# Trying to grow a little brown algae...



## ^iMp^ (Oct 12, 2003)

Hello all,

I'd like to grow some brown algae for my butterfly loach to feast upon. The thing is, I only want brown algae to flourish. Currently, brown algae is doing fairly well in the tank, but I am seeing a trend in bga taking over the areas where the brown algae used to flourish (at least thats what I think it is). 

Any suggestions?


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## zhima (Dec 23, 2003)

I think brown algae grows under low light, or do u mean hair algae?
I had a 5 gallon quarantine/breeding tank without light, it's a bare tank using aquaclear filter and a small heater. It only has 2 fish inside, and I feed them blood worms without water change for about month, and brown algae start to stride.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

i put in a plain phillips cool daylight tube, and where it falls the brown stuff grows...


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## ^iMp^ (Oct 12, 2003)

I thought brown algae tends to flourish in newer tanks and then slowly fades away as the tank ages, no? So far, I haven't had too much trouble keeping my loach content in my month-old tank. I am concerned that my tank won't be able to support brown algae long term.

Note that this tank has many plants (and some other algae) competing for nutrients. Is there any one nutrient that causes brown algae to grow over other types of algae?

^iMp^


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

My brown algae after a week dissapeared overnight after fertilising the first time.

Still have green and hair varieties.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Why not just keep a clean tank and feed the algae wafers ?


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

i am trying to grow brown algae in alot of my tanks caz i have so many algae eating snails that they ain't getting enough food. I don't want a mass die off. In my planted tank all i got is alot of hair algae. Darn it.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

You can feed the snails as well :wink:


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## Zurp (Sep 27, 2003)

Have you tried dumping a full can of fish food in the tank, then letting the filter clog? My little sister does that at least once a year.

Are you talking about the thin stuff that grows all over grass, or the puffy stuff that grows on decaying plants? Like at the pet store.


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## Zurp (Sep 27, 2003)

Buck, do you use wood from around here in your tanks?


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## Ace (Dec 10, 2003)

You can try feed loads of Sera Stick On Food since when you stick in into the water, small pieces will hit the ground causing algae to grow all over the place they drop.(This is the stupid food that cause blue algae all over my riccia.. :evil: :evil:


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Brown algae are usually associated with low light conditions. Certainly feeding algae wafers is a more elegant way of solving your problem. However, I found a way to produce brown algae by using a "warm-white" bulb (color temp ~ 2700K).


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

wierd, i will just let the sun hit the tank and i will have some type of algae. lol


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

agree with wasserpest, had similar results,


btw, why do you have a german nic but sound like a frenchman?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Not sure about the frenchman stuff... but I am glad you can't 'ear me talkin'. No Queens English here :lol:


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## ^iMp^ (Oct 12, 2003)

I read somewhere that hillstream loaches do best (long term) on a diet consisting of brown algaes. I've tried various wafers and stick-ons, but the loach won't touch them. It avoids them like obstacles while polishing the glass and/or rocks.

So far I haven't had any trouble keeping brown algae flourishing in the tank. Its not out of control, but there is certainly enough for the loach and snails to feast upon. It grows on the rockwork and glass, but seems to avoid the plants. I guess it looks like green spot algae, but it is brown and doesn't necessarily grow in patches.

The tank has a decent current, high lighting (3 wpg over shallow water), and a cool temperature (65 F). Perhaps the algae flourishes at cooler temperatures?

I posted this question because I am concerned that this algae will die off, leaving the tank open to BGA invasion. I've noticed a slow and steady trend to this effect--more green, less brown. I hope to prevent the take-over for the sake of my plants and loach.

Do different algaes flourish with different excess nutrients? For example, will one algae flourish if nitrates are in excess but fair poorly if nitrates are lacking but only light is in abundance?

^iMp^


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