Can black beard algae end up in a sink?

    I had an issue with BBA in my small freshwater shrimp tank. I had bought some plants online and I believe they were contaminated. I ended up having to redo the entire tank and soak everything in peroxide for days to kill it off. Other things I just threw away.

    Anyways, I noticed something odd in my utility sink. It is one of those older cement ones. It started getting black slime growing in it and this was about 10 days after cleaning out the old tank. I think the finish had been worn down and the algae may have gotten into the pores of the sink.

    Is this possible?

    I think it really depends on what you have going down that drain, and how frequently it is used. I'm sure, like anything that has to handle water, algae can form and grow over time. A perfect example of this would be a shower, which can form brown algae when not cleaned over a very long time period (and green algae if exposed to sunlight).

    Quote from Avery

    I think it really depends on what you have going down that drain, and how frequently it is used. I'm sure, like anything that has to handle water, algae can form and grow over time. A perfect example of this would be a shower, which can form brown algae when not cleaned over a very long time period (and green algae if exposed to sunlight).

    It is used daily for the washing machine as well as washing general items.

    I am just trying to figure out how to get rid of it. I believe the finish has worn down on the sink which allowed the algae to seep into the pores and grow.

    Quote from Gilbert

    I’d say it's possible as it's exposed to water and light randomly throughout the day. To remove it in a drain, I'd just use bleach and a sponge (or even pure vinegar or something) and it should remove pretty easily.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    I have tried a few different things. It isn't actually in the drain but in the sink itself. I have done peroxide, baking soda, mold spray (I thought it may have been mold), and a few others with no success. I don't like using bleach as I have cats in my house and don't want to expose them to a harsh chemical like that.

    How do I use vinegar to treat it?

    I can fully understand your frustration especially with something like that growing in your sink and you not knowing how to get rid of it. As with anything that has water and as said above, is exposed to sunlight you will find that algae will form and if you don't notice it straight away it will take off and may end up being a lot before you notice it. My first thought to get rid of it would be to use bleach and scrub it, that should help to get rid of it but you may need to do it more than once.

    Yeah, it's definitely possible for black beard algae to end up in a sink. Algae spores can easily get into the pores or crevices of any surface, especially if it's worn down or damaged. So if your sink's finish is compromised, it's likely that the algae found its way in there.

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