Anyone know what this brown algae is?

[Julie0228]

And how to fix it? Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

on the rock decoration? Doesn't look ad to me

 

[t57spikes]

Can't tell much from the picture but if it's the brownish stain on the rock there's a good chance it is diatoms. Research them they aren't really an algea but rather a small living creature that lives off of silica. I just had a diatom bloom in my tank that I finallyy have under control. It cleans up easily but seems to multiply very fast. I invested in an aquatop uve13 uv filter. With that along with glass cleanings gravel cleanings and overall tank maintaince I've almost got it cleared up. Now I'm just curious as to where the silica source came from. Still investigating.

 

[Fishfur]

Another, lower tech solution is to get a Nerite snail or two. They LOVE this stuff, more than anything else. Mind, they may lay a lot of eggs.. which cannot hatch in fresh water, but not everyone likes how they look. The won't show on light colour rock though.. mainly show on wood or glass, and can be scraped off glass easily enough.

Once the silicates have been used up, they will fade away, but it can take awhile.

 

[trennamw]

My nerites totally failed to eat diatoms, I prefer Otos. Keeping in mind they need a mature tank and are sensitive to water conditions.

My diatoms never go away, I suspect something in my water.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[Fishfur]

Weird. My Nerites ate diatoms in preference to anything else in the tank, always. Still do. I get it now and then inside uplift tubes and filter tubes. I put them on the tank bottom and let the snails clean them, they do it better than I can.

If you have a lot of silicate in your water, might explain persistent diatoms. Just out of curiosity, which species of Nerite did you have that did not eat diatoms ? There are lot of species, maybe some are better at it than others ?