6 Reasons Why You Have Black Beard Algae?
- Jul 09, 2023
- Anshika Mishra
- 327 0 0
Why do we get Black Beard Algae?
There are many different reasons for that, and that's why it's so difficult to figure out. However, usually, it occurs due to the following three primary reasons.
- Issues with CO2
- Too much organic waste
- Unhealthy plants
Besides the primary reason, you can also get Black Beard Algae because of powerful lighting, flow, overdosing fertilizer, or a newly set tank.
Now, let's get into all the reasons:
The issue with CO2
Either your CO2 levels fluctuate, or you're simply not injecting enough CO2. Your tank may also have more than sufficient lighting.
Too much organic waste
This means your tank is dirty, and you must clean it often. You may want to change more water or clean your substrate, filter, and glasses.
Unhealthy plants
Plants, in general, also produce organic waste. But when the plants are unhealthy, this waste increases, and algae feed off this organic.
Too much light
It's tricky because there's never just pure that too much light will cause BBA. It's more so that too much light will cause an imbalance. So, if you have too much light, you'll also need CO2 and more fertilizers. If those two are lacking, then you'll get BBA.
Strong flow
You'll often see BBA either on your filter outflow or in the path of your filter outflow. It might be because high-flow water is more oxygenated, and because of that, it also contains less CO2. So the CO2 levels in fast-flowing water are lower, which might cause Black Beard Algae.
New setup
In a new setup, you don't have a lot of beneficial bacteria. You need this bacteria to break down organic waste and Ammonia. But if you don't have many healthy bacteria, it's pretty normal to get some BBa. So, it's only just a tiny amount. If you get a lot of BBa, then, of course, something is wrong. But if you are only seeing a bit of BBA, then it's probably because the aquarium is not balanced yet.
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