Help!! Black Algae/cyanobacteria

[GeoffPro]

Please help with ID + CURE! Hey guys, I know recently my plants have NOT been growing well, at first I thought it could be light, nutrients, etc, but I upgraded and it is not getting better. All the plants I put in my tank get coated with some sort of "black algae" or cyanobacteria, I literally cannot find anything about it.

Could it be black brush algae? I just did a 3-day blackout and it doesn't seem affected.

 

[endlercollector]

I had an issue with cyanobacteria last year and invested in some ramshorn snails. It took them a little while, but they cleared it all up. Now, I'm feeding them ramshorn snails to my pea puffers

 

[DoubleDutch]

Don't think this is cyano.
BTW I also doubt ramshorns will eat cyano bacteria. Mine never did.

 

[GeoffPro]

Does anyone know what this is!!

 

[DoubleDutch]

It is something called "roetalg" here.
Can't find the translation or exact Latin name. Seems.to be a combI of bacteria/algae.

Maybe other members know more.

 

[angelcraze]

That's exactly what I think it is, but no english word for it as far as I know. It's like a mix of diatoms and organic matter. I get it in my tanks from time to time. Making sure not to overfeed seems to help, as well as keeping filters rinsed (in old tank water to conserve BB). I can roll it off the leaf and remove it between my fingers. Or it dusts off. It has no odor that I can discern. Cyano smells awful. It's strong when it hits the air, you'd notice. The green you might be seeing is green algae mixed in I think.

So I use manual removal and preventative method. That and you might want to look at how long your lights are on for. Average photoperiod is 7hrs in my house. It seems to be more prone in my lower light tanks.

 

[GeoffPro]

So would higher or lower light be good? I have it in 4 hours on, 2 hours off, 4 hours on

And should I dose bacteria removing meds?? I want this out

 

[angelcraze]

Oh no, not that kind of bacteria. Lighting sounds good. Hmmmm, what is your water change schedule? How and how often do you clean your filter?

 

[Rylan]

I’m glad you asked because I have this stuff too and couldn’t figure out what it was.

I had some strange things happening in the water I was using a short time ago. I had a high nitrates issue and possibly silicates issue. Correcting that seems to have helped a bit. I do run a low light tank. So I definitely want to try the suggestions you’re being given as well.

My Nerite does help to eat whatever it is. I do kind of think it it seems like a diatoms mixed with Cyanobacteria somehow, but that’s what it feels like. Have no clue what it is scientifically

 

[GeoffPro]

40% weekly w/ filter rinsing every 2 weeks

I just took out all my rocks and boiled them, then gonna let them try, then gonna jet spray lol

it seems like the "algae" isn't affected after the boil tho

 

[DoubleDutch]

are you adding ferts?

 

[angelcraze]

Hmmm, everything you're doing sounds good. If it's bacteria, it's not a dangerous one. I kept thinking it was excess organic matter or a biproduct of that.

How does it look on the rocks today after boiling? That has to kill it!

 

[GeoffPro]

It’s green!! And it’s kinda slippery and it smells like kelp ****...it just rained tho and it’s really humid. U can tell that this is photosynthetic I think bc the place where I buried the rocks is bacteria/algae free

And I used to dose grey’s nilocg thrive 2x but didn’t seem to do anything so not currently although I’m gonna dose iron soon bc my pH is high

 

[angelcraze]

Ahhh yea looks like algae. I know that smell unfortunately. It's not cyano though If you had it drying outside and in the sunlight, the black/brown algae has turned green. I'm flabergasted how it made it through boiling.

You could try soaking in a bucket of hydrogen peroxide and water. H2o2 kills BBA and cyano, it might work for unwanted algae. It also might need a bit of scrubbing though. It would be safe to return to the aquarium after a rinse.

 

[GeoffPro]

I just had it under my patio tho bc it was raining...it wasn’t in the sun does that change anything!! And also is this just some type of unknown algae or bacteria!

 

[angelcraze]

I just had it under my patio tho bc it was raining...it wasn’t in the sun does that change anything!! And also is this just some type of unknown algae or bacteria!

Oh lol. Idk why it turned green after boiling? I still think it's more an algae though.

 

[Dreypa]

I have to agree with doubledutch, it does not look like cyano to me. If you remove some of it or a plant leave covered in some. Does it have a really strong pungent odor to it? Would you be able to describe said odor. Cyano has a really unique smell to it, that reminds me of wet dog.

How is the flow in areas affected the most? Are they in "dead spots" by chance?

 

[GeoffPro]

No the entire tank is affected and there isn’t a really strong odor with it it’s just like those riverside moss smell lol idk

 

[DoubleDutch]

It’s green!! And it’s kinda slippery and it smells like kelp ...it just rained tho and it’s really humid. U can tell that this is photosynthetic I think bc the place where I buried the rocks is bacteria/algae free

And I used to dose grey’s nilocg thrive 2x but didn’t seem to do anything so not currently although I’m gonna dose iron soon bc my pH is high

the green slippery one is cyano I'd say but the brown on the plants isn't.

 

[GeoffPro]

Okay! Ill let the rocks heat under the sun and then jet spray. I'll keep this thread posted! I need to solve this mystery algae haha on the rocks and inside the tank