Brown Algea? Why?

[aly_starh]

hi, i have recently set-up a betta sorority.

The tank is 65L and has 5 females in it. To cycle the filter i used mature media and it established well before it went into this tank.

I only have silk plants in the tank, and the light is on for about 8 hours a day, well when i remember to switch the light on, that is.

The silk plants are covered in brown algea, why is this? I change the water once a week of about 20%.

 

[WILDER]

Even though you used mature filter sponges the rest of the tank needs to mature.
it will soon vanish as the tanks matures.

 

[spectrum]

Agreed with wilder, however silk plants won't be helping (Not doing harm, merely not helping) Have you considered real plants? Even easy to keep ones such as Java fern look good and make a great addition to the tank. Plants will use up nitrates and other nutrients which will starve the algae of nutrients, in essence the algae in the aquarium is doing the same thing as the plants would, but the plants would basically steal the things the algae needs to survive.