# Help with brown algae!!



## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

It's a 34g mr aqua. Running 2x24watt Catalina. Just changed to an 8 hour photo period. Didnt have a timer till about a week ago. Sand bottom. 

Everyday to day and a half the brown algae comes back coating most everything. I read low oxygen, low lighting and excess of silicates can cause brown algae. I was having issues with low oxygen till recently when I adjusted the angle of my spray bar. Oxygen appears to be fine now. As previously mentioned I also increased the lighting.

Ive been doing water changes every other day. I think if I stay the course with this lighting, oxygen and Wcs all will be fine. But is there anything else I can do to fight this brown algae? Tired of constantly cleaning it from the tank... Any help will be very appreciated!


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## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm dealing with the same thing. Currently trying to let it run its apparent 3 week life cycle, I will actually give it a bit longer.

My other thought is that we may have high silicate levels in NYC water.


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## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

3 week life may be GDA, not brown. Brown are diatoms, often caused by excess silicates. I've got issues with both.


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## frrok (May 22, 2011)

Same issue. Could be our water... It eventually cleared up in my 10. I'm just going to clean the glass and I have ottos. well see


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

I really don't like it and have ever had this problem before. Always thought ny water was great for fish keeping. So it has a 3 week life cycle? Even if I just wipe it off an area like my glass? It's still in the water then running a course? I did only just get my light and oxygen in check this last week. Sorry for all the question marks! Anything else that can be done while waiting to encourage less brown algae..


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## EllOhCee (Feb 8, 2012)

If you want some living algae control while you figure out the cause of the algae bloom, I'd suggest a siamese algae eater. Best algae control I've ever had, out of plecos, ottos, snails, and shrimp. I've had brown algae, hair algae, brush algae, and they clean up the tank within a week of putting one in. I have them in all my tanks and their great with keeping the growth down.

The best thing about them is they keep eating as the grow older, unlike chinese algae eaters which get mean and don't keep algae down.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

frrok said:


> Same issue. Could be our water... It eventually cleared up in my 10. I'm just going to clean the glass and I have ottos. well see


If I really increase the lighting period to the point that green algae stared coming in. Would the green algae then mean I wasn't going to have brown algae? Like having green would mean I'd be unlikely to have such an issue with brown right? This stuff is awful, makes the tank look dirty not algae ridden..


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

DrewWoodside said:


> If I really increase the lighting period to the point that green algae stared coming in. Would the green algae then mean I wasn't going to have brown algae? Like having green would mean I'd be unlikely to have such an issue with brown right? This stuff is awful, makes the tank look dirty not algae ridden..


Okay, so I was reading this link about brown algae:

http://www.guitarfish.org/algae

I'm guessing that as this issue is linked to the tank being relatively new and a likely excess in silicates. If I'm patient, the brown algae that keeps appearing will eventually consume the excess of silicates then ultimately cease to keep reappearing? Does that make sense? 

Hoping as the tank continues to receive consistent conditions with adequate lighting, proper oxygenation and time for the tank to establish and settle. The brown will go away.. Please go away brown algae!


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## frrok (May 22, 2011)

DrewWoodside said:


> Okay, so I was reading this link about brown algae:
> 
> http://www.guitarfish.org/algae
> 
> ...


That makes sense. Cuz I don't have it in my 10 gallon which has been set up longer. Eventually it goes away but you can speed up the process with glass cleaning , ottos and patience!


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

I too have problems with diatoms. I have it growing off the roots of my dwarf water lettuce. Overdosing Metricide-14 won't kill it. Water changes seem to make it worse. The ottos won't touch it and I have to manually remove some every other day. The lighting is a spiral CFL that's on a timer for 7 hours. Filtration is a sponge filter with an airstone. Can anyone else confirm that NYC water is high in silicates?


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

Monster Fish said:


> I too have problems with diatoms. I have it growing off the roots of my dwarf water lettuce. Overdosing Metricide-14 won't kill it. Water changes seem to make it worse. The ottos won't touch it and I have to manually remove some every other day. The lighting is a spiral CFL that's on a timer for 7 hours. Filtration is a sponge filter with an airstone. Can anyone else confirm that NYC water is high in silicates?


Starting to look like everyone in NYC having issues with diatoms! But just to be clear, it does go away after a while right? I thought lots of water changes would help the situation. I am wiser now! Patience is difficult, but working on it. I will just maintain regular WCs, but not daily or every other day WCs. Excited to not clean glass daily anymore!


