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Hi all,

I have a Aqua One AR620T 130L tank with a canister filter. Ive had this tank for just over two years now and ive been getting this black hairy stuff growing on my plants.

This black hairy stuff started small at first but now the thing is just getting out of control, my anubis plants are now covered in it.

Anyone know the best way of taking this stuff off, it seems to really stick on the plant and even though I remove some, more pop back on.

Heres some pics.
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm59/Saiya1982/Fish/CIMG48891280x768.jpg

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm59/Saiya1982/Fish/CIMG48901280x768.jpg

Algae info

Have a look at this site and see if it helps you.

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Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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It looks like you have a case of Black Beard Algae. I get small out breaks in my tank every once in a while. I believe it is caused by low CO2 levels.

My method of removal:

1. Cut off the worst leaves.
2. Turn up my CO2 or clean the glass diffuser.
3. Spot treat with either Flourish Excel or Hydrogen Peroxided. After the spot treatment the BBA will turn bright red then gray and then go away.

In your case you might want to try to bleach dip your plants as it is a wide spread problem. I think you want to do 10 parts water to 1 part bleach but I am not 100% sure on that. After the dip you want to rinse the plants really really well then do a second dip in a chlorine remover and water mix. Then rinse again and put back into the tank.

Could you give us some more info about the tank?

Water changes
Fertilizer
CO2
Fish
Plants
Lighting (how much and how long)



55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I have had that very same stuff.... I bought a bottle of aquarium pharmaceuticals algae destroyer and it worked over time... It took awhile, several doses over a few weeks. But I had kind of forgotten about it and one day noticed the algae was simply gone.

It's called Algae Destroyer Advance. It worked!

Bleach didn't work for me . I had some equipment in a bleach solution for hours. It eventually turned white and a few bits fell off and I thought it was all fine and dead. Nope. Within 2 weeks the white strands I hadn't physically removed (they were 'dead', so I thought it'd be OK) had gone from pale green to dark green and were on their way back to black.

About 6 months ago it was through almost all of the local LFS plants tanks in western Sydney. Some hid it better than others, but if you were looking for it you'd see little bits here and there. Seems to be all gone now though.

I've heard Excel is the best way to go for killing it. Fingers crossed, it is nasty nasty stuff. I ended up tearing down my tank and starting fresh.


For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

As daft as it sounds, cant you physically remove them?
I know thats not the solution to the problem, but hey.
High phosphate levels could have something to do with it i think..
I'd also get some little amano shrimp if your tank can allow it, faiing that the cherry reds also work.