Brown Stuff On Leaves

[rick_wolves]

Hi,

i seem to have brown stuff which is confined to the leaves of certain plants only, it is not stringy, just flat brown patches on leaf surfaces. I think it is algae?

My tank is moderately planted, and has CO2 and T5 lighting, 260litres. The water parameters, checked today are - nitrite 0, ammonia 0, nitrate 10ppm, phosphate 0.03, ph 7.6. lighting usually left on for 12 hours.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to get rid of it...
I have 2 siamese algae eating fish in there, but no other algae eating fish.
would adding other algae eating fish like plecs help? would they eat the leaves?
or is there any meds i can get to remove it.

 

[rick_wolves]

Hi,

i seem to have brown stuff which is confined to the leaves of certain plants only, it is not stringy, just flat brown patches on leaf surfaces. I think it is algae?

My tank is moderately planted, and has CO2 and T5 lighting, 260litres. The water parameters, checked today are - nitrite 0, ammonia 0, nitrate 10ppm, phosphate 0.03, ph 7.6. lighting usually left on for 12 hours.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to get rid of it...
I have 2 siamese algae eating fish in there, but no other algae eating fish.
would adding other algae eating fish like plecs help? would they eat the leaves?
or is there any meds i can get to remove it.

the plant that most of it seems to be on is anubias.

can anyone please help me?

 

[ian]

Have a look through this... http/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

sounds a bit like diatoms to me. I would probably cut you lighting down though, 8-10 hours would be better. Is it a newish tank?

 

[rick_wolves]

Have a look through this... http/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

sounds a bit like diatoms to me. I would probably cut you lighting down though, 8-10 hours would be better. Is it a newish tank?

yeh the tank is around 7 weeks old now, coming up to two months.

 

[MermaidMel]

Have a look through this... http/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

sounds a bit like diatoms to me. I would probably cut you lighting down though, 8-10 hours would be better. Is it a newish tank?

yeh the tank is around 7 weeks old now, coming up to two months.

lights off for 2 days with a couple of otocinclus in the tank, or if you have any plecs it will get eaten off with the lights off

 

[Truck]

It's an ammonia problem, increase water circulation and limit lighting to 6 hours, do 50% water changes weekly for a few weeks and it'll go on its own.

 

[rick_wolves]

It's an ammonia problem, increase water circulation and limit lighting to 6 hours, do 50% water changes weekly for a few weeks and it'll go on its own.

i don't think its an ammonia problem, all my fish are fine and my ammonia and nitrite readings are coming up as 0.

 

[Truck]

Your ammonia test kits aren't very accurate and they cannot pick up trace readings, ammonia is always the culprit of brown algae.

 

[rick_wolves]

ok, thanks for the advice, ill try 50% water changes and adding a couple of oto's in too, see if that helps.

 

[blackers92]

Well I cut back from 11 hours lighting a day to 8 and added 2 siamese algae eaters and my plants are practically glowing

im so impressed with the little guys, as soon as I put them in my tank they went to work. so efficient

 

[rick_wolves]

Well I cut back from 11 hours lighting a day to 8 and added 2 siamese algae eaters and my plants are practically glowing

im so impressed with the little guys, as soon as I put them in my tank they went to work. so efficient

I already have 2 siamese algae eaters! : ( but it's a pretty big tank. im thinking about gettin 4 oto's, and seeing if that makes a difference. they're pretty cute fish too, and small, so wont have to change my stocking plans too much.

Also going to add some more plants to tank - u think that will help out compete the algae?!