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Diatoms are common in new tanks, they are settled into the substrate and can be released if it's disturbed, they can also be in your tap water. If you have an outbreak high lighting can help but stop doing any water changes, this is a major mistake. Just relax and wait it out, if you dose ferts try to cut back little by little so you can stretch the period between water changes, and they rub off easily so cleaning is OK but just let your filter clear the water.

Also if you are in an area with high silicates in the water, which is any place close to a coast line IMO, Otocinclus are your best friend and one fish per 10 gallons of water will keep your tank clean and diatom free and they never eat flake or wafers, so if your problem clear you might try feeding zucchini just to make sure they are eating but mine have never eaten anything but diatoms and algae, they are bar none the best cleaners.


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## GxneFishing (Jan 7, 2012)

I had Brown algae cover plants, glass, heater everything! it looked terrible. I bought 2 oto's and in 3 days they have eaten the tank almost clean! These little guys are amazing!


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## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

DrewWoodside said:


> Okay, so I was reading this link about brown algae:
> 
> http://www.guitarfish.org/algae
> 
> ...


It may, perhaps I've never left mine alone long enough, but my tank is not newly established and I have this issue. I'm hoping to leave it be for some time will help it resolve itself. BUT - if the silicates care coming from the tap water...there is a never ending supply each time you do a WC.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

JRMott said:


> It may, perhaps I've never left mine alone long enough, but my tank is not newly established and I have this issue. I'm hoping to leave it be for some time will help it resolve itself. BUT - if the silicates care coming from the tap water...there is a never ending supply each time you do a WC.


I may be buying 2 ottos..


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## Higher Thinking (Mar 16, 2011)

150EH said:


> Diatoms are common in new tanks, they are settled into the substrate and can be released if it's disturbed, they can also be in your tap water. If you have an outbreak high lighting can help but stop doing any water changes, this is a major mistake. Just relax and wait it out, if you dose ferts try to cut back little by little so you can stretch the period between water changes, and they rub off easily so cleaning is OK but just let your filter clear the water.
> 
> Also if you are in an area with high silicates in the water, which is any place close to a coast line IMO, Otocinclus are your best friend and one fish per 10 gallons of water will keep your tank clean and diatom free and they never eat flake or wafers, so if your problem clear you might try feeding zucchini just to make sure they are eating but mine have never eaten anything but diatoms and algae, they are bar none the best cleaners.


Apart from being next to the coast meaning you have high silicates, everything here sounds spot on. Perhaps even that comment, but I live about 40 minutes from the coast and don't have any silicate issues. Who knows though. But yea, it is super common when you set up a tank. You just have to let it go until the silicates are consumed. 

Diatom algae doesn't have a "life cycle" and there is no exact time table for how long it can take. Some people get it heavy for just two weeks and its gone and others it will take two months.


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## lostraindrop (Jan 16, 2012)

I have been having brown algae problems myself. I don't live anywhere near the cost. I live in oklahoma.
I've had my 10 gallon tank for 4 months and have not gotten rid of the brown algae problem since. I have 2 Ottos and 30 RCS which constantly eat the brown algae but not getting rid of it. The brown algae bloom is still really bad.
I might just have a theory of why its not going away that may be wrong (so please correct me)
After reading posts in this thread I keep hearing about Silicates, so i looked up what it is, and ended up finding out that there are silicate rocks. Which then led me to remember that I picked up a few rocks by the river and decided to boil it and use it for aquarium decor. The brown algae is thriving on these rocks! (I think) Is this the case for me?

I have two other tanks without these river rocks and they have no brown algae what-so-ever.

I have no idea what to do  I don't want to tear down my set up if my theory is wrong. Please let me know.


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## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

Monster Fish said:


> Water changes seem to make it worse.


I feel like this happens to me too, though I've never really kept track. More and more I think its our tap water.

I've considered trying this:
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/PhosGuard.html


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## larcat (Jul 27, 2011)

I didn't read the thread, so this may already have been suggested, but in my experience, Amanos absolutely, utterly, completely destroy diatoms.

I gifted a fully planted finnex 4g to someone for xmass. Gave it to him fully planted before it was done cycling, and warned him it would be ugly for a couple weeks as diatoms set in, but once it was cycled we could take care of it quickly. Once it cycled, we added 3 amanos, and the diatoms were gone within 72 hours.


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