[dawktah2]

I have this black branching algae growing. It's quite small but doesn't look like hair algae pictures I've found so far online. I've tried to use peroxide on it without success. Currently I a 10 gallon tank, parameters are stable, have plants Amazon sword, anubias and crypts that are thriving, amazing growth. Green algae on log had been there and growth is arrested slowing being removed by otos. Green algae is not growing on glass. Currently using ferts from green leaf aquarium.

Anyone have an idea.

 

[Plinkploop]

Looks like stag horn and you potentially have sheet algae in that pic as well.

 

[dawktah2]

Ok thanks!

I'll try increasing my CO2 level a bit with a quick dose of Flourish Excel. If you think that will work? CO2 tank may be getting to end of its life, had it since February.

 

[ustabefast]

Do you have a bubble counter? Your Co2 is either working or it is not.

Manual removal is the first step, along with more water changes.
It appears to me that you may have a cyno bacteria outbreak (or blanket weed?) as well as staghorn and other algae.

Manual removal and extra water changes are what I'd do first, along with making sure CO2 is steady.

Got any more pics?

 

[dawktah2]

The log is covered with an algae that was a lot worse. We went away on vacation the first week of April and when we got back 10 days later it was an algae apocalypse! Put in a block of food. I just didn't want a neighbor feeding fish. I have to look into a automatic flake feeder, that works with cover.

Anyway the green algae on the log was a lot worse. I am slowly removing algae via shrimp, peroxide and otos. Just here recently this staghorn issue started about 3 weeks ago. The only other change is I switched from Tropica to Green Leafs Aquarium PPS Pro. Which is really the only change. Would this type of algae grow if my Macros are too low/high?

 

[Plinkploop]

Does the sheet algae smell bad?

 

[dawktah2]

I don't think so, no odors during water change. I change water every Monday. I'm using shrimp mineral GH/KH and GLA PPS Pro.

I don't think so, no odors during water change. I change water every Monday. I'm using shrimp mineral GH/KH and GLA PPS Pro.

All Plants pearling.

 

[Plinkploop]

So no Cyano. It would smell bad if it were cyano. That was my concern with that sheet algae. Sounds like you've got it covered, though. Good luck with the stag horn... I've heard several people mention a correlation between it and iron, maybe something to check into if you haven't already.

 

[dawktah2]

Iron, uh oh. I forgot I started using RO water with de-ionization from Bulk Reef Supply. Our home has greensand iron filter and water softener before RO. I'll check iron levels

 

[allexx46]

There are several methods to control staghorn. Once you have it you will always have it. Most plant sellers have it so it is almost impossible to avoid. Point is you have to control the conditions. Methods:
1. Control you light: Your tank has too much light. Your sheet algae is saying thanks for the extra light. One time: Cut your CO2 and black out your tank for a few days to get both of the algae to stop growing and Full time: cut you hours of light by 20% and then 10% each week until you start to see the algae decline. Same reduction can be done by maintaining hours and diming the light.
2. Increase plant growth: Try to increase your CO2 to get your plants to grow faster and use up excess fertilizers and waste coming from fish. Us a balanced all in one like Flourish and use a bit of Flourish advance to promote branching and thus leaf mass. Remove dying anything because it gives off substrates that can cause an imbalance in the tank.
3. Stop over feeding your fish. Excess fish food will make your phosphate levels go up and Staghorn algae is a prime symptom as they thrive on an imbalance of phosphate. (Imbalance is more than your plants will eat) Do more frequent water changes and substrate cleaning to get the phosphate in balance. Phosphate reducers can be used but do not get hooked on them. Just use them to clean up your imbalance and stop over feeding your fish. Everything needs phosphate but too much of anything has consequences. In this case Staghorn.
4. Give up and get a cleanup crew that will eat the dam stuff! Black Racer Nerite Snails for algae on the glass, trumpet snails for waste in the substrate and HUNGRY large Amano shrimp will eat all forms of dead or dying mater inclusive of most algae. Unfortunately for the small tank the best fish for eating algae are schooling fish where you need a minimum of 3. Siamese algae eaters, Otos and Gara will all eat this algae stuff but only if they are hungry. I note you have wood in your tank. A single dwarf "wood eating" plecos would keep the wood clean enough to eat. The Siamese Algae eaters are the only thing that eats Black Beard Algae. Both the SAE and the Gara will get larger and will eventually be incompatible with both the size of your tank and the Amano Shrimp. Caution: Do not feel the kiss of getting pretty shrimp. They do not each the algae that you are fighting and probably would not like your waste levels. I have a 165 show and you have not lived until you have seen a squadron of 8 full grown spotted Gara sail across your tank in perfect formation. These larger cleanup critters are fun to watch. Keeping a tank is all about balance and doing so can be a lot of fun and very rewarding. Enjoy.

 

[dawktah2]

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend for those in US. Tested the water and Iron level is 0.6ppm which is slightly above high end of range.

@allexx46 you may have missed it, we had the sheet algae show up when we went away on vacation for 10 days back in April. Outta slowly being eaten. The tank is planted and by no means an aquascape so its presence is not an issue and is not growing aggressively, I don't plan to take log out and scrub algae off.

1. Light might be an issue, but isn't growing anywhere other than the log. Nothing on glass.
2. CO2 tank may be getting close to being empty
3. My daughter is responsible for feeding fish, she's almost 9. She doesn't feed them every day. Learning responsibility, not doing good right now
4. Cleaning crew 4 Amano shrimp, I've seen two out of the six Otos during weekly water changes.
We may be moving soon so major clean will occur then.

Just noticed one of Amano shrimp has black larvae on swimmerettes. I guess I missed the egg phase.

 

[dawktah2]

Just wanted to give an update. All the stag horn is gone. Green sheet algae is almost gone, otos and shrimp have been taking care of it naturally. I will need to buy a fish feeder before our next vacation!

The only other thing I can think of is that it was combination of changing from store bought water to using RO deionized water at home at the same time switching to fertilizer from GLA pps.