Algae problem

[ryukins]

I have this brown algae on my rocks, plants and sides of my tank. How can I get rid of it? My goldfish eat it when I scrape it off and they even graze on it. Should I stop feeding my goldfish and let them graze on the algae until it is gone??

Can someone help ID this from the pictures?

Are they diatoms?

 

[Skeeter4158098]

I would say yes they are diatoms. I am going through the same thing. I have started 2 different threads asking for help on it and all I get is "yes that's diatoms" have heard Cory or occto cats don't know if they are the same thing or not eat it. So going Friday to my lfs and doing some research and picking up some of its true. Good luck with yours.

 

[ryukins]

Everything I have read so far suggests diatoms appear in new tanks. Mine has been running for 7 months now so I wonder if this is diatoms still?

The brown stuff has been in my tank for at least a few months. I reduced the lighting time to 7 hrs a day since last week but so far nothing has changed.

 

[Skeeter4158098]

Everything I have read so far suggests diatoms appear in new tanks. Mine has been running for 7 months now so I wonder if this is diatoms still?

The brown stuff has been in my tank for at least a few months. I reduced the lighting time to 7 hrs a day since last week but so far nothing has changed.

My tank has been running for little over two months. I do not how ever have plants in my tank. Also no direct sunlight. I have my light on a timer from 7 to 9. Thats what time I go to work and what time I usually go to bed. Lol. Was told thats OK.

 

[blert]

I would say yes they are diatoms. I am going through the same thing. I have started 2 different threads asking for help on it and all I get is "yes that's diatoms" have heard Cory or occto cats don't know if they are the same thing or not eat it. So going Friday to my lfs and doing some research and picking up some of its true. Good luck with yours.

Cories do not eat it, they are not algae eaters. Don't buy Otos just to rid yourself of an algae issue. When the algae runs out it is very difficult to get Otos to eat prepared foods so you will likely end up with starved fish.

 

[ryukins]

I am looking to get some more advice from people on this forum. Can anyone else review the pics please and advise on how to get rid of this brown gunk?

 

[Skeeter4158098]

I am looking to get some more advice from people on this forum. Can anyone else review the pics please and advise on how to get rid of this brown gunk?

Like I said ^^^^^^ the one above this thats about all I get as well. Then no other answers. Hopefully you have better luck.

 

[blert]

There is not much you can do except wait it out. It is common in new tanks to get a diatom bloom that can last a good while. When the silicates in your water column are all gone the diatoms will start to go away. You can have your source water tested for silicates, if it has any they will likely never fully go away and you may want to look into a different source for water.

 

[Skeeter4158098]

So the whole purpose was to find out what can one do to A.) What is it. B.) How to get rid of it. C.) What fish will eat it.

A.) It is diatoms.
B.) Some say you can't. Or that it will never go away. The thing with this is do you just have to take all decorations out and clean them off. On a constant basis?
C.) I myself have heard that ottos/corry. Will eat then when its gone will starve. They would only starve if one does not feed them.

 

[epiphysis]

Forget about otto's if you are running a coldwater tank. They will not survive it.

For coldwater there's not much algae eaters available. The best is to wait the diatoms out.

 

[Skeeter4158098]

Forget about otto's if you are running a coldwater tank. They will not survive it.

For coldwater there's not much algae eaters available. The best is to wait the diatoms out.

Why a cold tank? What do you conciser cold? Most fw basic fish tetras for example like 76-80 water. Right now mine is running 78-80.

 

[FishontheRock]

You said you have goldfish which are temperate fish not tropical. Thus, cold water.

Edit: sorry I thought you were the original poster. Yes tropical freshwater are warm but goldfish as the original poster has are not tropical.

 

[epiphysis]

As FishontheRock said. The goldfish is an indication that we are talking about a coldwater tank.

Its not advisable to keep goldfish at high temperatures as it will speed up their metabolism and shorten their lifespan. And otto's on the other hand is very sensitive to water temperature.

 

[Skeeter4158098]

I have this brown algae on my rocks, plants and sides of my tank. How can I get rid of it? My goldfish eat it when I scrape it off and they even graze on it. Should I stop feeding my goldfish and let them graze on the algae until it is gone??

Can someone help ID this from the pictures?

Are they diatoms?

This ^^^^_ is not me

So the whole purpose was to find out what can one do to A.) What is it. B.) How to get rid of it. C.) What fish will eat it.

A.) It is diatoms.
B.) Some say you can't. Or that it will never go away. The thing with this is do you just have to take all decorations out and clean them off. On a constant basis?
C.) I myself have heard that ottos/corry. Will eat then when its gone will starve. They would only starve if one does not feed them.

This is me ^^^^^

You said you have goldfish which are temperate fish not tropical. Thus, cold water.

I did not start this thread. I have started other threads on the topic of diatoms to which all I have heard back is. What they are. No you can't get rid of them. There has to be more info other then. Oh there with new tanks. Not so some people outside of this forum have had diatom outbreaks years after there tanks have been set up. As far as ottos I have even asked are ottos the same thing as cory cats and no answer.

 

[epiphysis]

No they are not the same.

Otto's are reffered to as Otocinclus affinis.

Cory cats are a wide group of catfish in the Corydoras family and is not algae eaters, but still an awesome fish to have.

 

[Skeeter4158098]

No they are not the same.

Otto's are reffered to as Otocinclus affinis.

Cory cats are a wide group of catfish in the Corydoras family and is not algae eaters, but still an awesome fish to have.

So whats the difference?

 

[FishontheRock]

So whats the difference?

They are different species. More different than humans and monkeys as we are both from the primate family but Oto cats and corydoras are different families. They are both from the siluriforme order however.

 

[Skeeter4158098]

They are different species. More different than humans and monkeys as we are both from the primate family but Oto cats and corydoras are different families. They are both from the siluriforme order however.

OK. So which fish is better for diatoms? Other then that lets get back to the main subject at hand as far as what to do with diatoms.

 

[Bbarb27]

The photos posted look like diatoms to me. I currently have a tank with panda corydoras and one with julii corydoras and neither wants anything to do with eating the diatoms. I've never had otos.

I wipe the diatoms off the plants and glass when I do water changes and they seem to be diminishing slowly.

 

[Skeeter4158098]

The photos posted look like diatoms to me. I currently have a tank with panda corydoras and one with julii corydoras and neither wants anything to do with eating the diatoms. I've never had otos.

I wipe the diatoms off the plants and glass when I do water changes and they seem to be diminishing slowly.

So do just wipe it off or do you take decorations out and rinse them off?