anti
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Post by anti on Feb 13, 2017 17:32:42 GMT -5
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Post by Carl on Feb 14, 2017 13:13:34 GMT -5
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anti
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Post by anti on Feb 14, 2017 13:40:47 GMT -5
the black deposit is on pretty good and have to give a good rub. i use half a large wondershell along with replinish along with alkaline buffer to condition 50 gal. once a week water change. whatever it is it is persistent. on the fence about the product you suggest. not.because of the product itself but its implementation. read a lengthy article on its suggested use. it was confusing to me. just dont want to over fert and have a disaster. i will do more research on your product
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Feb 14, 2017 15:06:05 GMT -5
I agree you need to cut those leaves off. I can't say for sure what started the issue, but those leafs are dying and will only get worse.
Are you dosing root tabs? Really is the best way to get nutrition to the plant, then it will stay strong enough to not allow algae/bacteria to take over. They are both competing for resources (nutrition), so once the algae/bacteria is on the leaf, it's preventing the leaf from getting the Nutrient. Nutrient has to touch the leaf for the plant to use it.
That's where I'd start, cut the leaf, give good nutrients and see if it happens again.
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anti
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Post by anti on Feb 14, 2017 16:32:33 GMT -5
k
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Post by bettarescue on Feb 15, 2017 2:23:02 GMT -5
Hey, this thread just brought a question to mind: as I have this same problem (though I'm 98% sure it's my over-kill lighting)...
Can using too much wondershell add to an algae problem? Or cause it? I figure no, as the shell will dissolve at the rate the minerals are needed/used/depleted, but I am no plant or wondershell expert lol
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Post by childofiam on Feb 15, 2017 8:57:41 GMT -5
Hey, this thread just brought a question to mind: as I have this same problem (though I'm 98% sure it's my over-kill lighting)... Can using too much wondershell add to an algae problem? Or cause it? I figure no, as the shell will dissolve at the rate the minerals are needed/used/depleted, but I am no plant or wondershell expert lol I don't believe so. I use wonder shell to scrub the glass down and it actually prevents biomass buildup on the glass algae feeds on. Something out of balance causes algae growth. Richard |
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anti
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Post by anti on Feb 15, 2017 10:04:03 GMT -5
devonjohsgard, i was i trying to edit my last post but wanted to respond with more than an ok but
got side tracked. In response i have been trimming these leaves for quite some time. one thing i have noticed that when using seachem excell everyday along with the other ferts as directed by a seachem representative; this black dust and /or bumps grew at a faster rate. since cutting back to only 3 times it has slowed down considerably. further experimentation is needed i suppose before adding more ferts or changing products all together. i understand that excell provides iron which an over abundance can lead to black beard algae. maybe this is what im seeing. your thoughts?
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Post by childofiam on Feb 15, 2017 11:04:20 GMT -5
devonjohsgard, i was i trying to edit my last post but wanted to respond with more than an ok but got side tracked. In response i have been trimming these leaves for quite some time. one thing i have noticed that when using seachem excell everyday along with the other ferts as directed by a seachem representative; this black dust and /or bumps grew at a faster rate. since cutting back to only 3 times it has slowed down considerably. further experimentation is needed i suppose before adding more ferts or changing products all together. i understand that excell provides iron which an over abundance can lead to black beard algae. maybe this is what im seeing. your thoughts? Excell is a carbon source. If you saw a decline in the algae by backing down on your ferts, try backing down some more and see what happens. You may be dosing more than your plants need. Richard |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Feb 15, 2017 13:09:28 GMT -5
I wouldn't think Excel is causing the issue, as all it is a an algacide. It's suppose to help prevent algae and that's how it improve growth for plants. Maybe dose Excel everyday and back down ferts. If you don't have a tank packed full of plants, you don't need the recommend dose for the ferts. I still recommend feeding at the roots as this is where plants really feed from.
The minerals in the shell dont cause algae as it help with tank balance. More times than not, algae is something out of balance and the shell only helps with the balance and is actually needed for preventing pH swings in planted tanks due to photosynthesis.
I'm leaning towards an excess of nutrients/light relationship in the water column.
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Post by Carl on Feb 15, 2017 14:09:18 GMT -5
devonjohsgard, i was i trying to edit my last post but wanted to respond with more than an ok but got side tracked. In response i have been trimming these leaves for quite some time. one thing i have noticed that when using seachem excell everyday along with the other ferts as directed by a seachem representative; this black dust and /or bumps grew at a faster rate. since cutting back to only 3 times it has slowed down considerably. further experimentation is needed i suppose before adding more ferts or changing products all together. i understand that excell provides iron which an over abundance can lead to black beard algae. maybe this is what im seeing. your thoughts? Excel does not add any iron. Ingredients: Glutaral Dehyde If the algae is as stubborn as you noted, it is not likely Cynobacteria as I first guessed. Iron can be an issue, although I have not seen this as much for Black Beard Algae, more unbalanced ferts including iron Reference: www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2008/04/aquarium-algae.htmlQuote from the above article: "Balance your ferts.
