# [Wet Thumb Forum]-black beard algae



## dinvl (Feb 14, 2003)

Hello. About black beard algae. I heard that this kind of algae can't stand high PH. PH higher than 7.5 will stop this algae from growing.
What do you think about it? I am about to 
try this ... I try every thing else without
success.


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## dinvl (Feb 14, 2003)

Hello. About black beard algae. I heard that this kind of algae can't stand high PH. PH higher than 7.5 will stop this algae from growing.
What do you think about it? I am about to 
try this ... I try every thing else without
success.


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2003)

It grows well in high pH plant tanks.

Try getting the CO2 stable and in the 20-30ppm range. You'll have to kill and trim or remove it first , then correct the conditions that caused it in the first place.
So scrub/trim first, thenm water change, then add fresh nutrients back into the tank.

General rule, grow the plants well. If they are not growing well, then algae will.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## dinvl (Feb 14, 2003)

from : www.thekrib.com :
Here is a passage from my paper: 
"Red algae primarily utilize free CO2 and are naturally found in soft waters
of relatively low pH or streams where CO2 concentrations are relatively
high. Their native stream habitat explains why these furry epiphytes are so
tenacious and will not disattach conveniently from plants. In my experience,
the red algae are only found to be fully developed and to be gowing
profusely in acidic conditions. In fact, when a local Raleigh aquarium shop
owner buffered the water to neutal in the store's front display tank, the
algae died back considerably. The change was not permanent, but supports the
notion that acidic conditions are needed for optimal growth. These
observations seem to contradict the advice of the Germans. They recommend
introduction of CO2 to suppress the growth of red algae

[As I indicated elsewhere, I never saw mature red algae in my tanganyikan
tanks where I suspect free CO2 shifted to bicarbonates]

The FAMA article also says.......
"It has been shown that the addition of gaseous CO2 or lowering of PH
stimulated the shift from blue-greens to green algae. This shift can occur
when stratified water conditions are artificailally circulated or
aerated.... causing CO2 to enter from the atmosphere."


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## budak (Mar 13, 2004)

After a long holiday week and a careless overdose of Fe, I found beard algae and BBA appearing in my tank with pH 6. Upping the CO2 doesn't seem to be helping.


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## Avalon (Mar 7, 2005)

I have hard water and BBA grows well when given an opportunity.

In past problems with this algae, I've found that reducing macronutrient additives helps significantly.

I would prune like TB recommends and keep the water changed often. I would leave the CO2 at proper levels for the plants. Since you should be changing water every 3-5 days (and pruning), no fertilizers should be necessary at this point. I know, I know, "but you want to keep the plants healthy!" I'm just saying that it works every time for me. Relying on water changes for plant growth really seem to help at this particular stage. The algae seems to stall while plants begin to grow. 

The plants should begin to come back to life with all the water changes. When they begin to get a hold, mildly dose traces (I use TMG) and nitrogen (I used 50% of normal dose). KNO3 works well for this. As they begin to get a better hold over the algae, gradually increase the ferts towards the normal recommended dose. When algae is in remission and plants are growing really well, begin dosing P & K as needed. A few Amano shrimp and SAE's should accelerate the process and tidy things up as well.

I believe that this gradual dosing method is much better than dropping in the same regular doses of ferts hoping that the plants will somehow spring back to life. At the same time, the plants are fed without keeping the water eutrophic (nutrient saturated). Additionally, I swear that Jobe's and Miracle Grow sticks have something to do with BBA. Everytime I use them and no matter how deep I plant them, along comes the BBA--maybe not really bad, but it still pops up.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2003)

Jobes and most regular fertilizer sticks have that damn urea and ammonium. That's the problem if you ever want to pick on a nutrient.

I'm with the Germans on this one. I know if you keep good over all conditions it never gcomes back after a good hack and prune. CO2 is so important and I realized I was short CO2 when I had it in the past. I kept up on my CO2 DIY bottle changes and everything worked prefectly then. I have checked and corrected perhaps 20-30 tanks with _serious_ infestations. 
Ones that had 0.0ppm of PO4 measured with all Lamott still had nice BBA matts, the NO3 method had the same effect. The rest of the nutrients were kept stable and easily so.......the tank did not take up much at all since it was limit on one single key element. The algae are use to low levels. Plants aren't.

I collect this alga in the wild in a natural system. It is a hardwater spring. If you raise the CO2 to 20+ppm, this algae is not a problem if you have the other nutrients, GH, NO3, PO4, K, traces. 

I suppose I say this a great deal but removing the algae manually first, then doing a water change right afterwards, then add fresh nutrients back after that and correct CO2, nutrient levels, clean filter etc.
Repeat as needed or after neglect, etc.

If the plants aren't growing, something else will. It's far more often it's a _lack_ of something allowing algae to grow. Lack of CO2, PO4, NO3 etc.

What you see with limiting or removing a nutrient etc is due to the size and growth rates that the algae get hit first but always seem to hang on and the following week or two it gets bad and comes back. Plants are larger and have more reserves, they just stop growing and sit until they have enough nutrients if they are limited on something. So you see little effects on the plants. But after a week or two the plants suffer. 

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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