinclus will sometimes eat black beard algae, but siamese algae eaters are some of the only fish that actively do. I have also heard amano shrimp eat it... I have no personal experience though.

P.S: love all that anubias! 

P.P.S: is that a wine glass? What is growing in it?? Cool tank!!!

[CPowers]

@clownbaby thanks for all of the advice! Here is the glass planters I got from amazon https://a.co/d/8VCmi5k 

[macdaddy36]

Looks to me like fungus which grows on new wood in tanks. I have some in my new - ish 25 gallon cube right now. Look up “driftwood fungus aquarium” on google to see more pictures.

How long has your tank been set up and/or how long have you had this driftwood?

[CPowers]

@macdaddy36 I got both setup on Feb 7th. It did initially have the white/grey biofilm, but I cleaned it off, and now this more black biofilm algae looking stuff has come back! 

[Tony s]

The question is, how long has the wood been in the tank. If it’s relatively recent, more than likely it’s a bacterial coating. Perfectly normal for new wood. It’s eating whatever it can on the outer edges of the wood. When it gets done, it goes away. It looks like it’s covered the wood almost completely. You could clean it, but it will come back until what it wants is gone. It’s not harmful at all to fish or snails. Just slightly unsightly. It completely freaked me out when my wood did this. But it’ll be fine. And if it is the algae like @clownbaby says, time will tell you for sure.