brown algae diatoms

[happychem]

You don't need to feel bad tornangel, it's just the way I interpreted what you were wrote. Somehow it sounded like fishless to me Fishy cycle can be done safely, it's just a lot of work.

Interesting you should point that out reiver, I noticed the same thing quite a while ago. The brown algae on the glass stopped at a straight line right were I lowered the water level to during changes.

Dealing with algea changes a lot after you've done it for a while. At first you're manic about every scrap, and after a while you just kinda wait and see. At the moment I've got a ton of hair/beard algae on a plastic boat in my low light/low maintenance tank. I think that I'll leave it and just deal with the very little that's on the plants. I find that kind of neat too, there's a ton of algae on the back of this boat (looks kinda cool in the current), but only tiny amounts on the plants. Hmmm.

 

[pl*co]

It varies with how often the silica is replenished. Contact your water utility and find out how much is in your water source. If you have high levels of silica, you may be in for a long ride. There are many critters that consume them--3-4 otos would fit in your tank and help out. But, I'd give the tank at least 6 months before making that choice. - OrionGirl

With respect to another thread that is active here this morning and regarding Walmart sand, am I interpreting the quote above to indicate that if I use Walmart (silica) sand I could have a problem with brown algae? Thank you.

 

[happychem]

No, silica sand will not increase the amount of silica in your water. Although it is thermodynamically favourable for silicate to dissolve, it's not kinetically viable. Silica sand is made of the same stuff as glass, so basically it will have the same effect on your water params as does the tank glass.

 

[pl*co]

Thank you happychem!