Black stringy algae?

Colorblizzle · 02-16-2013, 07:51 PM

Just took this picture noticed it for a few days now but it's getting longer and stretching towards the light. Is this black hair that you see in the picture a type of algae? And if so how do I get rid of it and what causes it? Lack or excess of something?

Colorblizzle · 02-16-2013, 08:05 PM

From what I'm researching it appears to most likely be stag horn algae. I don't dose CO2 and it says low CO2 levels can cause this. I have my tank pretty well stocked tho I would think my 6 danios nd 2 kribensis would give off enough CO2

Darkblade48 · 02-16-2013, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colorblizzle

From what I'm researching it appears to most likely be stag horn algae. I don't dose CO2 and it says low CO2 levels can cause this. I have my tank pretty well stocked tho I would think my 6 danios nd 2 kribensis would give off enough CO2

In general, fish will not provide enough CO2 to combat algal problems.

How much lighting do you have and what sized aquarium do you have?

Colorblizzle · 02-16-2013, 11:40 PM

I have a 10g with finnex fugeray giving me 50 PAR AND A MARINELAND HIDDEN LED on the front adding 25 PAR to that.

Darkblade48 · 02-17-2013, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colorblizzle

I have a 10g with finnex fugeray giving me 50 PAR AND A MARINELAND HIDDEN LED on the front adding 25 PAR to that.

Wow, that is too much lighting for a 10 gallon aquarium.

You will need to be injecting CO2 as well as dosing fertilizers to keep up with the demands of the plants.

Do you have a larger picture as well? Your algae looks like Staghorn, but it is a little too small for me to make out clearly.

Colorblizzle · 02-17-2013, 01:16 PM

I took a larger picture but it made me compress it just to post it. I also have brown diatoms on my plant leaves. I originally had only the finnex but the plant guy at my LFS told me with just that light is be limited to anubias and crypts. So I got the extra lighting for the front because I wanted to do more medium to high light plants. I only leave my lights on 8 hours a day and I dose NPK trace and iron weekly and halfway thru the week I dose trace iron and potassium again. I'm told most water doesn't have enough potassium in it and I don't dose nitrogen much because I don't perform water changes often and the nitrates are at about 20ppm. If I do add CO2 I know it's an expensive route in the long run but I'm looking at the fluval mini 20g kit. I have no money to spend on it right now so a $30 kit is the best I can do

02-16-2013, 07:51 PM	#1
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 242	Black stringy algae? Just took this picture noticed it for a few days now but it's getting longer and stretching towards the light. Is this black hair that you see in the picture a type of algae? And if so how do I get rid of it and what causes it? Lack or excess of something? Attached Images

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02-16-2013, 08:05 PM	#2
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 242	From what I'm researching it appears to most likely be stag horn algae. I don't dose CO2 and it says low CO2 levels can cause this. I have my tank pretty well stocked tho I would think my 6 danios nd 2 kribensis would give off enough CO2

02-16-2013, 11:40 PM	#4
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 242	I have a 10g with finnex fugeray giving me 50 PAR AND A MARINELAND HIDDEN LED on the front adding 25 PAR to that.

02-17-2013, 01:16 PM	#6
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 242	I took a larger picture but it made me compress it just to post it. I also have brown diatoms on my plant leaves. I originally had only the finnex but the plant guy at my LFS told me with just that light is be limited to anubias and crypts. So I got the extra lighting for the front because I wanted to do more medium to high light plants. I only leave my lights on 8 hours a day and I dose NPK trace and iron weekly and halfway thru the week I dose trace iron and potassium again. I'm told most water doesn't have enough potassium in it and I don't dose nitrogen much because I don't perform water changes often and the nitrates are at about 20ppm. If I do add CO2 I know it's an expensive route in the long run but I'm looking at the fluval mini 20g kit. I have no money to spend on it right now so a $30 kit is the best I can do