Black beard algae...!

[NeonFlux]

My first time. Finally... -_- I knew this day would come. And yes, I have found what looks like black beard algae to me! Its on my driftwood looking like a black blob of mold. My assumption would be high levels of Phosphate? MY nitrates are 5.0 for now. I'm currently combating hair algae with double doses of Flourish Excel, so far so good, the hair algae turning white and dying, but spotted black beard algae! Maybe it's the salt in my tank? My 60 gallon is currently indulged with 50% salt to treat ich, fish flashes, and parasites I have at the moment. Perhaps aquarium salt raises phosphate levels? You see, my nitrates is 5.0 and when you look at phosphate, it's prolly off the charts because of salt? it's probably making a imbalance!

Should I continue Excel?
Should I water change to remove salt?
Should I continue to salt? I'm planning to still salt to treat parasites.
Is salt the culprit to high phosphate levels?
How do you measure your phosphate?do you use a test kit?
Is there a nutrient test kit out there I can use to measure phophate, iron, etc?

 

[nh5]

Watch your cycle a overdose of excel will destroy your cycle and ammonia and nitrite will skyrocket. As far as I remember BBA is from lack of nutrients in the water. I normally get it on my filter tubes when forget to dose flourish and stuff. Stick with the excel until it turns translucent or a reddish color that means its dying or dead

 

[NeonFlux]

I don't have too much iron or too much potassium in my tank;I know that for sure. I dose regular flourish twice and week and Flourish excel daily...and my 2x65 + 2x17 lighting.

 

[wataugachicken]

if you can take the wood out of the water, or do a large enough water change so that the affected area(s) are exposed, a simple application of prime will kill it instantly. just pour it on the algae and put it back. or alternately if you have to treat a larger area, putting the prime into a spray bottle works just as well with less waste.

 

[NeonFlux]

if you can take the wood out of the water, or do a large enough water change so that the affected area(s) are exposed, a simple application of prime will kill it instantly. just pour it on the algae and put it back. or alternately if you have to treat a larger area, putting the prime into a spray bottle works just as well with less waste.

I think I will do just that when I'm going to receive new moss...I'll be wrapping some new moss on my driftwood, willow moss. Regular moss is looking dead