# brown algae clogging up filter pipes



## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

I'm having a problem with a lot of Brown Algae in my pipes/hoses. I use clear pipes which means I can easily see it. I'm not worried about how it looks but the filter flow gets greatly reduced over time and I have to dismantle the entire system and clean out all the pipes every few weeks. 

*Is that normal? Do you regularly have to clean out all the pipes/hoses?*

*Would a UV Lamp help to fight this problem?*

The tank itself isn't too bad, some on plants but most of it gets cleaned off by my fish.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

is it a new tank?
please inform us of your params. 
it is hard to speculate with no "biological & chemical" facts


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## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

Fahnell said:


> is it a new tank?
> please inform us of your params.
> it is hard to speculate with no "biological & chemical" facts


It's newish, I started up the tank in November so now 2-3 months old. I've recently improved (I think) my values by using 30/70 RO water:

30g tank
2x T8 18watt lights

PH 7
KH: 9
GH: 13
NO3: 25
No2: 0
CO2: 27ppm

I posted a week ago about problems with some plants going a bit brown. Was advised it might be due to them being recently planted but I have a feeling I have a on-going algae problem. The tank looks clean but I do have a lot of algae eating fish.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/125912-brown-leafs-eleocharis-parvula.html


The only thing I think I might be doing wrong is overfeeding, the problem is that my fish won't eat from the surface for some reason so they stay mid-height and catch the food when it hits the outflow of the filter and swirls around the tank... which leads to some ending up on the bottom or on plants.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

filter?
as for feeding...well. how about hikari micropelets? of Sera Vipagran? JBL Grana. these are slow sinking granules for midwater fish
overfeeding can be a culprit for you ongoing algae problems
also please specify the inhabitants 

but...cut the overfeeding and to large WC (30-40%)


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## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

Fahnell said:


> filter?
> as for feeding...well. how about hikari micropelets? of Sera Vipagran? JBL Grana. these are slow sinking granules for midwater fish
> overfeeding can be a culprit for you ongoing algae problems
> also please specify the inhabitants
> ...


External Filter, with flow: 700L/hr and the tank is 90L (JBL CristalProfi e700)

Fish:

8 x Cherry Barbs
3 x Siamese Algae Eaters (getting too big!)
3 x Otocinclus
4 x Corydoras Catfish

The more I read about overfeeding the more I realize it's probably my problem. But the Cherry Bards don't all come to the surface for food so I have to stir the flakes into the water so it sinks down to them, but they never manage to grab them all before they settle on the bottom.

I do use algae / catfish wafers to make sure the catfish and Oto's get enough food. The mostly seem to disappear totally though.


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## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

They can get pretty mucked up from normal use. Mine do, my tank is way understocked and I definitely do not over feed. My shrimp tank filter lines get pretty mucked up too, and I feed them once a week.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

i have an external like yours. good filter . so for 90 it is ok (e700 is rated up to 160)
you are not overstoked.
take a little patience. a full cycle can take up to 6 months
you can try to add JBL Tormec Active. they say it can inhibit algae.


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## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

Captivate05 said:


> They can get pretty mucked up from normal use. Mine do, my tank is way understocked and I definitely do not over feed. My shrimp tank filter lines get pretty mucked up too, and I feed them once a week.





Fahnell said:


> i have an external like yours. good filter . so for 90 it is ok (e700 is rated up to 160)
> you are not overstoked.
> take a little patience. a full cycle can take up to 6 months
> you can try to add JBL Tormec Active. they say it can inhibit algae.


Ok, thanks. Will be a bit more patient and try and not overfeed.. that's the hardest part. The food flakes just keeps swirling around in the tank!


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

The food flakes just keeps swirling around in the tank!

That is a real problem .


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## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

Fahnell said:


> The food flakes just keeps swirling around in the tank!
> 
> That is a real problem .


lol sorry, no i mean it gets swept away.. not that it keeps going around and around.


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