Brown Algea

tkfishgeek · 09-19-2009, 01:06 AM

I have a 90 gal. Planted tank that I have started about 7 months ago. Going bigger. The past 2 months I have had brown algea on just about all my plants & starting on the glass where I do not clean as good. It is getting harder to get rid of. PH 7.1, NO3 0, GH 5, KH 2,. I do weekly water changes of 30gal. with RO top off. Any idea on how to get fid of this bad brown algea?

Matt724 · 09-19-2009, 01:57 AM

I have the same thing. Either you don't have enough light, you have too much light, not enough co2, too much co2 or not enough potassium, or not enough nitrogen. Ino, its a b*tch to keep up with, which is why I don't =) Also, overdosing on ferts such as Seachem flourish gets the brown algae going, so refrain from overdosing on that stuff.

tkfishgeek · 09-19-2009, 02:28 AM

I have played with my CO2 but not much of a change that I have seen. I have 2x 150w HQI but that only puts me at 3.2 WPG at the hight that it as at I guess. Seachem I have cut out when it started, to see if that started it but got worest as time went bye. Did not have it that first 4 or 5 months when I started. I have Eco-Complete Plant Substrate so I do not dose at this time. Maybe I should start redosing nitrogten, Potassium, Phosphorus.
Never has this problem with my full out planted 29gal.

tkfishgeek · 09-30-2009, 10:33 PM

CO2 is still up. Have done a 50% water change started adding trace, nitrogten, Potassium again at the right dose. Added a poly filter & phosguard a week a go & brown algea is still growing on the back wall & plants. Not as much on the plants as I can see now.
Do you all still think it could be a that HQI in a 90gal giving me 3.3wpg could be doing this?

tkfishgeek · 10-01-2009, 01:25 AM

Here are a few pictures of my tank & plats to help you all out on what im talking about.

Will update pictures again in a week to so how things are going.

Tsartetra · 10-01-2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkfishgeek

Here are a few pictures of my tank & plats to help you all out on what im talking about.

Will update pictures again in a week to so how things are going.

I just scrub it with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

However, if that is a dwarf lily in the above picture like I think it is, the bulb needs to be exposed. From experience and research, those are not to be completely buried. I just leave it laying on top of the substrate.

Rob in Puyallup · 10-02-2009, 04:24 PM

Try some nerite snails, some algae eating gobies, little food, partial water changes and not too much light.

I had brown algae, scrubbed the front and back of the tank, the critters took care of the algae on the plants.

I rarely add ferts and the plants are doing fine!

tkfishgeek · 10-03-2009, 04:06 AM

I feed 2 times a day if not 1 on most days. Very liittle. Just to keep my Discus feed. I would put in snails but my Angelicus Botia Loach will eat them im sure.. Gobie does sound good but will have to see if any can take the high temp? I'm around 81-83F.

**oldpunk78** · 10-03-2009, 04:18 PM

diatoms are really common for new tanks. i am currently in the middle of big bloom in my new low tech tank. try and manually remove as much as possible before you do your water changes. i would also recommend adding some otos and snails to help out. live and frozen foods seem to fuel the problem as well (at least for me.) you could also try try adding a diatom filter. building up your plant mass couldn't hurt either.

tkfishgeek · 10-07-2009, 03:47 PM

I did a good cleaning with a large water change. Waiting to see what happens. Also, thinking of getting some clams. Will be adding more plants in the next coming months. Do you think that clams will eat diatoms as the filter? I think the will. What do you think?

THaehn · 10-07-2009, 11:37 PM

Where would you get freshwater clams? I have zero experience with clams but I know they are filter feeders meaning they will suck in water, filter out what they want, and release the water. They will do nothing for the algae that is already on your glass and plants. They would probably be good for keeping your water crystal clear but not for removing the brown algae. But like I said before, I have zero experience with clams and have really heard nothing on this forum about them either. I am interested in what others will say about the matter.

Tado77 · 10-08-2009, 12:12 AM

I have this problem in my tank too. pH6.4 KH<1 GH<3 NO3<20 Ammonia,Nitrite=0 and the brown algea grow

. I try remove the lieaves with it. One thing what I did that put Amazon Sword in more dark place and the algea doesn't grow so quickly.

tkfishgeek · 10-08-2009, 01:29 AM

Tado, How old is your tank?

tkfishgeek · 10-08-2009, 01:42 AM

I was going to be getting a clam from eather liveaquaria of a local pet store. Local pet store has Mussel clams that eat some algea. NOT brown or hair algea. so... All i can think is a clam or a mussel will keep the tank cleaner so algea can not grow as easy or at all. Hard for other algea to grow when the tank is clean. But trying to see what other say before I do anything that can make things different but to hard. I have never seen a clam or a Mussel in a planted tank. There has to be a reason why. Maybe the the over clean. I do not know much at this point in my research.

tkfishgeek · 10-08-2009, 07:26 PM

Google, Yahoo & wikipedia has been a great help im my research for clams & mussel. I have found that mussel a type of clam. Mussel clams will filter out & eat diatom (brown algea) among other algeas' & bugs. I will get a clam, and some nerite snails next weekend & see what happens. Will keep all of you updated. Thank You for all your help & post.

