Last week I noticed my Magnum 350 canister filter was running really slow. I took it out and cleaned it and noticed it was completely black. The tubes and all. I scrubbed everything and checked the water chemistry and everything was perfect. Today I noticed that again it was running slow so I again shut off and went to clean it and again covered in black stuff. I am assuming that its black hair algae but I'm not sure. I like a fool forgot to take pics before I cleaned it but does this sound like black hair algae? if so any suggestions for getting rid of it? This is for a 125gal tank...

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125 gallon community, planted and driftwood. 1 bala shark, 9 roselines, 3 tiger barbs, 4 rasbora tetras, 5 lemon tetras, 5 diamond tetras, 1 clown loach, 1 bristlenose pleco, 1 dwarf bristle nose pleco, 1 albino rainbow shark, 2 bamboo shrimp, 1 siamese flying fox, 4 cardinal tetras, 2 jurapari and , 2 electric blue rams.

10 gallon:10 red cherry shrimp, 1 crystal red shrimp, 100 snails and 5 assassin snails (hopefully no longer 100 snails) and various plants

I have had the same problem and found that a very light coating of petroleum jelly keeps things clean and running smoothly in a fresh water system.

I have also found that petroleum jelly works great on the inside of the glass top of the aquarium that is under the light it keeps the algy from growing as quick directly under the light.

Now if you have it growing in other places in the tank I have heard that nyrtle snails (not sure if it spelled correctly) will eat the stuff.
I use to have them but the wife hates snails.

I've got 5 nerites in my 55. They lay about a dozen sesame seed like eggs a week. However, the eggs fall off or disintegrate in a few days. No big deal.

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