Brown spots on plants, tank walls and some rocks

[callisto9]

New(er) tank - about two weeks old. No CO2, no ferts, average light on 16 hours a day. Moderately planted.

Diatoms?

It wipes off easily from inside the tank. You can see it in the pic on the anubia and the slate rock in the background.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Aqua Marine]

Did you clean them before? putting in there that might be the reason.

 

[callisto9]

Did you clean them before? putting in there that might be the reason.

I'm sorry, I don't understand your response. Did I clean what before? The slate and plants?

 

[Jess1ca]

New(er) tank - about two weeks old. No CO2, no ferts, average light on 16 hours a day. Moderately planted.

Diatoms?

It wipes off easily from inside the tank. You can see it in the pic on the anubia and the slate rock in the background.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Pretty sure it's diatoms... Harmless and annoying lol. Should go away as your tank matures... Although I have a serious never ending diatom problem in an established tank that is in front of a window :/

 

[callisto9]

Pretty sure it's diatoms... Harmless and annoying lol. Should go away as your tank matures... Although I have a serious never ending diatom problem in an established tank that is in front of a window :/

This tank is now in front of a window, though it wasn't before. They are so ugly. What do you do about the diatoms?

 

[Jess1ca]

This tank is now in front of a window, though it wasn't before. They are so ugly. What do you do about the diatoms?

I wipe them off at wc time, it's all I can do! Bought a bristlenose Pleco to try to clean them up. He's quite small and I never see the little bugger so I don't know if he eats it or not lol. Certainly are ugly! I change water once a week and if I wipe the glass every time I hardly notice them. Can't wait to move the tank haha!!

 

[callisto9]

I wiped mine, too, when I did a water change. They are so gross to look at. Any idea what causes it?

 

[Jess1ca]

I wiped mine, too, when I did a water change. They are so gross to look at. Any idea what causes it?

I think it's the sunlight? I don't really know... I know when I first started my very first tank I posted about them and they told me that it's normal for a new tank... I never asked why... Kinda wish I did cuz I'm curious now

 

[callisto9]

I've read that, too - normal for a new tank.

Either way, it's so ugly-looking. Maybe I need to add a background to my tank to reduce some of the light...

 

[Convict2161]

I'm not sure it's the sunlight, I mean do you have the shade or whatever open and hitting the tank with direct sunlight all day? I have a tank near a window and I had the windows tinted so not a chance of UV getting through and it protects the furniture as well! Anyway it looks like algae, wipe off the leaves during water changes and make sure it doesn't get any worse.

What is your light schedule like?

 

[callisto9]

I'm not sure it's the sunlight, I mean do you have the shade or whatever open and hitting the tank with direct sunlight all day? I have a tank near a window and I had the windows tinted so not a chance of UV getting through and it protects the furniture as well! Anyway it looks like algae, wipe off the leaves during water changes and make sure it doesn't get any worse.

What is your light schedule like?

It doesn't get direct sunlight, only indirect.

Light in the tank is on from 7am - 10pm.

 

[Convict2161]

It doesn't get direct sunlight, only indirect.

Light in the tank is on from 7am - 10pm.

15 hours is a lot IMHO. If your tank is getting indirect sunlight I think you can get away with 9 hours of lighting.

My lights go on at 3:30am so when I get home from work there just coming on. Fish don't need light and its getting indirect light as well as household lighting before hand. And the lights go out at 10pm. I however have stages of lighting. 2 lights go on at 3:30 simulating sunrise and then at 6pm daylight until 9pm then completely off at 10pm left with only moonlights.

What kind of plants? High light/low light?

I had 40+ Anubias and java fern that did well with that light schedule, that was until my Africans grew up and tore them all to shreds.

I'd cut back the lighting and see how it does.

 

[callisto9]

Thank you for the advice. I need to get that light on a timer. All this has been a work in progress and it's been much more to learn that I thought.

All my plants are in the easy/low light category. Anubias, water wisteria, amazon sword, java fern, hornwort, anachris...

 

[Convict2161]

Thank you for the advice. I need to get that light on a timer. All this has been a work in progress and it's been much more to learn that I thought.

All my plants are in the easy/low light category. Anubias, water wisteria, amazon sword, java fern, hornwort, anachris...

Those will be fine with less light. I really think the lights are on way too long for that size tank. And your very welcome. Your doing fine. From the pics actually I'd say your doing great!!

We all learn in this hobby, I learn something new everyday!

It's fun!

 

[callisto9]

I'm definitely learning something new every day! Today I learned about the vinegar/rock test thing. Sadly, I'm doing this in reverse order... I had put my first four guppies in an uncycled tank...and then learned what a cycled tank was.

It IS fun. I can't believe how much there is to learn. I'm pretty happy with my guppies, but if they keep dying at this rate, I'm going to either try a different fish or a different place of purchase (something tells me PetSmart doesn't have the best fish).

 

[GoldsGuy]

Nerite snails will eat diatoms. They keep my tank cleaned and pretty to look at. Their eggs don't hatch in freshwater so no worry to get out of control. Also they don't eat plants. Diatoms and algae only.

 

[callisto9]

Nerite snails will eat diatoms. They keep my tank cleaned and pretty to look at. Their eggs don't hatch in freshwater so no worry to get out of control. Also they don't eat plants. Diatoms and algae only.

I did find five (six?) snails in the past week (freeloaders on a plant). I think I have four Malaysian Trumpet Snails and one Ramshorn snail. Oh, and my Apple Snail, too.

I moved out the trumpet snails, but the Ramshorn and Apple are still in the tank.

 

[callisto9]

Seriously, I love this little (well, not so little anymore) bugger to death! His name is Epic Snail. BF named him.

Ah, you can see the brown and green spots here, too, on the slate (it's since been removed).

 

[Rivercats]

Oh the Malaysian Trumpet snails are good guys! They areate your substrate and you mostly only see them at night when they come out of the substrate. The eat decaying plant material, detris, and algae. I love having them in my planted tank since I don't vacuum the gravel. Also Oto's love diatoms!

 

[callisto9]

Oh the Malaysian Trumpet snails are good guys! They areate your substrate and you mostly only see them at night when they come out of the substrate. The eat decaying plant material, detris, and algae. I love having them in my planted tank since I don't vacuum the gravel. Also Oto's love diatoms!

Well, I still have them, but until I knew if they were good/bad, I plucked them out and moved them. I just don't know how many snails are too many, you know? I have a pretty small tank.