Help with brown algae, please!

[moboe]

I've been reading all the threads I can find about algae, and haven't figured out a clear game on how to rid my tank of brown algae. I'm hoping I can get some questions answered!

My tank:
-20g
-set up 2/15/04
-fishy cycled with 2 zebra danios and 2 long fin leopard danios (all thriving!)
-ammonia 0
-nitrite 0
-nitrate 5
-7 smallish live plants
-Penguin 170 HOB
-air stone with light bubble wall
-2-3 very small snails (came with plants...are these what you call mystery snails?)
-15 watt flourescent tube bulb in hood, on for 12 hours a day. When the light is off, the room is pretty dark most of the time.

The algae began before the cycle finished last week. I wiped the glass down last week with the water change, and it's almost covered already again. The plants, gravel, decorations, rocks, etc are all covered with brown algae.

Now that the tank is cycled, I've thought of adding 2-3 otos. But, I'm of the mind to not just get rid of it, but figure out why it's there. I've read something about too much oxygen, too little oxygen, too much light, too little light...I'm no chemist/physicist, and am confused on what to do!

Any suggestions are gratefully taken!

Thanks.

Margaret

[OrionGirl]

Patience is usually the best solution for brown algae. Diatoms rely on high levels of silicates, and when the supply goes down, and the diatom predators establish themselves, the bloom goes away. Cleaning as much out as you can will help, but give it a few weeks before taking any other steps (IMO).

[aquariumfishguy]

Here is a good link from a previous thread on brown algae...it's titled "The ABC's of LOG".

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25034

[moboe]

Thanks loads, Oriongirl and AFG. Just knowing that it will "probably" go away makes me feel better. Now if only the tank looked better in the meantime!

OG, you mentioned that the supply of silicates has to go down. How will that happen? Anything I can do to facilitate it?

AFG, thanks for the thread link. I actually had found that thread during my research, and found the LOG very interesting. What a great teacher you had! But, I didn't feel like any of the LOG's applied to my situation. Of course, one never thinks they overfeed, do they?

I'll keep cleaning it out as best as possible, and hopefully it will work itself through.

Thanks!

Margaret

[OrionGirl]

Silicates drop as the diatoms use them up to form their shells. Removing the shells (cleaning out the brown algae) removes the silicates as well.

[aquariumfishguy]

Yes very true Moboe. Then again, the descriptions in LOG isn't the only way to get brown algae as it really is common with newly set up aquariums...its only a measuring system to go by when evaluating the situation.

PS: My instructor was teaching stuff about algae, diatoms, etc. before it was a popular belief, or before these things were proven so that is where I get my admiration from.