# Brown algae on sword leaf



## starccc (Mar 31, 2006)

Recently, I redid the planting for my 100 gal plant tank. It was algae free before. The change I made is less plants. Use the tap water directly. Added one amazon sword( Maybe it is the source of brown algae). Now the brown film (I guess it is brown algae) covered the sword leaf. It is hard to get it out. 

My water parameters:
ph 6.9
kh 5
NO3 20ppm
Phosphate 1ppm

Weekly water change 50%. Is there anyone have same problem? How do you fix that? BTW, I don't think oto can fix that since I have this before and my oto didn't touch this thing.


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## junco (Aug 27, 2006)

My ottos don't seem to touch my brown algae either. I haven't resolved my brown algae problem yet, but I'll let you know if I do.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Everyone has always said brown algae is diatom algae and will resolve itself if you are patient. I am in the midst of being patient right now. I'm also being patient with GDA. Patience is the tool of a good aquatic gardener??


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## starccc (Mar 31, 2006)

I don't think my brown algae is diatom. I should say that it is brown/red algae. From what I know, the brown algae is easy to get rid of from leaves. However, the algae I have covers the leaves and it is very hard to get it out from leaves. I tried to google all the red algae information. Here is what I got.. It seems like CO2 rich water. It is kind of plant/bacteria so lighting and blackout doesn't work for them. I heard H2O2 might do the trick.. But one of member here reported it didn't work for him. I used have red algae in my low tech tank. But I didn't notice any sign of red algae for a long, long time. Only after I move the amazon sword to the high tech tank, the algae appear again. I don't know how I eliminated the red algae in the first place in the low tech tank... Really hope there is a way to get rid of this stuff... Any experience?!


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