HELP!!! tank is fully cycled. and the brown algae has taken over!! some say dont have the hood light on for too long, some say have it on longer than normal.....please help, all my caves which are like green and blue are now all BROWN!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! thanks in advance!! i want a clean tank!
Brown Algae Is Taking Over!!!
- Thread starter livewyr25
- Start date
HAHA i have the same problem-im pretty sure the algae is from a surplus in nutrients so try feeding less and cleaning more lol u can use an algae scrubber to clean off the glass. You could also, depending on what u have in there, get some algae eating fish (ottos?). im sure a littl ebit of algae is to be expected in a healthy tank-but im just a total newbie ask the pros lol
shrimp
i had a similar problem early in the going and i put in an algae eating shrimp in and he did a good job. Be careful you dont mix him with invertabre eaters, my angel occasionally likes to nip at him. good luck
i had a similar problem early in the going and i put in an algae eating shrimp in and he did a good job. Be careful you dont mix him with invertabre eaters, my angel occasionally likes to nip at him. good luck
Still have fuzzy stuff...
Tank 20 gals – long 30” x 12” x 12”
PH : 7.8
Co2 = 8
Ammonia: 0.0 mg/l
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: .05
Hardness: (GH): 25 ppm
Akalinity (KH): 250 ppm
Filter: HOB Whisper Power Filter with BIO Bag and Bio Foam, Model 20
Co2 System
Light: SmartPac 65W Fluorescent Lamp (blue / white light)
1 Aerator
Gravel: Pebble Gravel with Pure Laterite mixed in
Heater: Temp in tank 72-74 degrees
1 Rock Cave and 1 fake Driftwood
Lava Rock
Fish: 8 neon tetras
1 male / 2 Female Black Phantom Tetras
2 male fancy Phantom Tetras
1 silver hatchet Tetra
3 UPD Catfish
1 Ornate Cory Cat
1 Green Cory Cat
Plants: 1 onion plant, 1 Anacharis, 7 Java Plants, 1 Wisteria and 1 Cryptocoryne Spiralis
Ok, I don't know what this is. I know I have some green algae, especially closer to the light at the top of my aquarium. I run my lights from 1pm to 10pm every day (on a timer). I did have brown algae, but got a couple of Ottos and that disappeared, but now I have this brown fuzzy stuff all over everything thing. If I rub it off, it floats in the water and attaches itself back to the plants and ornaments again. It almost looks like hair or fuzzy dust. Sometimes you can pull it off, but on some plants it sticks.
Can someone give me a hint as to (1) what it is, (2) how to get rid of it or (3) is it normal? I took all the plants out of the aquarium and rinsed them off when I did a partial water changes yesterday and in about an hour, the stuff was right back. I just put in the Co2 system, and didn't know if that might be a factor or not. Could it be the Laterite?
Thanks for all help received. I have learned so much from this site - but apparently not enough, or I wouldn;t have this problem.
Tank 20 gals – long 30” x 12” x 12”
PH : 7.8
Co2 = 8
Ammonia: 0.0 mg/l
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: .05
Hardness: (GH): 25 ppm
Akalinity (KH): 250 ppm
Filter: HOB Whisper Power Filter with BIO Bag and Bio Foam, Model 20
Co2 System
Light: SmartPac 65W Fluorescent Lamp (blue / white light)
1 Aerator
Gravel: Pebble Gravel with Pure Laterite mixed in
Heater: Temp in tank 72-74 degrees
1 Rock Cave and 1 fake Driftwood
Lava Rock
Fish: 8 neon tetras
1 male / 2 Female Black Phantom Tetras
2 male fancy Phantom Tetras
1 silver hatchet Tetra
3 UPD Catfish
1 Ornate Cory Cat
1 Green Cory Cat
Plants: 1 onion plant, 1 Anacharis, 7 Java Plants, 1 Wisteria and 1 Cryptocoryne Spiralis
Ok, I don't know what this is. I know I have some green algae, especially closer to the light at the top of my aquarium. I run my lights from 1pm to 10pm every day (on a timer). I did have brown algae, but got a couple of Ottos and that disappeared, but now I have this brown fuzzy stuff all over everything thing. If I rub it off, it floats in the water and attaches itself back to the plants and ornaments again. It almost looks like hair or fuzzy dust. Sometimes you can pull it off, but on some plants it sticks.
