Blackbeard Algae (BBA) is a nasty aquarium pest with no redeeming qualities. Few scavengers eat it and none in sufficient quantity to make a difference. Unlike other algae, UV filters don’t kill the spores. Getting rid of it is next to impossible.
There are several prevention strategies. Keeping the light on less would solve the problem. I love live plants, however, which need a lot of light to thrive. Sooner or later, BBA will pop up. Keeping it from taking over is the goal.
So far, vigilance and quick action have worked. I remove about twenty percent of the water every week. I use the siphon hose to vacuum gunk from the gravel. The dirty water is great for potted plants.
BBA usually shows up first on plants, especially on the edges of older leaves and stems. At least three minutes in hydrogen peroxide kills it–as well as most plants. A few of the toughest varieties can survive, but most can’t.
Switching from long-lived plants to cuttings helped. Slower-growing plants get covered with it and have to be trashed. New growth cuttings from faster-growing varieties skip the peroxide and replace the BBA-infested lower parts. Filter pieces, the heater and other removable hardware get a longer peroxide soaking.





Of the 18 varieties planted last March, five have survived. Most were too infested with BBA to be saved. Java fern and unknown #2 seem not to mind the peroxide. The last of the foxtail and unknown #1 have avoided BBA so far but will likely be the next to go.
A long-leaved variety (unknown #3, possibly some kind of pogostemon) would take over if allowed. It must be a nuisance somewhere. Stems to reach the surface get pinched back with every water change. They have replaced BBA-infected bases that had to be tossed several times.
The weekly water changes usually take about fifteen minutes. When the plants get crowded or BBA appears, everything but the fish and gravel come out. Those more involved changes rarely take an hour.


Lots of red cobra guppies, several mollies, two catfish, and an unknown number of unwanted pond snails are thriving. They benefit from a mixed diet including algae, plants, baby fish and flakes. They also eat snails I can easily reach to crush the shells.
All in all, I’m tickled pink–and I haven’t bought any fish or plants in ages. I enjoy watching the constantly changing self-contained ecosystem. All in all, I’d say it’s well worth the effort to keep it healthy and looking nice.
Thanks for stopping by.