Algae?

[mux11]

I have searched and read about everything and still have a couple questions.
first off my 65 gal tank has been running for about 5 weeks now. I am running two hagen 70s and the lights are 98watt coralifes. I have put in some live plants, melon sword, java fern, some yellow tipped grass, money wart, and one other I cant remember. Occupants include 4 firemouth chiclids, 3 Tiger barbs, 3 albino tiger barbs, and 4 rosey barbs.

I have put in several pieces of pvc for scaping till i can get some stones and what I am guessing is brown algae is growing all over the top. I have also noticed that in the middle of some of the growths it is bright green as well as it seems to be growing on the glass and everything else. The plants dont seem to look all that good and the brown stuff is groing on the plants as well.

I am planning on starting a regiment of water changes but is there anything else that i have missed?
Should I be doing anything for the plants? CO2 dropps or something?
Ill post a picture or two.
thanks

 

[rdd1952]

The brown algae is common in new tanks both during and after cycling. Usually, you can add extra lighting and get rid of it. If you plan to add any algae eaters like otos, amano shrimp or siamese algae eaters, they will definitely clean it up. Just don't get any chinese or golden algae eaters. They get very big and very aggressive when they get older.

 

[FishFun]

OK, now I am confused. I read in a book that brown algea is due to too much light and too many nutrients in the water. Is this not correct? (I have never really had an algea problem so I'm not sure what the answer is to this by my own experimentation)

 

[Dubby]

OK, now I am confused. I read in a book that brown algea is due to too much light and too many nutrients in the water. Is this not correct? (I have never really had an algea problem so I'm not sure what the answer is to this by my own experimentation)

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Brown algae is generally found in new tanks and tends to form in areas which get less light. eg: on the glass just above the level of the gravel.

Algae in general, forms when there is an excess of nutrients or light. And in my experience the more the light you tend to get the greener forms of algae.

 

[mux11]

Hmmm interesting because I figured I had too much running the coralife 98watt, (and i think they are 10000k?)
It is a fixture I got when I was planning on going salt water. Should I use a different fixture and bulbs?
Thanks for the advice!

 

[rdd1952]

Actually 98 watts on a 65 gallon tank is not much light. For plants, you really need a minimum of 2 watts per gallon (130 w). Now if the buld is a SW bulb, that could make a difference.

 

[Dubby]

Hmmm interesting because I figured I had too much running the coralife 98watt, (and i think they are 10000k?)
It is a fixture I got when I was planning on going salt water. Should I use a different fixture and bulbs?
Thanks for the advice!

[snapback]908137[/snapback]​

The 10000K is the color spectrum and nothing to do with intensity. The intensity is shown in lumens or lux. The bulbs you are using are fine.

It gets a little confusing when you start comparing bulbs cause most ratings of bulbs are with respect to what the human eye can see (in the green part of the spectrum). Plants do not absorb light very well in this part of the spectrum (surprise, surprise ) and hence they are green in color. So we look for the wattage and light as close to the sun as possible (around 6000K) and preferably broad spectrum (tri phosphor bulbs are good at this) to cover all the parts we cannot see.

Hope this helps.

 

[rdd1952]

I just read your original post again and noticed you mentioned the green algae. I didn't see that originally. That sounds like blue green algae and with that, you definitely don't want to increase the time your lights are on. That stuff is almost impossible to get rid of because it isn't an algae at all but a bacteria and there aren't any fish that will eat it.

 

[mollymagic]

The brown algae is common in new tanks both during and after cycling. Usually, you can add extra lighting and get rid of it. If you plan to add any algae eaters like otos, amano shrimp or siamese algae eaters, they will definitely clean it up. Just don't get any chinese or golden algae eaters. They get very big and very aggressive when they get older.

I am in the middle of cycling my tank, I had green algae growing so cut the lights down from 11 hours to 8.
Now the algae has turned brown, and of course there are no fish at the moment to munch it. You say increase the lights.....won't that take me back to having the green stuff?

 

[kat and james]

i just found this page, it may be useful to you!

http/www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm#bluegreen

hope it helps!

 

[@ombomb]

Firstly, I disagree that 10000K is ideal for your tank. You really ought to be looking for something in the 4000 - 6700K range for optimal plant grow as the bulbs you currently have are only adding to your algae problems.

Currently you have: 196W (98 x 2) over 65G = 3WPG

At this level of lighting, you pretty much HAVE to inject CO² if you want any hope of controlling the algae and with a tank that size, pressurised is the only way.

Also you need to make sure you have a good fertilisation regime worked out. I'd suggest you go to the planted forum and have a read through the stickied threads on lighting and EI.