Brown algae help please

[labpig]

I've had a tank now for a year. Never had any algae problems at all

A little over a month ago I started getting brown algae m, even though I wasn't doing anything different

I Cut back on feeding and did twice weekly PWC
I scrubbed the ornaments in the tank and cleaned the brown algae off the plants as best I could

2 weeks ago the light tube failed and I went to the LFC For a new one. I happened to mention my algae problem, and they said it was probably due to the old Tube producing poor lighting before it failed totally

The new tube is definitely brighter, But how do I get rid of the algae that persists?- it seems to have gotten a hold now.

LFC said it should disappear with the new light, but Even with the brighter light I am still getting brown algae two weeks later, even though I persist with cutting feeding back and twice weekly PWC

My chemistry is 0 0 0-5 just before I do a PWC



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[labpig]

Sorry. Phone corrected LFS to LFC


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[Fishanatic]

How long do you leave your light on for?
Do you have enough surface agitation for the ammount of fish in your aquarium?

 

[labpig]

Lights on for 9hrs a day
I have an internal + ext filter so I have plenty of surface agitation

I haven't had this problem in a year. Nothing else has changed in the past year apart from low light prior to it failing




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[Rivercats]

Can you post a picture of the algae so it can be identified? When dealing with algae problems cut lighting down to 6 hours daily. Or run them 3 hours, off 2, then on three. Algae needs a longer photoperiod to grow so by using a siesta period most algae can't grow. Also depending on the type of algae some can be spot treated.

 

[labpig]

Agghhh- I've just cleaned the tank, so there's no algae to show at the minute

The LFS said it was caused by low light. Would the 'light-on, light-off' method not make this worse?

I'm only asking- I'm completely out of my depth with this problem

Thanks


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[Rivercats]

Algae isn't caused by low light especially in such a mature tank. Shorter photoperiods and siesta periods make it very hard for most algae to grow which is why I suggested what I did.

Do you have a test kit? I'd like to know your nitrate and phosphate levels. This brown algae, does it just wipe off everything very easily? What is your water change schedule and how much do you change out?

 

[Fishfur]

Most brown algaes need, I think it is silicates, if memory serves me, to grow, and are usually only a problem in new tanks. Once the silicate supply is used up they tend to disappear. They aren't really algae, like green algae, they're diatoms.

One way to deal with it is to get a nerite snail. They adore brown algae and will feed on it anywhere they find it, in preference to anything else edible around. I used to leave my filter tubes, which often grew a bit of brown algae, in the tank and let the snails clean them, they did it far better than I could. [ I had two tubes, one on the filter, one being cleaned up for next time].

Nerites do lay eggs around but they can't hatch in fresh water. And once the diatoms are gone, you can get rid of the snail if you don't want it long term. Sell it or trade it back to the store. They're very, very efficient at cleaning up diatoms, as well as many other green algaes. Other snails also eat it, but nerites seem to excel at consuming it. Less work than cleaning constantly, if it comes back after this last cleanup.

Edit. I checked to see if memory served me well and it is silica that diatoms need to grow well. Tap water has silica, but usually diatom growth is limited to new tanks, and goes away once most of the silica supply is used up. I used to get it in my uplift and filter tubing, on the sunny side of my tank, actually. { in south facing window], but between the snails and Otos, it never had much chance to get out of hand.

 

[labpig]

Thanks all for advise so far

My usual PWC schedule was 50% a week. I'm now doing twice weekly PWC, again 50%

My nitrates would be 5 on the day I changed the water
My kit doesn't have a phosphate test
Ammonia & nitrite are always 0

It's a cichlid tank (I know I shouldn't have plants in there, but it looks very bare with just rocks) - can I put snails in with cichlids?

The brown algae/ diatoms wipes easily off surfaces, but it's hard to get off plants


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[aqua_chem]

Can you post a picture of it?


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[labpig]

I only cleaned the tank yesterday ;(

But it'll be back in a day or 2


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[Fishfur]

So far as I know, cichlids are not snail eaters.. but maybe it would be good to ask some cichlid keepers.. which species of cichlids do you have ? Other than some Angel fish, I've never kept cichlids myself.

Some loaches eat snails.. but I don't think too many other fish bother with them. Only real exception would be the puffer fishes, who eat them like candy.

 

[LiquidGardener]

I'm new to the hobby, been at in since February, but I thought I'd offer my 2 cents anyways.

I had much the same issue with diatoms and had the same knee-jerk reaction, to increase water changes.

Turns out it only made it worse b/c I was just adding more of the SiO2 (silicates) that kept the diatoms fat and happy.

A combination of a few things solved my issue.

1. 30% water change every two weeks. Use only pure RO/DI water to top off evaporation.

2. My tap had high phosphates as well, so my plants would bottom out my nitrate, and there was still nutrients available to algae. I got a seagel media which is a combo phosphorus absorber carbon insert and stuck it in my HOB and let it run till it finally tested out at zero. Took it out let it dry and stored it for any future day it may be needed as Seachem states is perfectly ok with the product.

3. The break in the photo period as mentioned before. At least a two hour break. Total darkness. Not even sunlight. Covered mine with a giant black towel.

My plants suffered a little during the time I was starving the algae out, but once the brown stuff stopped growing new unaffected leaves grew in I was able to trim off all the old growth anyway.

Best of luck on your issue. Hope my personal experience helps you in someway with your own.


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[labpig]

Thanks both for your suggestions
I'll let you know how it goes


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[labpig]

Just a thought

Because it's a cichlid tank, they destroy the plants regularly & I have to replace them

Would it speed things up (or make things worse) if I removed all the plants and turned the lights off completely for 3 or 4 days ?


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[CoronaBlue]

I don't put plants in my ciclid tank, they destroy them.