Blackbeard Algae finally won the war in my aquarium. The outcome was inevitable. My choices created the ideal environment for the nasty stuff to thrive.

Removing infected plants, washing equipment with peroxide, and replacing at least a fourth of the water every week kept the algae at bay for about three years. I knew it wouldn’t work forever.

When the nasty stuff started growing in the gravel, I threw in the towel. Pond snails had hitched a ride on plants ordered from a source I won’t use again. Efforts to eliminate them had been futile. Time to start over.

The restoration took place an hour or two at a time over several days. I tossed all the BBA-covered plants in the trash and siphoned three or four buckets from the bottom. The increasingly nasty water was dumped into the garden.

I scrubbed all the equipment, soaked each piece in bleach, and left them to dry overnight. Submerged parts of power cords were covered too. Brushes knocked more gunk from inside filter tubes.

Once the filters were removed, the gunk settled on the bottom. I siphoned out another bucket or two, stirred the gravel, and let the gunk settle again. After siphoning out more nasty water, I used a slotted spoon to remove the gravel.

The fish were the last to go. Removing the gravel and most of the water made catching them much easier, but did result in a few fatalities. I set the survivors aside, emptied the tank, and scrubbed it with peroxide.

I put in new gravel, added water, reconnected all the equipment, and returned the fish to their newly renovated home. I only turn the light on at feeding time and to scan for snails.

So far, so good. New plants are on the way. After they arrive, I’m cutting back on how long the light is on each day. Hopefully, it will be another three years before I have to renovate again. I’ll keep you posted.

As always, thanks for stopping by.