Hey all,
I'm having recurrent brown algae growth on rocks, plants, decorations and gravel in my aquarium. I've been keeping fish for 8+ years and I've never had an issue like this.
Three months ago I moved across town and decided to up-size my aquarium from a 29 gal to a 40 gal. I also changed out my old aquarium gravel for new bright red stuff I picked up at a big box pet store. But everything else is the same, the fish, the food, the lights.
I expected to have some diatomaceous algae for a few weeks with the new gravel, but it's been roaring for months and covers everything in my aquarium after a week or two (I've completely stripped down my aquarium and powerwashed all the logs, threw out plants that had leaves covered with the algae, scrubbed both my filters and all the tubing). The algae is coming back again.
The algae is brown filamentous stuff that coats surfaces and looks like fuzzy hair. It will not scrub off easily. The stuff that does come off builds up in my filters and quickly degrades their function.
Water Parameters:
Temp 83
pH 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 5-10 ppm just prior to water changes
Hardness (not sure but likely toward the high end, I live in Colorado).
I use residential tap water and have never had a problem with algae until the move.
I have a Fluval canister filter and a small HOB filter. I use carbon filters as well as mechanical.
I use high quality flake food, same stuff I've used for years.
I use LED lighting on a dimmer switch (i have both 10k and 13k bulbs, neither has made a difference, nor has using brighter or dimmer settings).
I do 80-90 percent water change about once every 10 days. I strip down and clean the filters every other month.
40 gal tank
4 juvenile angelfish
8 rummy nose tetras
5 corydora catfish
1 bristle nose pleco (who I've never seen eat the brown algae)
I also have a few anubis nana plants, but I've had to throw out so many because they get covered with algae and I can't scrub it off without destroying the underlying leaves.
I've heard high levels of silicates in the water can cause brown algae. Is the silica coming from the new gravel? I'm at a loss here. Advice appreciated.
Thanks
I'm having recurrent brown algae growth on rocks, plants, decorations and gravel in my aquarium. I've been keeping fish for 8+ years and I've never had an issue like this.
Three months ago I moved across town and decided to up-size my aquarium from a 29 gal to a 40 gal. I also changed out my old aquarium gravel for new bright red stuff I picked up at a big box pet store. But everything else is the same, the fish, the food, the lights.
I expected to have some diatomaceous algae for a few weeks with the new gravel, but it's been roaring for months and covers everything in my aquarium after a week or two (I've completely stripped down my aquarium and powerwashed all the logs, threw out plants that had leaves covered with the algae, scrubbed both my filters and all the tubing). The algae is coming back again.
The algae is brown filamentous stuff that coats surfaces and looks like fuzzy hair. It will not scrub off easily. The stuff that does come off builds up in my filters and quickly degrades their function.
Water Parameters:
Temp 83
pH 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 5-10 ppm just prior to water changes
Hardness (not sure but likely toward the high end, I live in Colorado).
I use residential tap water and have never had a problem with algae until the move.
I have a Fluval canister filter and a small HOB filter. I use carbon filters as well as mechanical.
I use high quality flake food, same stuff I've used for years.
I use LED lighting on a dimmer switch (i have both 10k and 13k bulbs, neither has made a difference, nor has using brighter or dimmer settings).
I do 80-90 percent water change about once every 10 days. I strip down and clean the filters every other month.
40 gal tank
4 juvenile angelfish
8 rummy nose tetras
5 corydora catfish
1 bristle nose pleco (who I've never seen eat the brown algae)
I also have a few anubis nana plants, but I've had to throw out so many because they get covered with algae and I can't scrub it off without destroying the underlying leaves.
I've heard high levels of silicates in the water can cause brown algae. Is the silica coming from the new gravel? I'm at a loss here. Advice appreciated.
Thanks
