# black brush algae everywhere!!



## volgirl4life (Mar 2, 2011)

Hello,

I have a 55 gallon with two jack dempseys and 2 convicts. I've had them about six months now and they're all getting along fine. However there is black brush algae everywhere and I can't keep up with the cleaning. I do about a 20% water change every other week, have about 8-10 hours of light and I do my best to control their feedings. How can I get rid of this algae? I've heard negative things about adding a pleco. Any other tips besides adding plecos?
Thank you!
Sarah


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

I think this is posted in the wrong section, but I'll help anyway :lol:

I had the same problem in my 60G and I added Plecos and it's gone now, I don't even see a trace of it. Downside is I have to siphon off the Pleco poo from the bottom of the tank, but that's way easier than spending 2 hours every weekend scrubbing that algae off!

Plecos are probably your best option, but if you're looking to stay away from them I don't think that algae eaters are a bad option - although I've never kept them.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

Nerite snails work great, and don't pollute, but those fish might eat them.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Adding plants did it for me, but basically you have to remove it (scrub and soak decor in a bucket with water/hydrogen peroxide) and then feed less and keep your nitrates between 10ppm and 20ppm.


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## irondan (Nov 22, 2007)

i had the same problem in a planted tank. i added a pair of siamese flying foxes and the tank was clean in a week.


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## clgkag (Mar 22, 2008)

I would also do a bigger water change every week.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Black beard algae (BB) is the kind of algae that grows in my tanks; pretty much the only kind. I welcome it. Have over 1 watt per gallon and the lights on 14-18 hrs. a day to grow it. From my perspective algae has a lot of benefits....uses nutrients from the water, provides food for fry, as well as surface area for microbes and other small organisms, ect. Here's a pic from my 180 gal. showing the bare bottom fiberglass covered with a matt of BB.








Read pretty much all I can find on the internet about it, mostly on plant fourums. It definately can be difficult to get rid of, if you don't like the look of it. It's tougher then tough and will thrive in a variety of conditions, even low light levels.

One thing that really bothers me on the internet is statements that no fish will eat it, except simese algae eater :roll: The statement really should read: "No fish will adaquately control black beard algae in a planted tank suffeciently". A common pleco will not only eat it, but it will eat HUGE amounts of it. Pretty much non-stop all day long.....the green waste coming out of the fish is the evidence :lol: Most fish are not goats. They prefer the new growth. On occasion it will mow an area right down but most of the time they trim an area. I've had tuffs of BB grow to over 2 inches and have had tanks with out a pleco for some time, including my 180 gal., so i know how 'out of control' it can grow with out the pleco 'mowing the lawn' on a regular basis. mbuna will eat a fair amount, especially young growing ones....often seen them graze on it and the green waste coming out of them. Cons and black belts as well.....my female black belt in the picture above only eats pellets now, so if i feed frozen for a few days, she has green waste coming out of her. can't say i have ever seen jewels or salvini eat it, but i suspect at the young fry stage they do.

I do 80-90% water change weekly in my tanks. I tested nitrate in my 180 gal. at 5 ppm right before the last few water changes. You don't need high amount of nutrients to grow the stuff. Of course higher amounts of nutrients will probably grow it faster. Generally what i have seen for advice on the internet for controlling BB in a planted tank is to keep nutrients high and raise CO2----this actually favours the plants over the algae.

I have also noticed that it prefers current. In my 180 gal. growth follows the current in the tank, though I suspect this is because some nutrients are limiting and a current will provide more.


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## Thepauly (Mar 25, 2011)

Must say the Chinese and golden algae eaters did it for me. Put a 2" golden in a 55, 3" in a 29gal planted, and a 4" in a mating dempsey 55gal. Within two weeks my several types of algae in each tank was cut down enough to where I actually like the look of the little that remains in the tank.

My .02!


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## volgirl4life (Mar 2, 2011)

The King Crabb said:


> I had the same problem in my 60G and I added Plecos and it's gone now, I don't even see a trace of it. Downside is I have to siphon off the Pleco poo from the bottom of the tank, but that's way easier than spending 2 hours every weekend scrubbing that algae off!
> 
> Plecos are probably your best option, but if you're looking to stay away from them I don't think that algae eaters are a bad option - although I've never kept them.


