I have brown algae that grows on all my plant leaves. 75 gallon dual t5ho light, no co2, dosing excel daily, 13W UV sterilizer. The algae comes off fairly easily with a shake almost like it's just dirt. What is this and how do I get rid of it? Algae free plantsI just put in 2 days ago are now showing sings of it.
Brown algae on plants
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You mostly likely have diatoms, this happens commonly with newly setup aquariums. It usually goes away on its own after a while. There are many different ways on how to get rid of it. Seachem's phosguard could work for you to remove excess silicate in the aquarium. Which make the diatom thrive. Not enough water flow through the aquarium could also be the problem. This is what fixed my issue.
the tank has been setup over 2 years. I am running a sump with a pump that flows 350 GPH through a spraybar at the top, an emporer 280, and the UV sterilizer flows 211 GPH through the back center of the tank. Do I need more flow than that? I've got a power head laying around I can throw in there
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You should post a picture as it would help tremendously.
If this is a mature tank then the reason is most likely light levels. How long do you run your light for? With no co2, having too high of light or light on too long can easily lead to diatom formation. I've even heard too little of light can cause it but with you have two T5HO bulbs I doubt that is the case. This can be simply fixed by adjusting light levels. What is the wattage on your lights? If you are in the med to high light levels then try lowering the time you have your lights on for around 8 hours per day. You should see the problem will correct itself within a week or two almost completely if this is the case.
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