Is it brown algae

[Clufish]

Recently i've noticed brown stains on the gravel in my tank. Is this brown algae?
Does anyone know if this will go because it makes my tank dirty looking.

 

[Bear]

I posted this exact same question yesterday - let me bump it up for you.

 

[manddave]

It could be brown algae, but I only ever get brown algae on the glass, not the substrate.


I bought four little bristlenose plecos and they cleaned the algae overnight. The tank is now spotless!

HTH

 

[Eelzor]

Hey Clufish, your member Number 4000! Congratz!

 

[Lateral Line]

Brown "algae" is almost always in fact composed of diatoms, not algae. It is usually indicative of low lighting, but commonly forms a bloom for a while in newly set up tanks. Many "algae" eating fish will eat this stuff as well. It can form on anything, not just the glass.