kmlong
Aquarium Advice Activist
Does using an air stone contribute to brown algae? I get terrible brown algae on my fake plants but no where else. Was wondering if too much oxgen causes this?
algae and airstones
- Thread starter kmlong
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
algae is similiar to a plant. it needs c02. so the bubble stone should be slowing down the algae. . brown algae shows up every now and then. how often are you doing water changes? if there are 2 many nitrates in the water then you usually get an algae bloom. but it'll help if there are some plants in there. try to keep ur nitrates under 40 ppm.
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
Brown algae is nothing but Diatoms. They are basically little bacteria in your tank, and they are collecting on places because there is an overabundance of them. I'm guessing that your tank is kinda new, and not cycled. Nothing can really be done to help control it.
Keep doing regular water changes and that will help alot. Also, if you have the room, grab an Otocinculus catfish. These little guys will devour brown algae.
How often do you clean your tank? How long has it been set up and how many fishies do you have in it?
Keep doing regular water changes and that will help alot. Also, if you have the room, grab an Otocinculus catfish. These little guys will devour brown algae.
How often do you clean your tank? How long has it been set up and how many fishies do you have in it?
tmurphy171
Aquarium Advice Activist
Yes they will. I put 8 little guys in a tank to handle an out of control Diatom outbreak, they cleaned the tank up in 2 days.
kmlong
Aquarium Advice Activist
I've got a 20gal and had it for 4 months. the tank is cycled and my nitrates usually hold steady at about 20-30. I do 25% water changes probly about once a week, vac about once a month, and clean just a slight bit of slime from the glass maybe every 2 weeks. I've got 3 leopard danio's, 3 red minor tetra's, 4 rasbora's, 1 male guaramis, and a beta all doing very well. I do have the room for an Oto but they're not exactly the most pleasant looking fish and was saving the room for fish i want but you have to do what you have to do i guess. How many do you think you need for a 20gal. That phos-x stuff worked for like a month and then right back to the algae. I only run my light about 2-3 hours in the morning and then about 3-4 hours when i get home from work. I run a minibio and the kit filter.
kmlong
Aquarium Advice Activist
oh, i forgot my rubberlip pleco as well, but he don't do crap except hide under my rocks!!
tmurphy171
Aquarium Advice Activist
Try 3 or 4 if very small, Otto Catfish. That should take care of your problem. You want to avoid adding to much load to your tank and putting to many Otto Catfish in will cause them to complete for a lessening food supply when the Diatoms are under control.
BTW, you might want to try using a light timer on your tank so the fish have a consistent daily period of light every day that mimics the day/night cycle. When my tank had its diatom problem some my research indicated that Diatoms like a dark tank.
Good luck!
BTW, you might want to try using a light timer on your tank so the fish have a consistent daily period of light every day that mimics the day/night cycle. When my tank had its diatom problem some my research indicated that Diatoms like a dark tank.
Good luck!
