Brown Algae And Fin Rot

[palgrave]

hey there,

just like to ask 2 questions, perhaps some knowledgeable person out there can answer for me :

1.) in a new tank that has not yet been fully cycled, brown algae is common (i believe), does it usually go away on its own after the tank has been established for a while?

2.) does fin rot kill fish? if so, how long does it take for a fish to snuff it?

thanks.

 

[rdd1952]

1) Yes, it will eventually go away. Brown algae is actually diatoms that feed off the silica released by the silicone that seals the joints in the tank. Once all the silica has been leeched out, the diatoms will no longer have food and it will go away.

2) It can but I'm not certain what the time frame is. Most all diseases are caused (or triggered) by bad water parameters. Since your tank is still cycling, I'm assuming that you still have ammonia and nitrite present. Water changes are your best friend. Try to keep the toxin levels below .25 ppm until they finally drop back to 0. Contrary to popular belief, that does not slow the cycling process and may actually speed it a little. Also, water changes will help dilute the silica in the water and help with the brown algae problem too.

 

[palgrave]

many thanks

 

[deucebrennan]

I have brown algae in my new Jewel vision 180. I used some aquarium silicone to stick a textured background on and have left the tank to cycle for a week! i was feeding it during this time and after a week i introduced 2 comets. I then added about 15 plants and some java moss. I also added a DIY CO2 reactor and generator, but i havent got a test kit yet. The bubbles are coming out at a fast rate! Within 2 days i have brown algae over the larger leaf plants and now it has spread to the others! I added a Pleque as i was told they eat algae but he seems to eat thru the affected leaves. i leave the lights on for about 12 hours a day. They are the standard t5 lamps that come in the new Vision 180's. The tank is near a window and only a small corner of the tank gets direct sun for a few hours!

Is this brown algae going to go away when the silicon stuff has been consumed or will it thrive in these conditions? Just dont want it to wipe out £40.00 worth of plants!