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Re: Black Algae ????
>From: STEPHEN DRUCK LCSDOMA <STEPHEND at LCS_CO.ZA>
>
>About 6 months ago black Alge started growing in the
>tank. It resembles tiny black dots but after a week or two
>turns into black fluff and eventually destroys the plant that
>it was on. The algae is also found on the inside filters and
>rocks but not on the glass.
Black algae (a type of red algae) is dependent on both high nitrate
and high phosphate levels in your water.
>My PH is correct at 7.0 and
>the amonia and nitrate tests are all ok. I also have 2x3foot
>and 2x2 foot triton lamps. I did change these globes but
>that did not help.
Ammonia/ammonium below 1 ppm is fine, and nitrates between about
3 ppm and 8 ppm are good. Phosphates must be undetectable or
neither of these help.
If you're using a pH correcter to maintain your pH, you're
probably the source of your problem. Don't add anything to
your tank that contains phosphates except the fish food,
and don't add much of this.
>Water changes haven't helped, nor have anything tried
>from my local pet shop. This algae is only getting worse
>and worse. Could it be the light (not enough or to much)
>or the condition on the water.
If you're like me, your tap water has phosphates too. If
your tank is heavily planted, keep an eye on the parameters,
and stop changing your water for a couple of months. If
the nitrates go up, you don't have enough plant growth, or
you have too many fish.
To increase plant growth, increase your lighting and inject
CO2. You may need to add trace amounts of chelated iron
to your water (0.1 ppm) to help boost your growth. Your
fish food should add most of the other needed ingredients.
Others have responded already, so I won't go into great
detail. I suspect that you're adding too many phosphates
to your water, though. This is usually the case when
red algaes break out.
David W. Webb Corporate Business Systems
Texas Instruments Inc. Dallas, TX USA
(972) 575-3443 (voice) dwebb at ti_com
(972) 575-4853 (fax) http://www.dallas.net/~dwebb
(214) 581-2380 (pager) 2145812380 at alphapage_airtouch.com