Can someone give me a hint as to (1) what it is, (2) how to get rid of it or (3) is it normal? I took all the plants out of the aquarium and rinsed them off when I did a partial water changes yesterday and in about an hour, the stuff was right back. I just put in the Co2 system, and didn't know if that might be a factor or not. Could it be the Laterite?
Thanks for all help received. I have learned so much from this site - but apparently not enough, or I wouldn;t have this problem.
Hair Algae
Ok, I have figured out I have hair algae in my tank. I read that maybe golden Barbs are good at eating this. Is it true.
Can someone out there help with this question. How do I get rid of it. Different fish, more snails, don't feed fish or cats for a while, turn off lights?????
Help.
Ok, I have figured out I have hair algae in my tank. I read that maybe golden Barbs are good at eating this. Is it true.
Can someone out there help with this question. How do I get rid of it. Different fish, more snails, don't feed fish or cats for a while, turn off lights?????
Help.
You have a lot of fish for the tank already. I'm pretty sure your UPD catfish get far too big for the tank and should be removed immediately. Your cories would appreciate a couple more friends because they like to be in groups.
As for the algae, it is often difficult to pinpoint the cause. Have you been doing regular water changes and cleaning the filter media in tank water? That could a factor.
You have a lot of light so I would recommend getting some faster growing stem plants like limonphila sessiflora, hygrophila polysperma, Najas guadalupensis, Ceratophyllum submersum (hornwort), and egeria densa.
As for the algae, it is often difficult to pinpoint the cause. Have you been doing regular water changes and cleaning the filter media in tank water? That could a factor.
You have a lot of light so I would recommend getting some faster growing stem plants like limonphila sessiflora, hygrophila polysperma, Najas guadalupensis, Ceratophyllum submersum (hornwort), and egeria densa.
OK, livewyr25. This is your post, so I'll try to help you out a little.
I had brown algae problems in both my tanks at one time. Bad trouble. I would clean the tanks one day, and withing a day and a half, everything was brown, including the glass. It was gross. Usually brown algae has to do with not enough light. If you have incandescent lights, switch to flourescent. Then put your lights on a timer so you don't have to worry about it. Mine are on for 7 hrs a day (for fake plants-live plants need more light time). The algae problem disappeared on its own within a couple days. I didn't even have to clean it off, it just went.
Another cause of brown algae is high nitrates. You want your nitrates down below 40ppm. If they are too high, you will have awful brown algae. Again, fix the problem and the brown stuff usually goes away on it's own.
Hope this helps, and good luck with your tank.
I had brown algae problems in both my tanks at one time. Bad trouble. I would clean the tanks one day, and withing a day and a half, everything was brown, including the glass. It was gross. Usually brown algae has to do with not enough light. If you have incandescent lights, switch to flourescent. Then put your lights on a timer so you don't have to worry about it. Mine are on for 7 hrs a day (for fake plants-live plants need more light time). The algae problem disappeared on its own within a couple days. I didn't even have to clean it off, it just went.
Another cause of brown algae is high nitrates. You want your nitrates down below 40ppm. If they are too high, you will have awful brown algae. Again, fix the problem and the brown stuff usually goes away on it's own.
Hope this helps, and good luck with your tank.
Dear Captain. I do 50% water changes every week, but I was told not to change my filter material except monthly because it contained the bacteria I needed for my cycle. If that is not true, then I would gladly change it. My tank is crystal clear, except for this hair algae. I stopped feeding the bottom cats to see if they would start eating the algae - we will see.
Why do I need faster growing stem plants? What will that do. I know my wisteria grows very fast as well as the anacharis. Please tell me what it will do. My aquarium has many plants in it now, but I can change it around to include some others.
My UPD cats are really doing fine with the other fish including the ottos and corys. They are only 1/2" long are are really good cleaners. Can you mix the different cory's or do they have to be all the same breed?
Well let me know what you think. Any help is more than I knew before. I just want to help my little friends to make them a happy home.
Why do I need faster growing stem plants? What will that do. I know my wisteria grows very fast as well as the anacharis. Please tell me what it will do. My aquarium has many plants in it now, but I can change it around to include some others.
My UPD cats are really doing fine with the other fish including the ottos and corys. They are only 1/2" long are are really good cleaners. Can you mix the different cory's or do they have to be all the same breed?
Well let me know what you think. Any help is more than I knew before. I just want to help my little friends to make them a happy home.