What is causing my tank to go brown, i.e. growth on everything

G

goldenpond

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Aug 29, 2010
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This winter I moved from a 55G tank with a regular double tube fixture to a 90G tank for which I was told I would need a new high output light fixture. In the past I was able to grow plants and have minimal (green) algae growth.

When I got the 90G I was told my old lights were inadequate and I needed a big buck high output light fixture, so I bought one.

I began getting algae growth with my normal 12hr day light cycle so I began cutting back and back and now I am down to 6hr a day.

The entire surface is brown...the gravel, the driftwood, the rocks, etc. I am expecting the fish to be next. Most of the tank just has a brown covering, but in some places it is a growth that "flows" in the water.

I am not happy about having to cut back the hours so much as I am no longer getting plant growth and since the plants are all covered with the brown algae, I don't know how they will survive.

Help please....

Lew
 
I agree... sounds like diatoms to me too. It's pretty natural if the tank is relatively new and should go away after a little bit by itself.
 
What kind of fish do you have? What kind of plants? Can you tell us more about your light fixture (other than it was expensive)?

If you don't have enough plants to from the beginning, algae will be a problem. High light should be accompanied by abundant planting from the beginning, along with a fertilization schedule and CO2.

Without CO2, you are likely to have problems with too much light...I would add some floating plants such as Amazon frogbit to shade the tank some.

If it's compatible with your fish, otocinclus catfish will readily consume diatoms.
 
It is a cichlid tank and is about 7 months old....the amount of brown has steadily grown. In the beginning I was getting good plant growth and everything was green, but I was getting green algae, so I cut back the light, and now I get the brown algae or whatever it is.

Here is what I bought:

Frazeri (Anubias 'Frazeri')
Lanceolota (Anubias lanceolota)
Congensis (Anubias ‘Congensis’)
Nana (Anubias barteri v. ‘Nana’)
Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri v. ‘Coffeefolia’)
Anubias minima
Anubias barteri var. nana 'narrow leaf'
Sword, Red Flame (Echinodorus Red Flame)
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Sword, Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri)

Current USA 48" Nova Extreme T-5 Fixture Freshwater 6500k (2 Bulb)

I have always had good plant grown in previous tanks with no special lights, no fertilizer, no CO2, nothing.... In this tank I have been using fertilizer pellets, I skipped the UG filter, and added deeper gravel for root growth.

The plants were chosen to be as compatible as possible with cichlids. I am getting some plants being eaten, but not uprooted. I provided a lot of caves and they seem happy with them.

I have a bristle nose Cat and some Lucipinis/Petricolas....neither of them seems to care about the brown stuff... the Cichlids would eat the green algae, don't seem to have an interest in this brown stuff.

Thanks!!
 
It is a cichlid tank and is about 7 months old....the amount of brown has steadily grown. In the beginning I was getting good plant growth and everything was green, but I was getting green algae, so I cut back the light, and now I get the brown algae or whatever it is.

Here is what I bought:

Frazeri (Anubias 'Frazeri')
Lanceolota (Anubias lanceolota)
Congensis (Anubias ‘Congensis’)
Nana (Anubias barteri v. ‘Nana’)
Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri v. ‘Coffeefolia’)
Anubias minima
Anubias barteri var. nana 'narrow leaf'
Sword, Red Flame (Echinodorus Red Flame)
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Sword, Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri)

Current USA 48" Nova Extreme T-5 Fixture Freshwater 6500k (2 Bulb)

I have always had good plant grown in previous tanks with no special lights, no fertilizer, no CO2, nothing.... In this tank I have been using fertilizer pellets, I skipped the UG filter, and added deeper gravel for root growth.

The plants were chosen to be as compatible as possible with cichlids. I am getting some plants being eaten, but not uprooted. I provided a lot of caves and they seem happy with them.

I have a bristle nose Cat and some Lucipinis/Petricolas....neither of them seems to care about the brown stuff... the Cichlids would eat the green algae, don't seem to have an interest in this brown stuff.

Thanks!!
 
How many watts is your light? With your plant selection, you really don't need much more than 1 wpg. Much more than that and the plants won't be able to use it efficiently and you'll get algae.
 
Think they are 54W bulbs...they were what the aquarium plant place suggested...so it is two 54W, which is close to 1w/g.

If not diatoms, then what? maybe it is two different brown things...one is the slimey kind of stuff that coats the gravel, rocks, gravel, and then the "grass" looking stuff...about 1/4=1/2" long..
 
Sounds like 2 different kinds. Can you get pics?
 
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