Brown algea?
- Thread starter Leginess
- Start date
If it is a new tank (or even if it isn't in some cases) then you might have brown diatoms that go away with time, or that snails love to munch. A picture would be very helpful in identification though if you could post one.
It isn't neccessary...if your tank is still new or cycling then they will most likely go away on their own eventually. I happened to have pest snails that ate mine when my tank was cycling, but it isnt something that you HAVE to have. You can also scrape it off if you want to, but that isnt neccessary either.
I think it has alot more to do than whether or not it is just a new tank. Diatoms are apparently brought on by silica and phosphate. Silica is in the glass, and if you use certain sands for substrate, there too. So in those cases, in time, the diatoms may eventually go away. But you may also have some of these elements present in your water, especially if it is well water like mine. I still get slight amounts of diatoms 18 months after setting up a tank, but nearly as much as after initial setup. I just keep my glass clean and with my WC's. If it continues to be a real problem, there are products that will remove silica and phosphate from the water. I choose not to use them because they usually have to be replaced/regenerated every so often and it just gets time consuming and costly. Just my .02, good luck.
