Help with algea problem!

[joesteel]

What type of algea is this and how do I get rid of it?

 

[born2lovefish]

less light, less food, and more water changes should help.

 

[WyldFya]

less light, less food, and more water changes should help.

Not this type. Those solutions are for single celled alga.

You have a nutrient imbalance. You have an excess of either phosphates or nitrates, more likely phosphates. Higher levels of carbon dioxide will help the plants to out compete this algae. If you have pressurized co2, up the BPS, if not, add a strong dose of flourish excel. A faster option is to do a bleach solution dip with the plants, but this should be a secondary method.

 

[joesteel]

how do u do a bleach solution dip? How much bleach?

 

[WyldFya]

I would start with the co2 treatment, and if that doesn't work go to bleach. A bleach solution is 1:19 bleach:water for 3-4 minutes with java fern. Different plants can handle different amounts of time. Some plants can't handle the flourish excel as well though.

 

[cbfreder]

I am with WyldFya. I had this same problem about 6 months ago. The whole tank was covered in BBA. Start with increased CO2. My problem turned out to be too much phosphate and a lack of nitrate. Once I got everything right, the BBA died off extremely quickly.

Spot doses of Excel worked for me. The BBA died and turned white. The problem is that the dead BBA stuck around longer than the BBA I left alone. YMMV.

Brandon