I never ever dealt with it. My tank looks stunning, plants are unharmed. But on my stones I see this little algae. I am so deeply afraid of black algae (not dramatically but I’m scared) and unsure how to continue. I put out the lights immediately. The issue is probably, my gouramis are pooping soo much and the bioload is heavy. Today I should make a water change. It’s just a big problem to clean the ground since I have gravel beneath very fine sand. If I tried to vacuum it, my sand would go with it. Also it will mix the coarse gravel with the finde sand which will hurt my corydora. Is it too late?
Posted by corydorasfan_nr1
1 Comment
so looking at your pics, that doesn’t really look like black beard algae to me. it looks more like regular biofilm or maybe some brown diatoms on the rocks. black beard algae is usually much more hair-like and grows in tufts.
the stuff i can see in your second image looks pretty normal for a tank with good bioload. if it was true BBA you’d see these dark stringy patches that feel rough to touch.
for the sand/gravel cleanup issue, try using a turkey baster or syringe to spot clean around the rocks without disturbing your substrate. works way better than a vacuum for mixed substrate like yours.
honestly i think you’re overthinking this one. keep up with water changes and maybe reduce feeding a bit if your gouramis are really that messy. the plants look healthy which is a good sign your tank balance is fine.
what are your nitrate levels looking like?