Algae in my tank help

jlennon · 01-19-2012, 01:30 PM

I have a brown algae that has shown up in my tanks. I do not have co2 going on any tank as of right now I do however add a dose of flourish to my planted tanks @w/c. I have a 75, 10, and a 7 gallon planted tank that has this same issue. I believe it came from a lfs.
I have cut the light cycle down a 1/2 hour on the 75 and 10gallon.
The 75 has HE 67000k 28w that was on for 8 hours.
The 10 has a 60w that was on for 8 hours. The distance of the light has also been moved to a foot from the top of the tank.
The 7 gallon has a led light that is on about 8-9 hours.
Non of the tanks are near a window and there is a weekly 25% w/c.
Any input is great and I would like to stay away from chemicals.

scream-aim-fire · 01-19-2012, 01:35 PM

are they newly set up tanks?

brown algae isnt actually algae its actually diatoms, and usually shows up in tanks that have not been set up for very long. it usually goes away on its own over time. you can also get some oto's to put in your tank they will eat it.

BBradbury · 01-19-2012, 01:55 PM

Hello j...

Every tank runs differently, but I did the following to control my algae problem:

Large, weekly water changes. Removed and replaced a minimum of half the tank volume every week to remove excess nitrates and phosphates. These are a food source for algae.

During a large water change, with the water level low, I added Water wisteria, Water sprite and Pennywort. These are fast growing stems that will compete with algae for available tank nutrients.

Got some small, brown snails from the local fish store. They mulitply quickly and are second to none in algae consumption. If you feel like you're getting too many snails, then look into getting Loaches to control them.

I didn't change my lighting time. My tank plants are tropical and are used to long hours of light and need it for sustained growth.

Don't resort to the use of chemicals to control algae. They'll kill algae quickly, but the dead plants simply provide food for another algae bloom and chemicals can stress your fish.

These steps take time to work, so patience is good here.

Just a few thoughts to consider or not.

B

jlennon · 01-21-2012, 12:52 PM

Confirmed my issue is diatoms. I just moved and my water source has changed so it is like a new tank set up. So I will let it do it's thing and see where I am at in about a week or two.

shiloh · 01-17-2013, 12:11 PM

It will take care of itself but plenty of tank scavengers will eat it up if you want to go that route.

01-19-2012, 01:30 PM	#1
jlennon Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: somewhere Posts: 9	Algae in my tank help I have a brown algae that has shown up in my tanks. I do not have co2 going on any tank as of right now I do however add a dose of flourish to my planted tanks @w/c. I have a 75, 10, and a 7 gallon planted tank that has this same issue. I believe it came from a lfs. I have cut the light cycle down a 1/2 hour on the 75 and 10gallon. The 75 has HE 67000k 28w that was on for 8 hours. The 10 has a 60w that was on for 8 hours. The distance of the light has also been moved to a foot from the top of the tank. The 7 gallon has a led light that is on about 8-9 hours. Non of the tanks are near a window and there is a weekly 25% w/c. Any input is great and I would like to stay away from chemicals. Attached Thumbnails

01-19-2012, 01:35 PM	#2
scream-aim-fire Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (24/100%) Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: newnan, GA Posts: 515	are they newly set up tanks? brown algae isnt actually algae its actually diatoms, and usually shows up in tanks that have not been set up for very long. it usually goes away on its own over time. you can also get some oto's to put in your tank they will eat it. __________________ josh NIKON pimp #004 http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ta...nted-tank.html

01-19-2012, 01:55 PM	#3
BBradbury Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Greeley, CO Posts: 1,331	Algae Control Hello j... Every tank runs differently, but I did the following to control my algae problem: Large, weekly water changes. Removed and replaced a minimum of half the tank volume every week to remove excess nitrates and phosphates. These are a food source for algae. During a large water change, with the water level low, I added Water wisteria, Water sprite and Pennywort. These are fast growing stems that will compete with algae for available tank nutrients. Got some small, brown snails from the local fish store. They mulitply quickly and are second to none in algae consumption. If you feel like you're getting too many snails, then look into getting Loaches to control them. I didn't change my lighting time. My tank plants are tropical and are used to long hours of light and need it for sustained growth. Don't resort to the use of chemicals to control algae. They'll kill algae quickly, but the dead plants simply provide food for another algae bloom and chemicals can stress your fish. These steps take time to work, so patience is good here. Just a few thoughts to consider or not. B __________________ "Aquarium (Water Building) Keeper"

01-17-2013, 12:11 PM	#5
shiloh Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 189	It will take care of itself but plenty of tank scavengers will eat it up if you want to go that route. __________________ -John 40B Community Journal

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01-21-2012, 12:52 PM	#4
jlennon Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: somewhere Posts: 9	Confirmed my issue is diatoms. I just moved and my water source has changed so it is like a new tank set up. So I will let it do it's thing and see where I am at in about a week or two.