(I can't attach images until later when I'm home.)
I have a lot of brown diatom algae sitting on my sand substrate and other horizontal surfaces like leaves and stones. I detest the stuff, it's a complete eye-sore! I remove all that I can see during my weekly 50-70% water change, and my water parameters are always perfect (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 10 nitrates, my tap water level). I avoid over feeding or leaving uneaten food in the tank.
During the week if I notice any on my plants I'll use one of those aquarium turkey basters and gently blow it off of the leaves. My hitchhiker ramshorn snails usually ignore it on the substrate and spend their time on the wood, plants and glass.
I add a small dose of Seachem Flourish comprehensive twice a week, and my lights are on the timer for 7 hours.
My lights are the Retrofit Day & Night (LED, 6500k (kelvin rating),14W). When the aquarium lights are off, there's still a fair amount of ambient light in the room during the day. Nothing crazy, just a standing lamp in my room and light from the window. (My tank is not near the window or in direct sunlight.)
Unless I'm missing something, could this algae just be showing up because it's a new planted tank? High silicates from the fresh substrate etc?
Do I just need to wait it out, or is there something else I could be doing?
Maybe I should make curtains for the tank (ambient light)
Thanks!
I have a lot of brown diatom algae sitting on my sand substrate and other horizontal surfaces like leaves and stones. I detest the stuff, it's a complete eye-sore! I remove all that I can see during my weekly 50-70% water change, and my water parameters are always perfect (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 10 nitrates, my tap water level). I avoid over feeding or leaving uneaten food in the tank.
During the week if I notice any on my plants I'll use one of those aquarium turkey basters and gently blow it off of the leaves. My hitchhiker ramshorn snails usually ignore it on the substrate and spend their time on the wood, plants and glass.
I add a small dose of Seachem Flourish comprehensive twice a week, and my lights are on the timer for 7 hours.
My lights are the Retrofit Day & Night (LED, 6500k (kelvin rating),14W). When the aquarium lights are off, there's still a fair amount of ambient light in the room during the day. Nothing crazy, just a standing lamp in my room and light from the window. (My tank is not near the window or in direct sunlight.)
Unless I'm missing something, could this algae just be showing up because it's a new planted tank? High silicates from the fresh substrate etc?
Do I just need to wait it out, or is there something else I could be doing?
Maybe I should make curtains for the tank (ambient light)
Thanks!
