Brown Alg?

[TheLuckyRoll]

Hi forum, I have a quick concern and I would like an opinion before I go out and buy ottos or something. I have a lot of what looks to be brownish clumping masses in spots of my tank, more heavily on the live plants that I have but a fair amount on my fake plants. I was thinking it might be brown algae, the sides of my tank are clean. At this point it's not an eyesore, but I think something is wrong with the ottos, they stopped eating as much and just sort of rested on surfaces. Over the past 3 days I've found 1 dead a day. The other fish seem fine. Any ideas?

 

[gwithyen]

Have you checked your phosphate levels? I've got the same problem of a brown/black type of fine little clumps of algae in one of my tanks, seems to only be a problem with the phosphate leaching out of the plum slate substrate I have. Highish phosphates!

 

[mdawg75]

Amano shrimp are GREAT for algae especially Brown algae. As for why your Ottos are dying I do not know.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

Amano shrimp are GREAT for algae especially Brown algae. As for why your Ottos are dying I do not know.

Ive got about 5 ghost shrimp, one is pregnant... so I might have more in a bit. The ottos seemed fine for about a month, then started to not latch onto stuff. I have a banana-something or other plant in there that seems to always be brown and have dying leaves. The ottos love that plant tho, they rest on its big leaves. So does my albino pleco

 

[mdawg75]

Did you check on the compatabillity of the plants and fish? I really dont know other than the status quo things water parameters temp anything new added. I wish you the best of luck

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

Did you check on the compatabillity of the plants and fish? I really dont know other than the status quo things water parameters temp anything new added. I wish you the best of luck

Could a plant do that? I didnt know that, I just wanted some natural greenery in my tank. But the fish seems to attack every plant I put in there; maybe plants are a no go