Help! Brown Algae Alert

[mark1980]

Hi, My tank has been up and running now for two weeks and everything has been fine. I did a water change last sunday, I have 2 angels, 2 blue gourami and 6 bronze corys. I also have 7 real plants. Yesterday when I got home from work I noticed a substantial amount of brown algae on the front of the tank, on the rocks and on the plants. I have been having the lights on for 10 hours a day for the plants but I would love to know. 1. Why do I have algae 2. How do I get rid of it 3. How do I stop it coming again. 4. Do I need to buy an algae eating fish
many thanks. Mark

 

[KimA]

Hi, My tank has been up and running now for two weeks and everything has been fine. I did a water change last sunday, I have 2 angels, 2 blue gourami and 6 bronze corys. I also have 7 real plants. Yesterday when I got home from work I noticed a substantial amount of brown algae on the front of the tank, on the rocks and on the plants. I have been having the lights on for 10 hours a day for the plants but I would love to know. 1. Why do I have algae 2. How do I get rid of it 3. How do I stop it coming again. 4. Do I need to buy an algae eating fish
many thanks. Mark

Hi Mark,

1. You might want to try a siesta period with the lighting, saying 4-5 on, 2-3 off, 4-5 on (get a plug in timer from a DIY store if you've not already got one) - the lights could be on too much in one long stretch. Also, brown algae is most seen in a newly established tank, nothing to worry about, just unsightly - it'll pass in time.

2. Just wipe it off the glass, ornaments, plants (carefully) - comes off easily enough.

3. You don't need to buy an algae eating fish, although I know that Bristlenose Plecs are great algae eaters but on the downside like plants too, lol. Armpower is the best

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

1. Almost all new tanks have brown algae. Brown algae is actually a Diatom that uses the silicates that leech from the glass to form little crystal shells around themselves (which is why brown algae feels kinda "gritty"). They thrive even in low light tanks...I had a healthy outbreak of the stuff even with only .5 WPG of lighting power.

2. Physical removal the easiest way (although it can grow back really fast ><). I used a toothbrush.

3. Silicates + Phosphates = Brown Algae. Unfortunately these things are pretty darn difficult to remove since almost all tap water contains some level of silicates and phosphates. I think there are phosphate removing filter medias out there, but from what I understand they are very very short lived so you're looking at spending a lot of cash for a really insignificant problem that eventually goes away.

4. If the algae reallyyyy starts to drive you insane Otocinclus Catfish (aka Otos) are small suckermouthed catfish that will eat brown and soft green algae. Be forewarned however that you'll have to supplement their diet with algae wafers and vegetables like zucchini and spinach, especially after they have consumed all the algae in your tank. It's not uncommon to get picky ones either that will flat out refuse to eat algae wafers...mine will not.

 

[eddyg]

i have the a brown algae in my tank which ive had for about 2 years but ive been putting up with it and scrubbing it off every time i do a water change but its really stubborn and is hard to scrub off. could it be because i need to change the light bulbs?

ide appreciate any help

its never happend in any of my other tanks i own/have owned.

 

[Faythee]

I had the same problem. It was a real PITA. I bought a Bristle Nose Pleco and it was ALL gone in a few hours. Good fishy

He doesn't bother my plants. Might depend on the type of plants you have ?

 

[Corleone]

I had it all over - scraping the glass every day, washing rocks every few days, didn't seem to make a dent. Some sites I saw suggested increasing lighting, though the advice sounded like encouraging green algae to outcompete it.

I got three otos, they wiped it out in a matter of hours. They've refused to eat anything I've offered since, though, so I'm a bit worried for them.