[Featherfin]

I'm sure y'all will think this is a no brainer, but I'll just give you my stats so I can be sure..

(Obviously, I want to be 100% before I buy new lights)


1. All of my plants (anacharis, moneywort, wisteria, and more) are covered in borwn algae.
2. It's a 10gal tank with two 20 watt daylight/actinic blue bulbs.
3. I use fert tabs, eco-complete substrate, and laterite.
4. I've recently cut back on feeding to every other day to see if that would help. I use frozen bloodworms, and I hand feed them with a toothpick to make sure nothing just gets left on the floor in there.


Technically, I should have enough lights, because thats 20 watts in daylight light and 20 watts in actinic blue. Maybe the blue makes the algae grow?


Some of the plants have holes in the leaves, too. Not pinholes, but asymmetrical spots near the edges. I think hair algae (long, dark, widely-spaced apart stemmy thing) is growing out of where the plants are dying from the brown algae. But I have no idea.



Advice grrrrrreatly appreciated.

 

[KDahlin]

Why are you using actinic blue?

 

[Featherfin]

misinformation from local fish store. the told me it was better for the fish. :icon_neut

 

[Galactic Doug]

misinformation from local fish store. the told me it was better for the fish. :icon_neut

And now you know better huh?

Get rid of that bulb and get a 10,000k or at least 6700k bulb same watts MINIMUM. Though your better off with 40 watts or even 60 using a double light fixture to get the 40watts.

As for the algae just purchase about 6-10 little fishes called "Otocinclus"(see link below) from a local store for as cheap as you can get them. (make an offer cause your buying several they usually take it if they want the sale). They eat brown algae like it's going out of style and keep on eating it without terrorizing the plants at all.

What other types of fish do you have anything that might make a meal of smaller fishes? If you do have mean fish in there then the Otto's might be a bad idea.
http://www.otocinclus.com/

Doug

 

[Featherfin]

nope. nothing that'll eat them. I do need to get the rapacious baby synodontis out of there. hes actually why i bought the 75 gal. In good time...


thank you all so much!!!

 

[Betowess]

Do you have CO2. Because anything much over 2.5 watts per gallon without CO2 makes algae much more probable. And is it a newish tank? Diatoms are typical in the first month of a new tank. Lots of plants, or just a few? Got to have a lot to beat algae IME.

 

[GazK]

I have the same problem with this brown/black algae all over the leaves
The leaves start of well nice and green and healthy after a few weeks they
start to get the covering until they are completely covered.
My tank has been up and running for 2 years now and still getting the problems.

Tank Details
190L tank (but probably about 160L water in the tank with substrate, wood etc)
2 x 55W AH Supply Bright Kit
JBL CO2

All water parameters are within what is recommended and I'm dosing as the EI
recommendations.

Plants are growing really well but always had this problem

I have an internal filter (because it was built in when I got the tank) and am using carbon sponge along with course and fine sponges. Someone mentioned that you shouldn't use carbin filters in a planted tank ? Anyone have any views on this.

I do know the phosphate content of my water supply is sky high
It's well off the scale of the test kits and I've checked with my local
water company and this is in line with what they put in the supply

Please help