New Tank - Brown Algae?

[leecasey]

Hi guys, my tanks been filled for around a week. I have nothing in there apart from wood, stone and ADA amazonia.

My wood started to form a white "fuzz" on it, which I did smoe research on and it seems natural for that to happen.

Now I'm started to get some brown fuzz which looks like brown algae?

I havent had my lights on much, didnt think I needed to as I have no plants in there yet. But I've since read lack of light will cause brown algae?

Any tips on how I can be rid of it before it takes hold? Medication maybe seeing as I dont have any plants or fish in there yet? but would be good to know the true cause so I can prevent it.

Thanks, heres a pic:

[Diana]

That dirty hairy stuff does not look like diatoms, but it could be some form of algae or fungus with diatoms or other stuff stuck in it, or an algae that just looks brown. Diatoms are individual cells that grow stuck flat on surfaces. They do not have enough structure to grow into hairy things like that.

With no plants turn off the light.
If the room light is really bright the diatoms might grow, they seem to get by on less light than most other algae, but not zero light.
Diatoms need silica to form their bodies. If you can remove the diatoms then you are removing the silica, and eventually they will die out.

The white fungus-goo should be cleaned off occasionally. It is not really harming things, but it can get out of hand.

Is the substrate still cycling, still producing ammonia? Allow some ammonia to be present, it is helping you to grow nitrifying bacteria just like the fishless cycle.

I would remove the wood and scrub it clean, perhaps once a week or so.

Do not use anything to kill it, you may harm the growing beneficial bacteria.