[gabloo]

I might be in wrong place. I had a low tech planted tank till i got some small discus. I end up removing all the plants and went Bare button tank for about couple months now. I am facing with huge brown algae problem. It was covering my whole tank buttom and starting to get worst. what should i do?

Thanks

 

[firefiend]

Add a couple apple snails and otos... keep up water changes. And most important... be patient.

 

[jmowbray]

It could be diatoms in which they use silica suspended in the water to make there "house." If you just leave it it will go away or you can get a few oto. cats but you must have a plan for then when they are finished cleaning it up. As they will make short work of it and then starve do to lack of food.

Can you post a picture?

 

[AshleyMac]

I agree with the ottos. I had the same issue awhile ago and I picked up a two for my tank - they had allll of the glass cleaned within a few hours. I now feed them blanched zucchini twice a week and they have been going strong for a few months now. They are actually quite fun to watch.

 

[gabloo]

I do water change almost everyday. I recently purchased albino pleco go take care of the cleaning, will he do the job? I don't wanna to get some ottos since i heard ottos love to attach discus.

 

[jmowbray]

Otos will not harm fish they only eat diatom algae, I don't know where you read that they would attach to discus. My otos are so scared of other fish they only come out and clean the glass at night. Mabe you thinking of something different.... Even if they do I doubt it would hurt the fish.

Doing a WC everyday is WAY over kill. You are likely making everything worse b/c your tank cant adjust before you do another WC. If you are EI dosing you can do a WC once a week, most people go two weeks, some months. you have to be the judge of your system.

 

[JustJen]

For what it's worth, I had to remove my 2 otos from my betta tank because they were attaching to him and chasing him incessently. I've never seen otos do that before, or since, but they tormented that poor betta relentlessly. In my larger planted tanks, I've never seen any issue but they did not work in the moderately planted betta tank at all! Even in those big tanks, they are anything but shy. They're some of the more active fish in my tank. I had a couple in one tank that would school with the black neons! lol!

 

[gabloo]

so what is the main reason for brown algae

 

[jmowbray]

Diatioms are small microinverts. (I believe) that use silica found in the water to biuld their house. Their house or shell is what you are seeing as the brown "algae".

 

[jmowbray]

Even in those big tanks, they are anything but shy. They're some of the more active fish in my tank. I had a couple in one tank that would school with the black neons! lol!

My guys hide all day and rarely can be seen at night. Somtimes when the lights come on in the morning they are on the front glass but go into hidding as soon as they get hit with the light. I which they would stay out as they are one of the most interesting fish I have kept.

 

[AshleyMac]

Are you guys sure that you had ottos attaching to fish. That sounds more like a Siamese Algae Eater, which look very similar when they are young.