This includes iron at 0.1-0.5 ppm Iron (Fe) and a minimum of 75 ppm GH (4 dGH).
I strongly recommend the use of blanced ferts such as AAP NilocG "Thrive All in One" or better yet, "NPK" Macros AND Micros Set."Also as per the quoted article, lighting often plays a roll in BBA I would follow some of the earlier tips to this point and test iron levels Carl |
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anti
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Post by anti on Feb 15, 2017 14:17:07 GMT -5
i hate trying to figure this out. i was using excell only for months thinking exactly what you said as an algaeside. i started using ferts cause i had no nitrates phosphate and silicates. i figured thats where my imbalance was since the plants sucked it all up. ugh. is there an all in one meter that just tells me what i need?! lol
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Post by parker002 on Feb 21, 2017 16:22:32 GMT -5
The glutaraldehyde in Flourish Excel will kill algae. I've noticed that is is very effective against staghorn algae, for example. Unfortunately, I never had much luck with it killing black beard algae. In fact, I never had much luck against black beard in general. I did notice that it preferred anubias and Amazon swords and once they had it the best hope was to contain it.
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Post by parker002 on Feb 21, 2017 16:24:29 GMT -5
FYI, I did notice in your 3rd picture that there looks like lush growth in the background. It's just the leaf in the forefront that is suffering. l found that black beard was somewhat opportunistic in this sense, targeting older more mature leaves on the swords. My course of action usually was just to prune back the effected leaves.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Feb 22, 2017 13:41:48 GMT -5
You can double dose glutaraldehyde btw. That, feeding at the roots and making sure to only dose enough ferts for the amount of plants, not per gallon. Should help.
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anti
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Posts: 139
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Post by anti on Mar 2, 2017 13:13:25 GMT -5
You can double dose glutaraldehyde btw. That, feeding at the roots and making sure to only dose enough ferts for the amount of plants, not per gallon. Should help. how do i dose per plant as opposed to per gallon with liquid fert? or did i miss something? |
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anti
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Post by anti on Mar 2, 2017 13:17:53 GMT -5
You can double dose glutaraldehyde btw. That, feeding at the roots and making sure to only dose enough ferts for the amount of plants, not per gallon. Should help. FYI i think im preparing to take out that sword. its getting to the point where im not going to have a full plant. i cut stuff off every week. it has only so many leaves thinking of planting something different like a hornwort. |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Mar 3, 2017 14:03:45 GMT -5
You can double dose glutaraldehyde btw. That, feeding at the roots and making sure to only dose enough ferts for the amount of plants, not per gallon. Should help. how do i dose per plant as opposed to per gallon with liquid fert? or did i miss something? The dosing is assuming a full tank of plants, so say if the tank is only half full, you would give half does. 1/4 full 1/4 dose... etc. Are you dosing at the roots? That's more important. You can double dose glutaraldehyde btw. That, feeding at the roots and making sure to only dose enough ferts for the amount of plants, not per gallon. Should help. FYI i think im preparing to take out that sword. its getting to the point where im not going to have a full plant. i cut stuff off every week. it has only so many leaves thinking of planting something different like a hornwort. I would wait on removing it. The only thing it can do now is grow more. It's normal to get plants you need to trim all the way back and allow to regrow. I would just be feeding at the roots and double up on the excel for now. limit the dose of liquid ferts. |
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Post by Carl on Mar 4, 2017 11:17:24 GMT -5
Great response Devon!!  Carl |
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anti
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Post by anti on Mar 5, 2017 20:10:30 GMT -5
Oops! I already took out the sword.....and then seen this post. I didnt know that i could cut it all down and start over. I counted the leaves and couldnt save a single one. They wasnt all that bad but was trying to eradicate everything with black on it. It had a HUGE root system that spread a foot from its base. Sorry to see it go. It was close to 2 ft high. but I have two others. Live and learn. Never tried dosing at the root. Figured seachem fluorite substrate had enough in it to supply a plant for years. Had to lay off the liquid ferts. nitrates and phosphorus was too high to my liking. This is what happens when you follow directions on a bottle thinking that everything will take care of itself. Cant say that it led to the black leaves on the sword, cause thats why I started dosing to begin with. Lesson learned
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