# Algae or "Biofilm"?



## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

biofilm. get some shrimp


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

The brown stuff is diatoms. Your tank will most likely go through different kinds of algae as it matures. Diatoms come first. My low tech tanks took up to a year to go through what I like to call the new tank algae cycle. Make sure your lights are not kept on in excess, keep up on weekly water changes, keep the glass clean. Amano shrimp and Nerita snails are awesome helpers at this stage. Your tank looks packed with plants which is good. Some plants will adjust to your conditions and thrive, some may not. If anything dies out, replace it. Plants compete with algae and will help.


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## GreenWild (Aug 24, 2016)

Thanks, Jacklyn!

Bump: Thanks for the help!


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## myswtsins (Nov 1, 2008)

I vote for all the above and then some.  Definitely diatoms - will go away on their own. Certainly bio-film - shrimp love it. Maybe some fuzz algae - one of the better algae types, shrimp love it. And on the wood is probably wood fungus - completely normal and harmless, shrimp and snails like that also.


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