Bown Algae Consuming New Tank

[Ragtagcurtis]

Hey guys.

I finished cycling my tank at the end of april and have had it set up as a malawi tank for a month now. Over the last week or so I've noticed large amounts of brown algae start to cover the rocks.
My water chemistry seems fine, 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 20-40 Nitrate.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[colleen0309]

Does it come off easily? Pretty sure it is diatom algea. Unsightly, but no problem. Wash it off. Most new setups have this problem and it usually corrects itself.

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

Does it come off easily? Pretty sure it is diatom algea. Unsightly, but no problem. Wash it off. Most new setups have this problem and it usually corrects itself.

Yes can just rinse it off without problems, however it just builds up again within 48 hours.

 

[StandbySetting]

It's a result of the fluctuating ammonia levels during your cycle, cut you lighting hours, aim to have them on for no longer than 6 hours a day and increase your circulation.

 

[Caprichoso]

It will go away. I had mine for about 4 weeks, Unfortunately, I had lots of plants so I was having to rub it off the leaves as it was choking out a few plants. I've also heard that you can do a tank black out for 3 days but haven't tried this personally. I just limited my light to 6 hours and then suddenly around the 4th week, it literally died overnight. My gourami, shrimp and platy's went crazy eating the dead bits up!

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

It's a result of the fluctuating ammonia levels during your cycle, cut you lighting hours, aim to have them on for no longer than 6 hours a day and increase your circulation.

This is what worries me. I only have the lights on for about 5 hours a day anyway. An hour before work an then maybe 6 - 10 at night. I also have no plants in the tank as it's a malawi set up...

 

[Caprichoso]

It's a result of the fluctuating ammonia levels during your cycle, cut you lighting hours, aim to have them on for no longer than 6 hours a day and increase your circulation.

This is what worries me. I only have the lights on for about 5 hours a day anyway. An hour before work an then maybe 6 - 10 at night. I also have no plants in the tank as it's a malawi set up...

You can have very slight ammonia that doesn't show up on a standard test kit but it is enough to cause diatoms. Really don't worry about it, just continue testing the water and do regular water changes. It will sort itself out.

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

Hope its not ammonia. So I really should just leave it and hopefully it will go?

 

[StandbySetting]

The cause is always ammonia - trace levels which are not measurable, which is why it is common in new tanks as this trace level of ammonia is constantly fluctuating, increasing circulation will help, as dead spots where ammonia stagnates cause algae.

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

The cause is always ammonia - trace levels which are not measurable, which is why it is common in new tanks as this trace level of ammonia is constantly fluctuating, increasing circulation will help, as dead spots where ammonia stagnates cause algae.

How do I increase the circulation as you say? Are my fish in danger?

 

[Geoff-]

I had diatoms come up a couple of months after setting up my 90L, which was seeded from the old filter I was using in a 20L. Definitely not a cycling issue, it seems to just be a stage that many tanks go through at some point in their maturation. Some people say too much light, some people say too little light. Some say it's silicates leaching out from the substrate (especially sand) but I think that's rubbish. Sand is inert, if silicates were a problem they would also be leaching out of the tank glass! I think it's just a phase that tanks go through.

I added siamese algae eaters which quickly scrubbed the algae off my plants. Use a kitchen wipe (here in Australia we have one called Chux superwipes which are very easy to use and clean - Click). Makes short work of algae and WAY easier than scrubbing it off with my fingernail!! I have avoided the magnetic cleaners so far they seem like more hassle than they're worth.

 

[StandbySetting]

I had diatoms come up a couple of months after setting up my 90L, which was seeded from the old filter I was using in a 20L. Definitely not a cycling issue, it seems to just be a stage that many tanks go through at some point in their maturation. Some people say too much light, some people say too little light. Some say it's silicates leaching out from the substrate (especially sand) but I think that's rubbish. Sand is inert, if silicates were a problem they would also be leaching out of the tank glass! I think it's just a phase that tanks go through.

It is a cycling issue, it occurs whenever ammonia fluctuates and if the aquarium lights are on during the cycle then you'll get algae, even after the cycle trace ammonia levels are unstable, ammonia+light=algae. Silicates can be leached by Silicone, but silicates don't cause diatoms, they simply sustain them, as the diatoms use the silicates to form their cell walls.

To increase circulation you could add a circulation pump or powerhead, diatoms generally occur in places where there are dead spots and trace levels of ammonia stagnates.