any suggestions on how to get rid of blackbeard algae

Siamese algae eater (also sold as Black-line flying foxes) are about the only fish I know of that will eat it. If you've got a heavy infestation then I'd scrape off as much as you can so that the SAE's can better control it.

Alternatively I've been told the fertilizer supplement from Seachem: 'Flourish excel' will get rid of it (I've just started testing this out on one small tank - so far it's made the tips of the black algae go red).

ok have tryed flourish exel it got ot down ok then i got some flying foxes to keep it down but i think they got eaten by the other fish do i keep using the flourish exel

I dont really see any fish listed that would be likely to eat your flying foxes. Have you a good lid on your tank as they are amazing jumpers which was the way I lost most of mine (generally when doing waterchanges and having the top glass off)

Mitch

Do you have lots of plants too? Brush algae absolutely hates CO2. It's possible to completely remove all brush algae with the combination of good fertiliser (you're already doing this), SEA's and CO2. Only problem is you need to have lots of plants and no plant eating fish.

i dont have many plants at all maybe u could suggest some to put in as for fertiliser dont use any at all

I can guarantee that in my case flourish excel worked brilliantly at removing this. I am told that it is a side effect of the fertiliser, and as such they are unable to label the containers with words to the effect of I kill algae (not only blackbeard- brush algae in my tank disappeared). I find the best way to get rid of it for good is to use as per manufacturers recommendations and then once every two or three days as a maintenance dose.

I agree with matthew that Flourish excel is the way to go. i was recommended by the people at Hollywood Fish Farm to use double the recommended dosage on the instructions. Problem I had was that it took 2 large bottles of Excel to get rid of the stuff and at $27 per bottle it was an expensive exercise but it was my last resort. I had tried previously of stripping out the whole tank and applying boiling water to kill the stuff and then have each individual piece of gravel and equipment sun dried.

happy killing.

yes im on my second bottle of flourish exel did the job good but exspensive

went to hollywood to check on sae's and they had some there that someone had sold back to them but alot bigger $12.50ea