Brown Algae!

[tiguardo]

Help! I think I'm having a bit of a brown algae outbreak. I've been noticing a little more on the glass & my plants looked a little like they were going brown and dying, but it turns out it's easy to wipe off them. It sort of looks like rust, but it's not something I have ever had in my other tank.

I'm running my lights for 10 hours a day & have the following fitted: One Power-Glo Fluorescent Aquarium Tube 40W 106.68cm (42in) T8
One Aqua-Glo Fluorescent Aquarium Tube 40W 106.68cm (42in) T8.

Any ideas on what may be causing it & how I can clear it up?

 

[mfdrookie516]

That's diatoms. They'll go away in time. How long has the tank been up? They're really common in young tanks (<6 months old), but can present themselves in well established tanks as well.

 

[tiguardo]

That's diatoms. They'll go away in time. How long has the tank been up? They're really common in young tanks (<6 months old), but can present themselves in well established tanks as well.

Started cycling on 26th April, first fish added on 23rd May, so not too long. Other than cleaning the glass, gravel vacuuming and PWC's, is there anything else I can do or will it improve over time? My plants don't look great, but not sure what I can do with them?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Manual cleaning is really the only way I'd suggest dealing with it until they go away.

 

[tiguardo]

Manual cleaning is really the only way I'd suggest dealing with it until they go away.

Thank you. It was all looking so clean too!

 

[Hyzer]

if you find an answer to this let me know. cause my tank has been going a years and a half strong and i got that black hair wanting to develop on my live plant. i heard a chineese algae eater is the answer. as far as what you have with your plants try some supplement by seachem. its called Flourish. A CAP FULL FOR MY 60GL. so try an do the math depending on your size.

 

[tiguardo]

if you find an answer to this let me know. cause my tank has been going a years and a half strong and i got that black hair wanting to develop on my live plant. i heard a chineese algae eater is the answer. as far as what you have with your plants try some supplement by seachem. its called Flourish. A CAP FULL FOR MY 60GL. so try an do the math depending on your size.

Thanks for the info on 'Flourish', I'll check it out.

Brown algae doesn't seem to be accumulating at the same rate. Not sure why? I've been manual cleaning, but nothing else in the tank that I think would directly effect it.

Oh well, hopefully it'll continue to improve....

 

[rich311k]

Black hair algae and diatoms are two entirely different things. The diatoms will take care of themselves.

The black hair is a real pain and it takes a concerted effort to get rid of it.

 

[Ickletas]

I'm going to use the latin for the fish names because sometimes fish names differ from the UK to the US. Gyrinocheilus (Chinese Algae Eater/ Sucking Loach) can grow up to be pretty aggressive and are fairly hopeless at algae as adults. There is a theory that they don't eat algae at all and just suck the nutrients out (haven't researched how accurate that is thought).They also have a reputation for sucking on the slime coats of other fish (apparently Discus are particularly tasty!) and also thier eyeballs (ewwwww). Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese algae eater) grow to about 5- 6", is often considered the best algae eater for larger tanks and the only known algae eater to eat red algae. It also eats brown, black and hair algae. Finally my little sweethearts crossocheilus oblongus (Siamese flying fox) again grow to 5 -6" and eat brown, black and hair algae.

 

[tiguardo]

I'm going to use the latin for the fish names because sometimes fish names differ from the UK to the US. Gyrinocheilus (Chinese Algae Eater/ Sucking Loach) can grow up to be pretty aggressive and are fairly hopeless at algae as adults. There is a theory that they don't eat algae at all and just suck the nutrients out (haven't researched how accurate that is thought).They also have a reputation for sucking on the slime coats of other fish (apparently Discus are particularly tasty!) and also thier eyeballs (ewwwww). Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese algae eater) grow to about 5- 6", is often considered the best algae eater for larger tanks and the only known algae eater to eat red algae. It also eats brown, black and hair algae. Finally my little sweethearts crossocheilus oblongus (Siamese flying fox) again grow to 5 -6" and eat brown, black and hair algae.

I've was looking at the Siamese Flying Fox in my LFS on Monday. Great looking fish. Seemed to have a real personality.

Are they fairly good as a community fish? I've got Angels, clown loaches, golden gourami & a Rainbow Shark in my tank at present.

 

[Ickletas]

Peaceful as you like for a community tank although there is a flag for other shark shaped fish. I have 4 and have no issues with them ( but I don't have any other "sharks"), likewise my mother in law has a pair and has had a red-tailed shark in the past with no problems (which I admit suprised me cos I had a rts ages ago and it was a complete bully lol). Guess it depends on the individual nature of the fish.

 

[Ickletas]

One thing that is kinda funny about crossocheilus oblongus (sff), not sure if it is the same for other crossocheilus, is that they hardly have a swim bladder to speak of so if they stop moving they sink. I often see mine taking a rest by lying down on the leaves of my plants, it's quite cute

 

[tiguardo]

Peaceful as you like for a community tank although there is a flag for other shark shaped fish. I have 4 and have no issues with them ( but I don't have any other "sharks"), likewise my mother in law has a pair and has had a red-tailed shark in the past with no problems (which I admit suprised me cos I had a rts ages ago and it was a complete bully lol). Guess it depends on the individual nature of the fish.

Ha ha.. I've got a RTS in my other tank & he's a star! He does have a liking for hiding all day & then going absolutely mad for five minutes, chasing everything

Am going to really consider the Siamese Flying Foxes on my return from my holidays. Think they'll do the trick....

 

[Ickletas]

They are pretty cool, remind me of hummingbirds a bit because their fins look like they vibrate. I cannot express my love for these fish enough. Along with my Giant Danios, they are my favourites in the tank at the moment.

 

[Tanktop]

My tank was covered in brown algae. Couldn't see the green leaves. Put in 5 Otocinclus and the tank was clean a day later.

 

[Copachick]

I would try keeping your tank light on less. we use to do 12 hours on 12 hours off. now we only turn it on when we get home at 5 when we feed them, then turn them off when we go to bed. As long as they have some light in the room from windows and such they dont care about their light.
Then maybe try buying a few Otos. I was told they are great with brown algae. We had the same outbreak in our tank about a month ago. It was all over everything. Let me tell ya, as liitle as those Otos are, they cleaned up that tank no problem! I figured a combination of them and the lighting and a PWC every week did the trick.