Algae Brown Good or Bad

[hdultra]

I Have A 55 Gal. Malawi Cichlids Tank. (Tank established June 2010)

Filters (2) Marineland 280 and Hagen Fluval 405

Substrate: By Sea Carib Made for Cichlids to maintain PH 8.0
This stuff really works See Review in Product Reviews.

Fish QTY. 20 Cichlids


Temp 77.8f Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 Nitrates 10 PH 8.0

I have noticed that this brown algae is covering the decor an is also found on the rear glass. It's brown and not green. Should I clean this off or let it be.
I know that some species of algae are good for the fish. And that there are some not so good.

If it is to be cleaned how often. I don't want to go through the nitrogen cycle again by removing beneficial bacteria.

Do you all thing I should keep it off the decor ? Looks grungy.

 

[fort384]

They are diatoms. How are you lighting the tank? They are normal, and found in almost every tank, but can be especially bad in newly setup tanks.

It won't hurt your cycle to clean it off your decor/glass. You can use a toothbrush or something like that to remove it.

 

[hdultra]

There are 2 Aqueon single flourescent Aqua bulbs 24"
I have set to be on about 10 hours a day.
I'll do some resaerch on diatoms.

That's what I thought, in my mind I know that different colors of algae mean different species. And can put off toxins good and bad. Time to study up.

Thanks Fort I appreciate the reply.

 

[hdultra]

Thanks Man This is what I found:

How do I control or stop the growth of brown algae?

You really cannot entirely "stop" the growth of any algae, green brown, or red, but with some good tank management practices, the rate of algae growth can be reduced. There is no such thing as an algae-free aquarium. An aquarium that never gets any algae growth is probably not a healthy environment for fish. Algae should never be controlled through the use of chemicals. Most algae-control chemicals work by inhibiting the reproduction of algae, and may also inhibit the growth of plants and beneficial bacteria. We have seen some disasterous results caused by over-use of algacides. These chemicals should only be used to get rid of green water or very bad algae problems, then good tank management alone should be used to prevent re-occurrences. It is important to remember that algae is a "plant-like" organism. Unlike a plant, it has no true roots, stems or leaves. Like a plant, it needs plenty of light and nutrients to grow (it already has the water). The first thing to look at is light. Aquariums should never be placed where they can receive a lot of direct or even indirect sunlight. Tank lights should be on no more than ten hours. The next factor is nutrients, and in aquariums, this means controlling nitrates and phosphates. Regular water changes and good filtration are important to eliminate nutrients. Vacuuming the gravel in a tank when doing a water change, removes many organics that decay into basic nitrates and phophates. A 25% water change every three to four weeks, or 10% a week, will help control the build-up of nutrients. As most city tap water contains phosphates, using reverse osmosis, distilled, or deionized water will also help. Using phosphate and/or nitrate removal media in a canister or power filter is also helpful. Water motion will also inhibit algae growth, as algae spores cannot settle and take "root" in an aquarium that has good circulation. Using small submersible pumps or powerheads in a tank, in addition to the regular filters will help add extra circulation to any aquarium.

 

[fort384]

Good stuff.

Diatoms can actually be caused by a lack of light, rather than too much, the reason I was asking.

I think based on the fact that the tank is still in its infancy, you will see the diatoms come under control naturally in a few months. Just clean for now, and you will get through it. So long as you keep up with your tank maintenance (PWCs), and keep the nitrates at a reasonable level, you will see them become less of a problem. Like your post said though, there is always algae in a healthy aquarium... especially a planted tank. The key is regular cleaning and maintenance to make sure it doesn't get out of control, and regular review of your water parameters and what you are adding to make sure you aren't bottoming out or have excess of a particular nutrient. Those magnetic algae scrubbers are a must have... I use them in my tanks at least a couple times a week to keep the glass crystal clear and clean.

 

[hdultra]

Great Advice Fort. I read about P04 Phosphates. Do we really need to keep track of Phosphates.

I do have a magnetic glass cleaner and use it all the time.
There is allot of information out there on the web.
This site has good info on how to control it.
Aquarium Algae Control

I had never dealt with brown algae. It seemed in my other tanks it was green.

So I thought I should seek out answers. Thanks for all you input.

 

[fort384]

PO4 is a huge contributor to algae issues. Unfortunately, it is also needed by plants, and one of the major nutrients needed for plants (at least the P part of the PO4 ). Algae are simple forms of plants, so unfortunately what is good for the plants is good for algae!

I dose PO4 in all my tanks... but you have to be careful with it. If it is excessively high, it will contribute significantly to a massive algae outbreak. Most likely, if you don't have very high light, there will be enough in the tank to keep the plants happy, and there won't be a requirement to add more.

If you are worried about it, you can pick up an PO4 test kit... any store that sells saltwater fish/stuff will have one. They are pricey though (usually $20 or more for a decent low range PO4 test), and if you don't think it is an issue, it is not a requirement.

 

[hdultra]

I would think that since I do not have plants, and because of having cichlids.
I don't need to worry about then. As said it will go away eventually with proper maintenance.


Awesome, this was very educational. I'm going to keep reading up on it.
So that I may share it with others later.

Thanks Fort.

 

[fort384]

You are welcome... for some reason I had it in my head you had live plants... so, agree, not something you should probably have to worry about.

 

[lildragonflies]

I would think that since I do not have plants, and because of having cichlids.
I don't need to worry about then. As said it will go away eventually with proper maintenance.

Awesome, this was very educational. I'm going to keep reading up on it.
So that I may share it with others later.

Thanks Fort.

Awesome. Ty