Black Beard Algae

[jmottle]

Well it seems I have it again! I had a tank of corkscrew Val and tried to bleech them in a 1-20 solution but it killed them all. I lost all of my planst so I bleeched all of my rocks, heater etc and planted new plants this weekend. It's Monday and already it's started again. I have been readin many of the thread on the forum about this and quite frankly I'm lost. I know that I have a tank that is obviously out of balance, but I just don't know what I need to do to first get rid of it and then slove the problem behind it. Here's what I have:

10 Gallon tank with Power-Glo Light
3 Serpae Tetra
1 Zebra Danio
2 Glass eye Tetras
1 Otto

I keep the tank at 80F do a 25% water change weekly and vaccum the bottom of the tank each time. I add a dechlorinator with each water change along with a bit of aquarium salt and Flourish Compreshensive Plant Supplement as per the directions.
I light the tank for 8-10 hours a day, but since the BBA outbreak the first time cut that to 3-4 hours.

I don't have any CO2 injection and I have not been adding any other supplements. Just had my water tested a few weeks ago and everything was fine for Nitrate, Nitrite, pH and Ammonia.

So I would like to know step by step what I need to do to fix this. I was going to get a 45-50 gallon in a month or so, but until I learn this balanace thing I'm not going to subject another tank to whatever it is I'm doing wrong.

I saw that some people say I need CO2. I saw a Hagen kit the otehr day with a small canister and a maze unit that suction cupped ot the back of the tank. Should I get it, do I need it?

I figure I am going to have to get a ton of test kits and supplements but I need to know what I should get. Will adding all of this stuff affect the fish?

Also, some people have said I need a black out?

Help.....I'm lost

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[wetmanNY]

Jeff if you're gaining weight, you'd begin by cutting out the Haagen-Dazs. You can get in shape without using steroids. Cut out all fertilizers for a time.

Power-Glo etc. lights are often linked with algae. Why not try a broad-spectrum "Daylight" bulb? How many hours is your timer set for?

What's your alkalinity?

Fill your tank with fast-growing stem plants at the start and slowly replace them.

Get growing and balanced first. Then boost the CO2 and add fertilizer. Fertilizer doesn't make plants grow. Light makes plants grow and then they use up the N K and P. Then you replace nutrients.

 

[jmottle]

Thanks wetmanNY, points taken about the fertilizers and nutients.

I have the old Aqua-Glo that came with my tank, should I put it back in and do a water change to get rid of the fertiler or wait until my regular water change?

I'm currently lighting the tank for 3-4 hours a day in hope of killing off the BBA, but perhaps if I chage the bulb that would help and I can go back to a reular 8-12 hours?

I cut off all that I could see, but do you think that a bulb change is all I need to do to kill it off?

Thanks again,
Jeff