Brown Algea (maybe) on tank and ornaments

aunt kymmie

I also have the same problem! It started once I added my new compact florescent lighting. My plants are doing wonderfully (now) but so is the brown algae. I can easily scrub it off the glass but it's also all over my driftwood. I do not have any algae eating inhabitants so I may have to add some.

projectcam95

Yeah its easy to scrub off . I'm worried about the gravel not the glass or ornaments. I don't want to have to remove the gravel and clean it.

bigk_54

Glad to know Im not the only one with this problem! I agree though, mine too has seem to have started about 3 weeks after I put my light on my tank! I have a pleco and he seems to go nuts a night on the glass but that about it.

aunt kymmie

Yes, it's a total drag. It comes off the glass/acrylic easy enough but the algae on the plants is a pain in the butt to gently try to wipe off. Hopefully my plants will begin to do a better job off competing for nutrients with the algae. The new lighting is helping the plant growth take off so maybe in a few weeks the algae will DIE!!

kjjb0204

Glad to see there are others out there. Came here today looking for info on the sudden brown algae I'm seeing on the glass, ornaments and gravel since I put on my new 20w flourescent hood. Hoping it's just taking some time for the tank to adjust to the new lighting and will cure itself in a few weeks.

flight50

all part of a new setup. give the tank time to establish. algae comes in many forms and they all take nutrients from the water column. especially if it has nothing to compete with. you could reduce your light but if you alter anything else while the tank is cycling, you could disturb the establishment process. its best to just let nature run its course and wait it out. mine started on the front glass, then my driftwood and then all other surfaces of my glass. i think its cool to let it grow. when my cycle is done, i will moderately-heavily plant it. what algae still remains, will be controlled by otos and shrimp after the plants are established.

bigk_54

OK I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS !@#$ !!!!!!!! It really seams to be getting worse! Tried cutting my light time WAY back. Scrub tank weekly and change out about 15 gal. WHAT DO I DO!!!!!

WisFish

How many watts of light are you using? How often do you do the water changes? and how much water do you change? Any real plants in the tank? I'm assuming not. Any fish that eat algae? The only time I've seen brown algae in my tank was when I didn't change the water often enough and I didn't have enough watts of light. For a 15gal tank you should have at least 25watts of light for 10-12 hours a day.

MBilyeu

I have this same problem. My tank hasn't cycled, and I am told that it will go away once my tank cycles, so I am waiting for that to happen. I use to clean it off the glass and pull out the ornaments to gently scrub it off of them, but within a day or two it would be back. Now I am just leaving it alone, and hoping it will go away in time.

bigk_54

HOLY GEEWILLICAS ITS GOTTEN HORRID!!!! Don't know if the 2 are related but I will start with the first set of ?'s by WisFish

Once a week change water, roughly 15 gallon. Think I have like 100w of light and yes I have real plants, a melon sword, corkscrew villarisna, Ludwigia and a moneywort (last 3 added in last week) I also have 4 cory cats and a pleco.

Now........Today something has gone MAJORLY WRONG! I have lost 16 fish since around 10 oclock today, they just keep dying left and right!

My plants seem to grow great and then some of the leaves turn brown (such as the brown algea color). This whole brown stuff in tank started before I added plants. Plants grow new spirts and they are nice and colorful but fade in about a week

Check tank today NitRATE 5 NitRITE 0 PH 8.2 (always that) Ammonia 0