New To Planted Tanks, Some Advice Please.

[Peteinhull]

Hi all,

I am new to planted tanks. I have a course sand substrate and have planted the following 5 plants:

1 x Echinodorus Bleheri,
1 x Lobelia Cardinalis,
1 x Anubias Frazeri and
2 x Acorus Gramineus Pusilles.

I seem to small brown spots or blotches on the broad leaf plants and wondered what this is? Is it something I can remedy or is it normal?

Here are some pictures of the plants that are affected:

My pH level is 7.6 and the rest or the levels are within parameters.

I spoke to my local LFS and they sold me MICROBE-LIFT/Bloom & Grow and I have dosed the tank twice in the last week. Do I need to do anything else?

You help, as always, is greatly appreciated.

 

[mike455555]

it looks like diatoms algae to me but i could be wrong...

 

[KittyKat]

It is diatoms. My solution is to manually clean them off everything, then to do a large water change, repeating this maybe 2-3 times. They may be a sign of ammonia, so check your readings!

 

[mike455555]

if its a new tank it could just be because of the cycle. sometimes it pass's
if not you could also get some otos in there (they love the stuff). but buying a fish is not the way to deal with the situation find the where its coming from and fix it

 

[Peteinhull]

find the where its coming from and fix it

So how do I do that?

 

[mike455555]

is it a new tank set up?. and i dont know sorry. read up about the algae.

 

[Peteinhull]

is it a new tank set up?. and i dont know sorry. read up about the algae.

Yes it's a fairly new set up, certainly less than 2 months. I found the following advice on the http/www.aquascapingworld.com website:

Algae Profile
Scientific Name: Brown Diatom Algae
Common Name: Brown Diatom Algae
Difficulty to Remove: Very Easy
Potential Causes: New Tank Setup
Characteristics: Brown Patches/Spots
Algae Removal Procedure: Combination of Methods

Description
Brown Diatoms are very common in first two – four weeks of a new planted aquarium. It is one of the easiest to remove and keep away. Despite being called an alga by many hobbyists, Brown Diatoms are actually just diatoms, single-celled exoskeletons. These diatoms settle on aquarium glass, hardscape, and substrate surfaces, forming a light brown “dust” or layer which is fairly easy to remove by wiping.

Brown Diatoms usually appear when an newly setup aquarium has finished the nitrogen cycle process, low amounts of light, excess silica/silicates from tap water sources, excess nitrates, and/or poor aquarium maintenance. Diatoms appear especially when there are excess silicates and excess phosphates in the aquarium, which favors diatoms over other types of “lower” alga such as blue-green/slime algae or cyanobacteria. If conditions are left unresolved, other types of algae may begin to develop.

Removal Tips

Manual Removal

While doing a water change, wipe aquarium glass, and clean out filters. Brown diatom algae are easily removed with a paper towel or soft sponge.

Adjusting Photoperiod

Brown Diatom algae do well in low light conditions. Increasing the photoperiod gradually will prevent the diatoms from taking a foothold in your aquarium. Do not exceed 10-12 hours a day as these conditions will favor diatoms as well.

Chemical Removal

There are chemical products (such as Algone) that will neutralize silicates and phosphates. However typically you do not need to employ these methods since Brown Diatoms will disappear after cleaning and regular water changes.

Nutrients and Circulation

Reduce amount of nitrogen sources including fertilizers and fish food. In addition, if you have a heavily silicate composition in your tap water, if available, Reverse Osmosis (RO) system will prevent silicate and phosphates from entering the aquarium. There is aquarium equipment called Diatom filters which also help remove diatoms from your aquarium.

Fauna

Snails and Otocinclus affinis are very good diatom eaters. However you’ll need several of each to combat a heavily diatom infested aquarium. Best to use these fauna as a preventative measure rather than a solution to brown diatoms.

Prevention

In many cases, brown diatoms are an unavoidable regular occurrence for a new planted aquarium. However, performing regular water changes, and filter changes will keep brown diatoms from infecting your tank. In addition, plant your tank heavily with plants to help absorb any excess nutrients. If you tank does happen to become infected, remember once you have it, you usually don’t get it twice.



Thought I'd post it all in case anyone else is having the same issue.

 

[KittyKat]

Sientific name should be "various, many species can be found in home aquaria".

Some additions from my personal experience:
* I have had it in low light (natural indirect sunlight for 2-3 hours per day) and high light (2+ wpg)
* …in 0 ppm nitrate tanks and 100 ppm nitrate (the latter just post cycling)
* …in heavily planted tanks and in almost bare tanks

The only thing which has been consistent between all of the tanks I have had any signs of diatoms in is that they were all new tanks with trace ammonia. Once they take a hold in a tank, it can take up to a few months to remove them, but I have not tried any chemical methods for removal.