How I Permanently Got Rid Of The Black Beard Algae In My Aquarium!
In today's video, I'm sharing my personal experience on how I successfully beat both black beard algae and staghorn algae in my 40-gallon tank. These types of algae began to take over about two to three months after the tank was initially set up. However, I'm happy to report that the tank has now been algae-free for over three months! I'll break down the steps I took and what I believe made the biggest difference, focusing on water changes, filter cleaning, lighting control, adding fast-growing plants, and introducing a Siamese algae eater.
The first major factor that helped me fight off the algae was increasing my water changes. At the beginning of my battle with algae, I was only doing 10-20% weekly water changes using a bucket and siphon, but the algae kept getting worse. After some research and reading posts on Reddit, I discovered that many aquarists recommended checking phosphate levels, as high phosphates can fuel algae growth. Sure enough, when I tested my tank, the phosphate levels were far too high. To address this, I upgraded to a Python water change system, which made it much easier to do larger water changes in my 40-gallon tank. I started doing 50-70% water changes, which drastically reduced the phosphate levels and helped starve the algae by cutting off its nutrient supply. If you're dealing with algae issues, I highly recommend testing your ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate levels to see if there are any imbalances. Regular water changes, especially with a Python system for larger tanks, can make a world of difference in controlling algae.
Another critical step was thoroughly cleaning my external canister filter. Although the large water changes helped reduce the phosphate levels, I noticed that they would gradually rise again over a week or two. This puzzled me until I realized that my canister filter was likely harboring a buildup of detritus, leftover food, and fish waste that was reintroducing phosphates into the water. Many aquarists, myself included, often leave their canister filters untouched for months at a time, but in this case, that was part of the problem. Once I started deep cleaning the filter media once a month, thoroughly rinsing it to remove trapped waste, the phosphate levels stopped creeping back up after water changes. Keeping the filter clean not only helped reduce phosphate but also removed another source of nutrients for the algae, making it much easier to control.
The third significant change I made was adjusting the tank’s lighting schedule. Initially, I was running two lights: a Hygger 957 and a Nicrew C10, both on a default schedule that mimicked the sun's natural 24-hour light cycle. While this setup seemed appealing at first, it was a major contributor to the algae problems. Most aquarists recommend keeping a tank’s photoperiod to around 6-8 hours per day to avoid excess algae growth, and after seeing the algae outbreaks in my tank, I completely understood why. Fortunately, both the Hygger and Nicrew lights were easy to customize, and I reduced the lighting period to 8 hours a day, eventually cutting it down to just 6 hours. Once I made this change, the algae started to die back significantly. Even now, after increasing the light back to 8 hours for the health of my plants, I haven’t seen the algae return. Limiting light exposure is key to preventing algae since, like plants, algae require light to photosynthesize. If you’re struggling with algae, I highly suggest reviewing your lighting schedule and adjusting it accordingly. If your lights don’t have a built-in timer, you can plug them into a smart plug and set a timer via an app.
In summary, beating black beard and staghorn algae comes down to reducing excess nutrients and limiting light. By combining large water changes, deep cleaning my filter, adjusting the lighting schedule, and adding fast-growing plants, I was able to turn my algae-ridden tank into a clean, healthy environment for my fish and plants. If you're struggling with algae in your own tank, I hope these tips will help you too.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:02 - The Tank With Algae
00:15 - The Tank Without Algae
00:22 - How To Get Rid Of Black Beard Algae
00:35 - Treatment 1
02:20 - Treatment 2
03:29 - Treatment 3
05:43 - Treatment 4
06:31 - Treatment 5
07:22 - Algae Eaters
08:00 - Black Beard Algae Removers
09:27 - Prevention Is Better Than Cure
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