Brown Algae

[Chri$]

My 20g currently has brown algae growing everywhere, i've had this problem for about a month now.

The tank is quite well planted and is currently running at 2wpg. I have tried increasing the lighting but that only made matters worse!

Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Callum]

how long has the tank been set up?

 

[Chri$]

The tank has been up and running for around 3 months.

 

[Rodders]

I got it in my tank for over a year now. I cant get rid of it at all!!!

Tried everything, lights out, ottos etc...

 

[nadajdui]

Yeah, I have lots of it, too. Only thing you can really do I think is scrape it off. It's what I do.

 

[Chri$]

I got it in my tank for over a year now. I cant get rid of it at all!!!

Tried everything, lights out, ottos etc...

I know how you feel. Even though i've only just started having problems with this tank, i had the same problem with my old 15g.

I don't know whether adding more fast growers will help? Surley it should.

 

[nadajdui]

If you want to add more fast growers I would reccomend Cabomba. Excellent stuff, but be warned it does grow really fast lol.

 

[Chri$]

If you want to add more fast growers I would reccomend Cabomba. Excellent stuff, but be warned it does grow really fast lol.

Thanks nadajdui

Don't suppose you could reccomend a fast growing floating plant?

 

[walker001]

What temperature is your tank kept at. I used to have a constant battle with brown algae. My ottos kept if in check mostly, but when I noticed that my tank was staying around 80-82 degrees constant and I turned it down to 76, after a week, the algae went away. Can't guarantee that was the reason, but its worth a shot if your tank is on the warm side.

 

[nadajdui]

Hmm, fast growing floating plants...why don't you check this site out:

http/www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.p...amp;filter_by=5

Great site in general, lots of good info.

 

[Chri$]

What temperature is your tank kept at. I used to have a constant battle with brown algae. My ottos kept if in check mostly, but when I noticed that my tank was staying around 80-82 degrees constant and I turned it down to 76, after a week, the algae went away. Can't guarantee that was the reason, but its worth a shot if your tank is on the warm side.

THanks for the advice My tank is kept at 76, so i don't really want to tun it down futher.

Hmm, fast growing floating plants...why don't you check this site out:

http/www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.p...amp;filter_by=5

Great site in general, lots of good info.

Thanks for the link, will have a look

 

[TammyLiz]

A good fast growing floating plant is hornwort. I see it is on the list in that link. It grows like crazy in my tanks, even in low light, but be careful that it doesn't block out too much of the light in the lower portion of the tank.

EDIT:
Be warned: it can use up so many of the nutrients that it can deprive the other plants. I've even seen it deprive itself and defoliate all at once. Regular water changes are in order to make sure this doesn't happen.

 

[Teelie]

I've got the diatoms in my newly set up shell dweller tank. Made my nice white sand and clean glass look dirty. It usually goes away on its own but I'm still trying to remove it myself. Plants do work best but unfortunately I seem to have a knack for killing plants off.

 

[Chri$]

A good fast growing floating plant is hornwort. I see it is on the list in that link. It grows like crazy in my tanks, even in low light, but be careful that it doesn't block out too much of the light in the lower portion of the tank.

EDIT:
Be warned: it can use up so many of the nutrients that it can deprive the other plants. I've even seen it deprive itself and defoliate all at once. Regular water changes are in order to make sure this doesn't happen.

Thanks for the reply
I did have some hornwort before but it kept on catching other plants and uprooting them. But now everythings settled in i think i might give it another shot. Thinking back the algae problem has gotten worse after i removed it.

I've got the diatoms in my newly set up shell dweller tank. Made my nice white sand and clean glass look dirty. It usually goes away on its own but I'm still trying to remove it myself. Plants do work best but unfortunately I seem to have a knack for killing plants off.

Aren't that succesful with plants myself

I'm sure perservierance is the key to success

 

[Teelie]

So far I've succeeded at growing various types of algae and Java Moss. The moss was a surprise because I didn't think it'd last very long and instead seems to be flourishing now. I even found a few strands in another tank that somehow transported with some other plants (which did not survive, of course).

I may try to grow some in my shellie tank and see how well it works. I could use some plant life in there.