Hello to All, I joined this forum mainly out of frustration. I just set up my 75 g tank with a sand bottom back in Sept, 2012 and have gone through all the new tank problems. I am guessing I am now having problems with the brown algae now (sorry can't think of the real name for it now). It easily wipes off the sides of the tanK and decorations and the water is getting more and more cloudy. I have reduced the amount of food (flakes) that I feed my fish. I do 20-25% water change every two weeks as a norm. The test strips indicate that everything is good except maybe my Ph is high?? (8.4), but it stays constant. I have 12 2"-4" fish (4 goriami's, 3 angels, 5 tetras). I continue to wiped the brown stuff off the tank and decorations 2-3 times a week. Just can't seem to figure how to fix it.
Frustrated
- Thread starter jaccarver
- Start date
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NexVobis
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2012
- Messages
- 167
jaccarver said:
That's common in newly set up tanks. I had those all I did was constant water changes. As for testing the strips can be faulty, I recommend investing in the API Freshwater Master Kit. Liquid testing so it's more accurate as to where the strips can be exposed to moisture.
Andrew McFadden
Aquarium Advice Addict
to AA! We hope you enjoy 
Glow
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Messages
- 5
We added a couple of plecos and pretty much all our algea issues disappeared...
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Aquarium Advice FINatic
Bad idea
CharlieKlein
Aquarium Advice Addict
How exactly is it a bad idea? Unless they are common plecos it is smatt
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Aquarium Advice FINatic
True I was assuming they were commons... Sorry
CharlieKlein
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's alright! So can the origional poster conform what type if pleco they bought?
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
Adding anything to remove diatoms (the brown algae in question) isn't a good idea IMO. Diatoms don't last very long. They feed off silicates in a new tank. When their food source is gone they die off. getting something to eat the algae is a bad idea because it leaves it hungry. Unless you plan on feeding those plecos regularly and providing them with a large enough tank (125g for one common if that's what they are ) then I suggest trading them in at your LFS.
Glow
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Messages
- 5
I think they are common but seeing as we also have a few apple snails, we constantly adding algea waffers and so no on starves. It's a 55g vertical tank and our local pet store trades plecos when they become over sized for the tank. The 2 plecos i have seem happy and always seem to be eating. I've had them 3-4 mths and they've doubled if not tripled in size... About 2 1/2 - 3 inches each at the moment.
Stock:
5 peruvian jumbo apple snails ( lots of babies )
1 white/ivory mystery snail
2 plecos
5 guppies
6 white skirt tail tetras
6 black skirt tail tetras
1 kissing gourami
3 platy ( had 5 originally but they've all died and are survived by 3 babies)
1 looks like neon tetra but is called something else (had more but it's the only survivor and seems happy)
1 ghost shrimp (had 3.. This one also seems happy)
All levels are good except our water is very hard and the ph is alkaline... It's the same from the tap.
Stock:
5 peruvian jumbo apple snails ( lots of babies )
1 white/ivory mystery snail
2 plecos
5 guppies
6 white skirt tail tetras
6 black skirt tail tetras
1 kissing gourami
3 platy ( had 5 originally but they've all died and are survived by 3 babies)
1 looks like neon tetra but is called something else (had more but it's the only survivor and seems happy)
1 ghost shrimp (had 3.. This one also seems happy)
All levels are good except our water is very hard and the ph is alkaline... It's the same from the tap.
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
Sounds like you have it all under control
