Brown Algae

[FreshwaterFishie]

Yuck! It is in the gravel and on my plants...I can't scrub a live plant!!! I can't tell if it is Brown Slime Algae or just Brown Algae. How do you tell the difference between Dinoflagellates and Diatoms. It is not the nitrates, nitrites, ammonia because the last time I checked they were still 0, also bugging me.
How can I cure this? More light, less light? More fish? Product?
I have also heard of "golden" algae. It is kinda of golden...but more brown.

 

[afireinside]

Pray to God it is not Golden Algea, my grandpa told me it was the most dangerous type of algae to fish. Sorry, I know nothing else.

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

Pray to God it is not Golden Algea, my grandpa told me it was the most dangerous type of algae to fish. Sorry, I know nothing else.

I think it is Brown Algae.
I went to the LFS and bought 4 Mickey Mouse Platys! They have been nibbling on it. They seem fine.
We also rinsed the gravel, plants, hide-away, and bought a syphon and razor. We are returning the syphon, because we need a smaller one and the one we bought took out 2 gallons in like 2 seconds!

 

[houndour]

is the tank relatively new? could be diatoms.

causes of algae are one or a combination of:

over feeding - increased phosphates
too much light/wrong light/light on for too long/direct sunlight
high phosphates in tap water

 

[kittymeow]

I get brown rusty looking stuff on the bottom glass of my tanks sometimes. Not alot - just enough to be noticable. Is it sort of like that?

I found this on a google search: http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/maintena.../algaebrown.htm

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

is the tank relatively new? could be diatoms.

causes of algae are one or a combination of:

over feeding - increased phosphates
too much light/wrong light/light on for too long/direct sunlight
high phosphates in tap water

It has been running for about a month. It is mixed with RO water. Too much light? One site said too little light? ACK! How long should the light be on for?

I get brown rusty looking stuff on the bottom glass of my tanks sometimes. Not alot - just enough to be noticable. Is it sort of like that?

Yes, it is on plants, rocks, filter, blotches on glass, hide-away, ect. It looks sort of rusty.

 

[The-Wolf]

diatoms are indeed caused by too little light.
have the lights on for a min of 10hrs, and then increase by half hour increments untill it goes.

royal plecos (L027) love to eat diatoms as do otos (ottocinclus affinis);
remember otos are quite sensative and have the ablity to die for no aparent reason. they should be only added to mature tanks.

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

diatoms are indeed caused by too little light.
have the lights on for a min of 10hrs, and then increase by half hour increments untill it goes.

royal plecos (L027) love to eat diatoms as do otos (ottocinclus affinis);
remember otos are quite sensative and have the ablity to die for no aparent reason. they should be only added to mature tanks.

Thanks! What would be a maximum number of hours for the light to be on each day?

 

[freddyk]

Thanks! What would be a maximum number of hours for the light to be on each day?

Experiment a bit - these types of questions have no wrong or right answers. 12, 14 hours is the most I would go with - you don't want to end up having a green algae problem either.

 

[houndour]

I would say max 12 hours. I have mine on for 10 hours.

It has been running for about a month. It is mixed with RO water. Too much light? One site said too little light? ACK! How long should the light be on for?

Sorry I don't know much about diatoms except you normally get it in new tanks. My causes of algae list was more general algae.