# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Black brush from hell part Duex.



## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

Well since the last post the only thing I've changed is removing the three older bags of green-x and adding 3 new ones.

I skipped the water changes for 1 week, and the algae has returned completely. I removed almost 60% of my java fern, 50% of my hygrophila.

Nothing is changing. Water changes kept it a little bit of a check, but since then, it's come back with agression.

I removed every piece of gravel that had any hint of it growing on it and now one part of the tank looks like it's nearly completely covered in the BBA.

I'm stumped. Really. Fish are happy, but the tank is going to hell covered in fuzzy black algae.

Now what to do?

Later.

Doug.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

Well since the last post the only thing I've changed is removing the three older bags of green-x and adding 3 new ones.

I skipped the water changes for 1 week, and the algae has returned completely. I removed almost 60% of my java fern, 50% of my hygrophila.

Nothing is changing. Water changes kept it a little bit of a check, but since then, it's come back with agression.

I removed every piece of gravel that had any hint of it growing on it and now one part of the tank looks like it's nearly completely covered in the BBA.

I'm stumped. Really. Fish are happy, but the tank is going to hell covered in fuzzy black algae.

Now what to do?

Later.

Doug.


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## wetmanNY (Feb 1, 2003)

Is your "KH" still reading ~2 to 4, and your GH reading near zero? You can figure that just about all of that "KH" reading is actually phosphate, not carbonate. So did the crushed coral in the filter stabilize your *genuine* alkalinity?

Did your water utility confess to sneaking in some polyphosphates to reduce corrosion in the water mains?

There are four things I'd do (not that my tanks are algae-free to AGA standards, but my water is as soft as yours, and New York adds polyphosphates to its supply):

Potassium in the form of potassium chloride (salt substitute): half a teaspoon per each six gallon jug of change water.

Tannins, in the form of enough peat tea to faintly yellow the water.(A used green tea bag in the filter would do.)

Timer set to eight hours.

Dry beech leaves littering the gravel, so no substrate is exposed to light. (Dense planted groundcover would be even better, especially since dry leaf litter isn't available in March!)


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## jpmtotoro (Feb 13, 2003)

leaf litter is available in march if you didn't rake leaves in fall


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

No PO4 in the water. It's slowly coming down. It's around ~2 right now.

PH is up around 7.2 now. I would like to get it back around 6.8.

I did a water change and everything looks good. No over feeding, in fact, it looks like a few fish are helping themselves to the leaves of various plants.

It seems like the right side of the tank is effected with more BBA. The gravel is starting to darken with it.

I've also noticed that I'm lost almost all of my windslow java fern. It just rotted away. The leaves went brown, turned semi transparent and rotted.

Maybe some different bulbs in the lights?

Later.

Doug.


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## chbak014 (Feb 3, 2003)

have you tried black outs?
im doing a 3 day black out right now for my green water. when my buddy did a black out, his bba basically died. they turned kinda of a red color, but died. after the black out, he cut the infected leaves and maintained the desired ppm levels. the bba was controlled. 
-charley

http://www.geocities.com/charleybak/aquarium.index.html

http://www.pbase.com/chbak014


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I added 4 siamese algae eatters tonight as well as some fast growing plants.

I'm also going to try using the Kent R/O to raise the GH.

Later.

Doug.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I dipped the whole tank in boat gas this afternoon.

Just kidding. But I'm about ready to do that. 

The SAE are busy checking out their new home. Flying all over the place, nibblin on this, tasting that.

I've started using Kents R/O to start raising the GH.

I did another 30% water change. I can do that, pick off the affected leaves and replant any floating glossistigma in 45 mins.

We'll see what happens.

I've already noticed an increase in the BBA. What I spent a day ago picking the gravel off the bottom already have new growth. No kidding. It looks like I didn't remove any at all.

PO4 is now down to 1.

GH ~1, 
KH 5

Stay tuned for further results.

Later.

Doug.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2003)

Until you master CO2, you will be stymied by algae if you approach this from a higher light/CO2 angle.

pH and KH. Keep the CO2 at 20-30ppm all day long. Do that, then trim off the algae etc.

Then deal with the dosing of KNO3, K2SO4 and traces till there's little PO4 then dose the 
PO4 after.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

The right side of the tank is starting to show signs of darker gravel with BBA growing. Left side is clear of it.

Weird. No shading on any sides.

Later.

Doug.


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## Southrock (Feb 3, 2003)

Go with the boat gas








Does your tank get any sunlight - direct OR indirect? Here's why I ask. 
I'm dealing with the same problem, maybe not as extreme as yours. My tank was getting sunlight in the morning - not much, but enough to make algae on one side of the tank grow better than on the other. About a week after a three day blackout, algae was coming back full force, so I decided to wrap a beach towel around the tank during the morning hours, letting the tank lights come on as normal, around noon. I noticed definite improvement. Then, I went out and bought a few more varieties of plants, just to fill in ANY open spaces that I had with some fresh, healthy stock. THEN, I started a serious fertilizing regimen, following Tom Barr's advice, and my tank has never looked better. There is still some BBA, but a manageable amount that hopefully will disappear over time.

If daylight is not the problem, you should take Tom's advice - work on the CO2 first, then nutrients. This board is full of intelligent people with great experience and advice, and I take my hat off to them all. But Tom Barr LIVES this. He's my guru. If he said I had to pour boat gas in the tank, I'd be draining the Evinrude.

Your post is a saga. I'll stay tuned...

-SR


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