help with algae growth

[digital_cichlid]

hello all. i created my own concrete backgroung in a 10 gallon for some dwarf cichlids and it turned out great (see in DIY forum) currently i have a few albinos and a severum in there and a planning to trade them out in a week for a pair of white calvus i think.

i left the tank light on for 4 days straight to promote the algae bloom and so far it worked. there is a bunch of brown with some nice green underneath. once the green covers the whole background, i think the tank will look great and it will be a great food source for shell dwellers or calvus'

my question: is there any way to halt the growth of the brown algae without hurting the green? a little brown would be ok, but i really want more green.

any advice would be appreciated. thanks!

 

[Menagerie]

Interesting question. The brown algae has nothing to do with the amount of light since it does not photosynthesize for energy. The brown algae is diatoms.
There's the background, now maybe someone can come up with a solution!

 

[oscarbreeder]

I have some brown algae in my 55 African tank I CANT get rid of.
let me know if you find a way.
Thanks

 

[TankGirl]

What is your lighting above this tank? A great way to increase green algae (can't believe I am typing those words!) is to increase lighting. Often in lower light tanks, like in many African tanks where you are not trying to grow plants and use 1wpg or sometimes less, diatoms flourish. Once you add a fixture the brown gives way to green. Also, brown algae is common in newer setups, but I notice in my own low-light African tank I have tons of brown. Bristlenose plecos are often kept with Africans but in a 10gal might be too small.

I adore calvus and hope if you do stock the 10 with them that you'll post pics

 

[FawnN]

From my understanding and experience with Brown Algae (Diatoms) is:

Often occurs in a new tank and will usually go away once your tank conditions stablizes. It will usually take several weeks before you will see it disappear and your green algae appear.

To reduce the essesive nutrients in your water, don't over feed and make sure you are consistant with your water changes and vacumming of your gravel.

And with brown algae in a established tank it normally means that you might have high levels of Nitrates in your water.

That's how I understand it. HTH

 

[digital_cichlid]

will the calvus pair be alright in a 10 gallon? from what i've read you can keep the fry with the parents, is this true?

hopefully the brown will disappear in a week or 2.
i'm thinking that i could buy a small pleco and just trade it out at the LFS when it grows... the manager is pretty cool about that.

maybe as soon as i take out the cichlids that are in there i will see a reduction of the brown...it is kinda overstocked right now while i am cycling my 20 gallon with a cement background. i think i am just going to keep the dempsey, jewel and green severum in the 20 and sell the others to the LFS. the dempsey and jewel are only about 3 1/2 inches and the severum is 2 inches... as they grow i will be putting them in a 55 that i'm getting around chrismas.

if i like the calvus, i'll probably get a second pair, maybe black, for the 20 at that time.

 

[digital_cichlid]

because it is a new set up and it is overstocked, i have been vacuuming and changing 40% of the water every 4 days. when i get the calvus i think that i will do 30% every week. i have been feeding frozen brine 1X daily, omega 1 flakes 1X daily, and hikari pellets 1X daily, with 1 doz feeder gups 1X week.

they have quit eating the flakes so i have cut down on them, and they seem to not like the pellets very well, but will eat them. any other ideas to supplement their diet?

thanks for all the replies everyone! nice to log in and see replies.

 

[FawnN]

Wow,

IMO, that is a lot of food for an overstocked, 10 gallon tank. I would cut back on your feedings and increase your water changes to 20% everyother day. Remember, smaller more frequent water changes is always better then bigger once a week changes.

You really don't need to be feeding all that in one day and your fish will be perfectly find if you even feed once, everyother day. I personally would feed my fish frozen brine shrimp one day, the next day I would do tropical flakes and would continue to change throughout the week.

I personally feel that a variety of foods throughout the week is best. Those are my suggestions.

 

[digital_cichlid]

alright, i'll try that.

i really need to get a waer test kit. all i have is a ph kit...i need the nitrate and niterite kit too, my levels might be high because of how much i've been feeding

i want this water to be perfect before i introduce the calvus because i have been looking and for a mated pair they run about $80-$100. is that about right? any way, i don't want to spend that much and have them die in a week or 2

 

[FawnN]

Oh definitely,

Before you buy anything else, go buy a test for ammonia, nitrites and Nitrates. Those 3 are a definite must in this hobby!

 

[spence0416]

Be careful cutting down feedings in a overstocked cichlid tank. If they are not eating the food you give them they'll move on to their tankmates. Keep the temp in the mid 70's to slow down their activity levels.

 

[FawnN]

That is something I never considered, but that is a definite possibilty they could turn on eachother, since they probably have been used to getting fed a lot.

I guess there are several problems that need to addressed then. I personally would take care of your overstocking first before you get too involved with your algae.

 

[digital_cichlid]

i'll be taking care of the overcrowding problem in 2 days...just waiting for the 20 gallon to cycle. i am cutting down on the feeding and taking Fawn's advice and just feed 1 type of food per day, but i will feed atleast 2-3 times daily. my dempsey is a hog, but he isn't growing as quickly as i hoped. he trippled his size in the last 4 months, but it seems he has hit a wall. he needs more space and less fish in with him...he's the first cichlid i bought and therefore he is somewhat special to me. my salt water could die off completely and i wouldn't be as mad as i would be if something happened to my dempsey. he has quite the personality.

picking up a 37 gallon tall tomorrow and thought about making it freshwater, but decided against it because i really want corals and my wife really likes our stars, she has a red african that is about 8 inches across, but i can't have both in the same tank very successfully, so it's time to start another salt water. i'm beginning to get too many tanks, we live in a small house and there isn't much room left. i can't wait till we move and have the basement...my wife already said that i can have it as my fish room!!!

i think that my dempsey, jewel, and severum will be ok in the 20 until i get my 55 at christmas. what do ya hink?

 

[Mofo2713]

When you buy a test kit, get the aquarium pharmecuticals freshwater master test kit. Best one out there IMO