Help With My Betta Tank :-o

[SpleenRippa]

Okay, so I've got a Betta that's been living in a small (~2g) tank. It's planted with two Anubias Nana's, who seem to be doing great despite the horrid 15w lighting
Also, I'm using a cheapo smallworld filter from wallyworld.
Anyway, I just got back from a month on the other coast, and my GF didn't keep up on the PWC's (booo!). So now I have a bunch of brown, almost-fluffy algae on my plants and some spots on the walls.
Yeah, I'm still a newb (this isn't my only tank)... How should I deal with this? Scrub, do a water change and buy an algae eater?
Thanks for any and all help! Let's keep my Betta (Bo Derek the II) happy

 

[WaterPond]

diatoms, thats the type of algea. Caused because low light levels. Algea eaters will not eat this. I would recommend getting better lighting. You can scrub, yes. Diatoms are also present in most newer aquariums. It might go away or it might not with time. good luck

 

[IceH2O]

I doubt its low light problems with 15 watts over a 2 gallon tank. Even though the wpg rule doesn't apply to small tanks I'd think he has a high light tank there.

I'd scrub it down and return to the regiment you had with pwcs. Since it wasn't a problem before it shouldn't be again. The pwcs are replenishing the ferts needed for the low level plants you are using.

Nitrates probably just got high enough to cause the algae to begin with.

 

[JDogg]

15 watts over a 2 gal = low light :?

give it a good cleaning and get back on top of those PWC.

never had diatoms get the the "fluffy" stage, sound more like BBA

 

[WaterPond]

i had fuzzy diatoms before. In my pond though. Would it be possible to see a pic?

 

[Phonemonkey]

Get a real tank...

http://www.fishlore.com/Forum/betta-fish/welcome-and-betta-care-guide-please-read-first.0.html

 

[WaterPond]

2gal is still a real tank and upgrading will still not solve the algea issues.

 

[Phonemonkey]

2gal is still a real tank and upgrading will still not solve the algea issues.

2g is tiny and getting a bigger tank that would keep the betta actually comfortable would hardly be expensive.

 

[WaterPond]

well, thats not the subject though, is it? we were talking about algea and how to get rid of it.

 

[JohnPaul]

If it is brown "algae" (i.e. diatoms), it is a natural part of setting up a new tank. They result from silicates in the water. IMO in most tanks the best solution to the diatom problem is to grab a couple of otos (oto catfish), which eat the stuff up. Unfortunately, that's not the most practical solution in a 2g tank. Maybe you could get one, though I agree with others who have said getting a bigger tank, even if only a little bigger (e.g. 5 gallons), would be a far better solution.