Why are my aquarium plants black?<\/h2>\n
Well, like I said, it\u2019s usually a type of black beard algae. And this algae shows up because of a few things:<\/p>\n
- \n
- A lack of CO2: you\u2019re just not adding enough (or any) CO2<\/li>\n
- Unstable CO2: too little CO2, then too much, then cutting it back again \u2026<\/li>\n
- Poor water flow<\/a>, which means not enough CO2 spreads around<\/li>\n
- …<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I really recommend reading my detailed strategy to fight black beard algae<\/a>, it\u2019ll definitely help you. But here are a few quick steps that already make a big difference in battling this annoying algae and preventing your aquarium plants from getting black spots.<\/p>\n
How to fix aquarium plants going black?<\/h2>\n
You\u2019ve got a few ways to do this:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Add more CO2. Install a CO2 system<\/a><\/strong> if you don\u2019t have one yet (seriously, it\u2019s the best investment for any planted tank!) and slowly increase the CO2 week by week. Meanwhile, trim off the affected leaves and healthier growth will come back.<\/li>\n
- Once you\u2019re adding CO2: keep it as stable as possible<\/strong>! Start injecting CO2 about an hour before your lights switch on so it\u2019s well mixed by the time your plants need it. And don\u2019t mess with your CO2 settings too often\u2014max once a week, and only in small tweaks.<\/li>\n
- Dim your lights<\/strong>. More light means faster plant growth, and that creates a higher demand for aquarium plant fertilizer<\/a>. Chances are you\u2019ve created such high demand that your tank can\u2019t keep up. Result: CO2 shortage and aquarium plants getting black spots! By lowering the light, you reverse that process.<\/li>\n
- A combo<\/strong> of more CO2 and less light is super effective. Highly recommended \ud83d\ude42<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"aquarium](\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/aquariumplanten-worden-zwart.jpg\")
Aquarium plants getting black spots, which are actually black beard algae. Source: The Planted Tank<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n What if you don\u2019t have a CO2 system?<\/h2>\n
No budget for a CO2 system? You can use a liquid carbon source instead\u2014this algae doesn\u2019t like that either. But honestly, I still believe a proper aquarium CO2 kit is a must-have for every planted tank and hands down the best investment you can make for healthy plants.<\/p>\n
- Once you\u2019re adding CO2: keep it as stable as possible<\/strong>! Start injecting CO2 about an hour before your lights switch on so it\u2019s well mixed by the time your plants need it. And don\u2019t mess with your CO2 settings too often\u2014max once a week, and only in small tweaks.<\/li>\n
- …<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"|\"](\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/All-in-One-_EI_-NL.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"