How big are your plecos now? I've heard they can get to a foot and half long?? That's way too big for me! Also, what kind of gravel do you have? You say siphon pleco poo. I have sand substrate and I've been finding it very hard to siphon it as it sucks up all the sand as well.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Thepauly said:


> Must say the Chinese and golden algae eaters did it for me.


CAE(chinese algae eater) will definately eat Audouinella sp. (commonly called Black Brush or Black Beard algae) as well. This is virtually the only algae that grows in my tanks. Purchased my current CAE last march at a tiny size and placed it in my 15 gal., where it promptly ate up all the BB in a matter of a few weeks. It's probably more inclined to eat BB down to nothing, then a pleco would. Though for really established BB in a large tank, it will not make as much of a 'dent' as a pleco would. Currently it's in my 180 gal. and somewhere between 3-4", though i am almost certain it doesn't consume as much as my plecos do as it is a small fish that does not grow any where near as fast.

I've had many common plecos over the years and none of mine have ever exceeded 12-13", nor have i ever seen one that is a foot and 1/2 long.....nor have i ever seen a picture of one placed beside a tape measure showing they get this large. 18", I think is largely an exaggeration, though it is very possible there are more then one species known as a common pleco. Some types may get larger(?). Here's my common plec after over 6 years from purchase at a length of 13" and a weight of 207 grams. Still a very large fish for a 55 gal.----CAE really would be a better choice for this size of tank.
http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa480/bercom/6v10.jpg
http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa480/bercom/6v11.jpg


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

If your intention is to completely eliminate it, eradicate it.....this can prove extremely difficult. And it makes spores and can always come back. As mentioned aleady physically removing decor and using hydrogen peroxide is a start. Though i have never done any of these things (since i actually like the stuff :lol, I would be inclined to think microwaving decor(as long as it's not plastic!) would be a sure way to kill the stuff(??).

In a planted tank, it's a noxious weed that can even grow right on the plants themselves. But in a non-planted tank, I don't see the real need to completely eliminate it.

If your intention is to significantly reduce it, then I think there are a number of things you can do to acheive this goal. For starters, the water change advice (given by Ivanmike) on your nitrate thread, should slow it's growth down. get a python or attatch a cut off 2 litre pop botttle to a garden hose so that you can vacume the substrate with out sucking it up. But it certainly won't get rid of Black brush algae. Bear in mind that these kinds of algae (called red algae) when found in fresh water, occur in fast flowing, very clean, and very low nutrient waters in their natural habitat. But in captivity, they will thrive under virtually any conditions. In a planted tank, water change may actually favour the black brush algae.....so you will see some conflicting advice on the internet. Tom Barr was involved in controlled experiments that show that high, and very stable CO2 levels thwart it's growth. The thought is, that fluctuations in CO2, as well as lower CO2 levels, are a signal for the spores to germinate....it's a condition where they are better able to out- compete higher plant forms, so the spores germinate. Some speculate that they are better able to obtain carbon from non-CO2 sources (organics) then higher plants are. Water changes will cause a fluctuation in CO2 levels, so in a Co2-injected, planted tank, might be counter productive.

Reduce the duration of light. If there on 8 hours----reduce to 4. Reduce wattage. Of course that won't elimate it, but that will slow it down. I grow it well because my timer is usually set for 16 hours. It grows a little better in my 180 gal. because i have a little more watts per gallon (225 watts of screw in Flourescent) then my other tanks. It grows slowest in my 15 gal. because it's low light (8 watts--just over 1/2 a watt per gallon). Incidently red algae contains pigments that allow it to utilize a wider light spectrum. It actually can use some of the green light spectrum, unlike plants. It's dark, almost black color (IMO it's a very, very dark green) is a reflection of this ability. On an eveolutionary tree, the thought is that green alagae has more recent common ancestory with higher plants, then it does to red algae.
http://plantphys.info/organismal/lechtml/rhodophyta.shtml

Get some kind of algae eating fish. CAE, siamese algae eater, flying fox. Common pleco.....may get too big but is still better then nothing. BN pleco and/or rubber lip----I'm pretty sure would eat it as well. This will keep it in check. Might eliminate it, though if it has a strong 'foothold', is probably unlikely to get rid of it entirely. Algae as a removal of nutrients does no good, if it is not harvested, and the fish waste removed. Left unchecked, it will grow and eventually rot, releasing it's nutrients back into the water coulumn.

Just a few threads on black brush algae that might be of interest:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/algae/14349-getting-rid-black-brush-algae.html

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/algae/125230-bba-loves-low-light-too.html


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