09-19-2009, 01:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	Brown Algea I have a 90 gal. Planted tank that I have started about 7 months ago. Going bigger. The past 2 months I have had brown algea on just about all my plants & starting on the glass where I do not clean as good. It is getting harder to get rid of. PH 7.1, NO3 0, GH 5, KH 2,. I do weekly water changes of 30gal. with RO top off. Any idea on how to get fid of this bad brown algea?

10-03-2009, 04:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
oldpunk78 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (13/100%) Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: redding, ca Posts: 1,271	diatoms are really common for new tanks. i am currently in the middle of big bloom in my new low tech tank. try and manually remove as much as possible before you do your water changes. i would also recommend adding some otos and snails to help out. live and frozen foods seem to fuel the problem as well (at least for me.) you could also try try adding a diatom filter. building up your plant mass couldn't hurt either. __________________ 50g low tech journal 29g journal

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09-19-2009, 01:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
Matt724 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 26	I have the same thing. Either you don't have enough light, you have too much light, not enough co2, too much co2 or not enough potassium, or not enough nitrogen. Ino, its a b*tch to keep up with, which is why I don't =) Also, overdosing on ferts such as Seachem flourish gets the brown algae going, so refrain from overdosing on that stuff.

09-19-2009, 02:28 AM	#3 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	I have played with my CO2 but not much of a change that I have seen. I have 2x 150w HQI but that only puts me at 3.2 WPG at the hight that it as at I guess. Seachem I have cut out when it started, to see if that started it but got worest as time went bye. Did not have it that first 4 or 5 months when I started. I have Eco-Complete Plant Substrate so I do not dose at this time. Maybe I should start redosing nitrogten, Potassium, Phosphorus. Never has this problem with my full out planted 29gal.

09-30-2009, 10:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	CO2 is still up. Have done a 50% water change started adding trace, nitrogten, Potassium again at the right dose. Added a poly filter & phosguard a week a go & brown algea is still growing on the back wall & plants. Not as much on the plants as I can see now. Do you all still think it could be a that HQI in a 90gal giving me 3.3wpg could be doing this?

10-01-2009, 01:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	Here are a few pictures of my tank & plats to help you all out on what im talking about. Will update pictures again in a week to so how things are going.

10-02-2009, 04:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
Rob in Puyallup Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Puyallup, WA Posts: 141	Try some nerite snails, some algae eating gobies, little food, partial water changes and not too much light. I had brown algae, scrubbed the front and back of the tank, the critters took care of the algae on the plants. I rarely add ferts and the plants are doing fine!

10-03-2009, 04:06 AM	#8 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	I feed 2 times a day if not 1 on most days. Very liittle. Just to keep my Discus feed. I would put in snails but my Angelicus Botia Loach will eat them im sure.. Gobie does sound good but will have to see if any can take the high temp? I'm around 81-83F.

10-07-2009, 03:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	I did a good cleaning with a large water change. Waiting to see what happens. Also, thinking of getting some clams. Will be adding more plants in the next coming months. Do you think that clams will eat diatoms as the filter? I think the will. What do you think?

10-07-2009, 11:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
THaehn Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 44	Where would you get freshwater clams? I have zero experience with clams but I know they are filter feeders meaning they will suck in water, filter out what they want, and release the water. They will do nothing for the algae that is already on your glass and plants. They would probably be good for keeping your water crystal clear but not for removing the brown algae. But like I said before, I have zero experience with clams and have really heard nothing on this forum about them either. I am interested in what others will say about the matter.

10-08-2009, 12:12 AM	#12 (permalink)
Tado77 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Nottingham Posts: 27	I have this problem in my tank too. pH6.4 KH<1 GH<3 NO3<20 Ammonia,Nitrite=0 and the brown algea grow . I try remove the lieaves with it. One thing what I did that put Amazon Sword in more dark place and the algea doesn't grow so quickly.

10-08-2009, 01:29 AM	#13 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	Tado, How old is your tank?

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10-08-2009, 01:42 AM	#14 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	I was going to be getting a clam from eather liveaquaria of a local pet store. Local pet store has Mussel clams that eat some algea. NOT brown or hair algea. so... All i can think is a clam or a mussel will keep the tank cleaner so algea can not grow as easy or at all. Hard for other algea to grow when the tank is clean. But trying to see what other say before I do anything that can make things different but to hard. I have never seen a clam or a Mussel in a planted tank. There has to be a reason why. Maybe the the over clean. I do not know much at this point in my research.

10-08-2009, 07:26 PM	#15 (permalink)
tkfishgeek Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 49	Google, Yahoo & wikipedia has been a great help im my research for clams & mussel. I have found that mussel a type of clam. Mussel clams will filter out & eat diatom (brown algea) among other algeas' & bugs. I will get a clam, and some nerite snails next weekend & see what happens. Will keep all of you updated. Thank You for all your help & post.