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Thread: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

  1. #1
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    My tank has been running for about a year and I have serious algae problems that only seem to get worse. I have different types of Anubias and Java Fern on driftwood.

    I would really appreciate help from you guys!

    Here are all the relevant facts I can think of:

    Tank: 450l = 120 gallons, bare bottom
    Lighting: Juwel hi-lite T5, 2x54W. 4x54 installed but I'm only running 2.
    Lighting period: 8h
    Fish: 10 adult discus and 2 Bristlenose Plecos.
    Feeding: TetraBits/FDBW once per day and diy seafood mix once per day.
    Temperature: 28-29C = 82.5-84.2F
    Filtration: Two canister filters, Juwel Bioflow internal filter and a sponge filter.
    Water changes: 20% daily plus 2x50% weekly.
    CO2: Pressurized co2 but at fairly low rate, considering pH-swings at water change. Around 10-15 ppm.
    Plant fertilizers: PMDD; KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4 and micro nutrients.

    I'm dosing full dose pmdd after 50% water change which corresponds to:
    NO3 ~ 5 ppm
    PO4 ~ 0,5 ppm
    K ~ 7 ppm
    Fe ~ 0,05 ppm

    After 20% daily water change I'm dosing 1/5 of full dose pmdd.

    What types of algae am I dealing with? And what can I do about this?

    Posting some pictures.
    Last edited by LoGeek; 03-25-2018 at 02:38 PM.

  2. #2
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern










  3. #3
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern




  4. #4
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Full tank shot:


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    SimplyDiscus Sponsor and MVP Nov.2015 Disgirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Your tank is beautiful. But I feel sure you need to do way more water changes. That is a whole lot of big fish. Most people here would recommend you do at least 50% daily for that many fish in your tank. I see black beard algae and blue/green algae, both mean more wc's in my experience. Good luck,
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  6. #6
    Registered Member Larry Bugg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Black beard algae is caused by an imbalance of light, nutrients and co2. My guess is you are having the problem due to low co2. PH swings from co2 doesn't cause issues with fish. I would turn it up some and see what happens. You can turn off your filters and squirt some Seachem excel or peroxide on the BBA and it will kill it. You only need to leave the filter off for a few minutes so the excel or peroxide can settle on the algae. I use an eyedropper to squirt it.
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    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Congrats on your great looking tank and discus Jorgen .
    You have black beard algae on your first and a BGA -cyano on your last picture .

    I would start with cleaner water column here IIWY.
    This is a low tech tank with slow growing plants and I think it would be better off without any fert
    dosing. If you use tap water for WCs there should be enough minerals for this plant types to thrive .
    I would raise the WCs too to clean the water column from any excess minerals and nutrients .

    If you want instant fix to start with
    , you can use H2o2 bath , but that will not address the root cause of your problem .

  8. #8
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Thanks for your replies!

    I thought I was changing a lot of water since the discus are adults and I'm only feeding twice a day. So should I do 50%/day instead of 5x20% + 2x50% per week? Or less often but 80%?

    I'll stop the dosing for now then.

    Larry, regarding the co2 I ment that 50% water change causes a large pH rise, and so I try only to lower pH with co2 about 0,7 units.

    I agree that there's cyano and bba in the tank. The algae that is most widespread is however the thin dark layer on the Anubias, all over the leaves. I'm ptetty sute this is not bba. It's very thin so you can barely feel it and it does not rub off. It's different from the short beard on the edges from bba.

    I used to have lots of green spot algae but it disappeared when I started dosing pmdd.

    Anyway I'll stop the dosing and bump up the water changes to start with. Please comment on the thin dark algae on the leaves.

    Also, is 10 adults too much for a 120 gallon? How many should I sell in that case?

  9. #9
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Quote Originally Posted by Filip View Post
    Congrats on your great looking tank and discus Jorgen .
    You have black beard algae on your first and a BGA -cyano on your last picture .

    I would start with cleaner water column here IIWY.
    This is a low tech tank with slow growing plants and I think it would be better off without any fert
    dosing. If you use tap water for WCs there should be enough minerals for this plant types to thrive .
    I would raise the WCs too to clean the water column from any excess minerals and nutrients .

    If you want instant fix to start with
    , you can use H2o2 bath , but that will not address the root cause of your problem .
    Thank you Filip!

    My largest driftwood is really big, so it doesn't fit in a bucket. I have H2O2, but can it be sprayed? At what dilution?

    I did spray glutaraldehyde at water change for a long time without any improvement.

  10. #10
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Quote Originally Posted by LoGeek View Post
    Thanks for your replies!

    I thought I was changing a lot of water since the discus are adults and I'm only feeding twice a day. So should I do 50%/day instead of 5x20% + 2x50% per week? Or less often but 80%?

    I'll stop the dosing for now then.

    Larry, regarding the co2 I ment that 50% water change causes a large pH rise, and so I try only to lower pH with co2 about 0,7 units.

    I agree that there's cyano and bba in the tank. The algae that is most widespread is however the thin dark layer on the Anubias, all over the leaves. I'm ptetty sute this is not bba. It's very thin so you can barely feel it and it does not rub off. It's different from the short beard on the edges from bba.

    I used to have lots of green spot algae but it disappeared when I started dosing pmdd.

    Anyway I'll stop the dosing and bump up the water changes to start with. Please comment on the thin dark algae on the leaves.

    Also, is 10 adults too much for a 120 gallon? How many should I sell in that case?
    I think that when it comes to your discus health , you can get away with your current WC routine as long as you keep the bottom and filters clean clean and regulary siphoned from excess food and poop .
    I recommended more WCs only currently ,regarding your algae problem , because I believe that excess nutrients in water column might be the root cause of it.

    About the thin dark layer on Anubias I still belive that thats Black beard algae but in a begginig phase , before it stars to form clumps and bushes .

    About the bioload . I think that 10 discus in a 120 G is an optimal ratio and I would not sell any of your current batch with your given WC routine .

  11. #11
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Quote Originally Posted by LoGeek View Post
    Thank you Filip!

    My largest driftwood is really big, so it doesn't fit in a bucket. I have H2O2, but can it be sprayed? At what dilution?

    I did spray glutaraldehyde at water change for a long time without any improvement.
    You can spray the plants directly on dry while performing WC , wait 5-10 minutes and then refill new water . Spray with non- diluted 3% H2O2 but don't spray over 1000ml on one occasion .

    Other method is to give the whole tank a 30 min. 3% H2O2 bath at 4ml per liter of water ratio .
    You WC +50% afterwards .

    In both cases turn off the filters for 30 min. Until H2O2 dilute in the water .

  12. #12
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Thanks for clarifying Filip.

    About bba I'm still not convinced... The bba I know I have forms bushes and looks different. The large black spots never do that, even after months. It looks more like black GSA...

    I'll keep my fish then I siphon almost daily.

  13. #13
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    The slow growing plants you have do not need bright lights and ferts as mentioned.I have had good results in blackening the tank out for 3-4 days,with a blanket.

  14. #14
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Quote Originally Posted by bluelagoon View Post
    The slow growing plants you have do not need bright lights and ferts as mentioned.I have had good results in blackening the tank out for 3-4 days,with a blanket.
    +1 for the Blackout method .
    It gives a quick fix to kill the algae and clean out your tank from algae in a matter of days .

  15. #15
    Registered Member LoGeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Algae on Anubias and Java Fern

    Will all algae die from 3 days black out? Or just cyano?

    Ok for the fish? No feeding during black out I guess.

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