brown algae

[kmlong]

Hello all, I'm having a terrible time with brown algae. It just forms on my plants which are fake. I've tried phos x and it seems to help for about a week. I use carbon in my filters and do weekly changes. My pleco won't touch the plants, just the side of the glass and gravel. I had otto's but they were real touchy with water conditions and they all died. They were the only ones that ate off the plants. Is there a safe and effective treatment for algae that i can use. A lot of people say to not put anything and let nature take its course but that seems to be where all the algae is coming from, nature!!! Your info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TankGirl]

How long has the tank been set up, and what is your lighting over the tank?

Diatoms need silica to form their shells, so silica sand and even just a new glass aquarium can leach silica into the water column. It is also said that diatoms thrive in lower-light tanks with higher levels of nitrate and phosphate with a pH higher than 7. I get diatoms persistently in my African tanks that have a higher pH and have sand substrates, and tend to be lower lit than my planted tanks.

Bushynose plecostamus (ancistrus), rubberlip and pitbull plecos should handle diatoms for you, but truly otocinclus are the best at this. It is not uncommon for otos to die shortly after bringing them home, so check with your LFS and find out when the shipment came in, and puchase specimens that have been at the shop for a week or two, and that have rounded bellies.

 

[partrep]

I have the same brown algae problem. Tank is 20 gallons and about a month old and has been fully cycled for two weeks, thanks to ML Bio-Spira.

Ammo 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate <5, temp 68F
1 Fantail Goldfish
Artificial plants only.

 

[kmlong]

I've got a 20gal tank that is just about a year old. Same things in it as when i started decoration wise. I have fake plants with gravel substrate. The lighting is a 15watt tube that came with the hood. I've heard some say that an air pump will help keep algae down. I have one but i took it out cause it really messes the hood up. The algae is really only a problem on the plants, that's it. Is it because they are plastic and probly has silicone in them. My filters seem to sludge up with the same brown algae as well. I'm so tired of taking the plants out like every other week to clean. My pleco is a rubberlip by the way. Will putting algae wafers in for the pleco contribute to algae growth?

 

[TankGirl]

Under 1wpg is likely most of the problem. The only way the algae wafers would contribute is if they do not get eaten and decay in the tank, or if you are overfeeding.

 

[kmlong]

what can of veggies can i put in for the fish to eat. I use pepso food once in awhile as a preventitive but the fish don't like it, they spit it back out. They're like a kid when you give them medicine.

 

[Jchillin]

Plecos love zucchini and will suck a carrot slice to non-existence. You can blanch the carrots and zucchini but the zucchini can be placed raw.