What does this brown algae mean?

SHAFTMAN · 11-07-2009, 08:30 PM

I have had my 29 gallon tank set up for 2 months now and I have a Green Lemon Spotted Pleco, 2 Koi Angels, and 3 Blue Gouramis in it and I am having a takeover of Brown Algae in my tank....I read online somewhere it is Diatom....I have been cleaning it off my decor and plants daily but it just comes back the following day or 2...........Does this have anything to do with my cycle almost being complete........I dont have any nitrites and very little if any ammonia..under .25.......and maybe just a tiny bit of nitrates....Iam using a ASI master kit so its hard to give exact readings...But the fish seem happy and the water quality seems to be good....Iam doing water changes either daily or every two days just so my fish dont have to breath ammonia....But when I tested my water today the ammonia was still at 0 and it has been two days....and I keep my lights on for about 8 to 9 hours a day....and I also have one of those hydor volcanoes for aeration....If someone can please help tell me what the issue is with the brown algae and if it has to do with my tank maybe being close to cycling it would be appreciated

epond83 · 11-07-2009, 08:53 PM

If you have had it running for two months and nothing has gone wrong you should be cycled. If you have 0 ammonia and nitrites, and nritrate is showing up then you are cycled. Your actual number would help here

From what i rememeber brown algae is usually from over feeding, how long does it take your fish to eat all the food you give them? and how often do you do this?

SHAFTMAN · 11-07-2009, 09:05 PM

it takes just a few minutes for them to eat the food....and I have been feeding them small portions in the morning then again at night....I also stick a slice of cucumber in the tank every other day for the pleco to get......If I forget to stick it in there the second day the pleco actually just sits on top of his cave that he usually always hides in until I give him the cucumber as if he knows it coming......I have been giving them a mixture of blood worms, color flakes, brine shrimp and small cichlid pellets...not all on the same day of course
ps.....the nitrate reading is very yellowish with a very slight tint of orange...so its maybe just alittle over 0 on my asi master kit

epond83 · 11-07-2009, 09:15 PM

You could cut back on feeding maybe, food manufactures reconmend way over feeding (go figure) My fish get enough that it is gone in 2 mintues or so about every other day and on sundays they get a bloodworm cube, they have been feed this way for about 2 years, all healthy and strong. They are pretty energetic when they get food so they are pretty effecient at gettiing it all

homebunnyj · 11-08-2009, 06:52 AM

Most tanks go through a stage of brown algae at around this point. It certainly isn't unusual. Feed no more than once a day, vacuum well. Keep up with the water changes.
Are your light tubes more than eight or nine months old? If so, replace them, as poor light can also contribute to the problem. Does your tank get a lot of daylight?

Otocinclus catfish eat brown algae. You could pick up two or three of them. They do best in well-maintained tanks with lots of water changes. After the algae is gone they'll eat cucumber, zucchini, algae wafers.

SHAFTMAN · 11-08-2009, 09:56 AM

The light tube has only had over 2 months of use....But the tank has been sitting for a about a year in the box.....

beckyd · 11-08-2009, 11:21 AM

I have brown algae too. I read somewhere that this is what you get if your water is quite hard, which mine is. I have one tank that is next to a window. That one has the quantity issue, although the brown algae is what I get in all my tanks. I just got some snails that are plowing through it. Unfortunately, I don't really know what they are. A friend gave them to me. They're cleaning up though!

homebunnyj · 11-08-2009, 02:47 PM

Beckyd, the daylight is exacerbating your brown algae problem.

I have a tank near a window, and I placed a piece of black foamcore on the end of the tank to block the daylight. It helps.

Newman · 11-08-2009, 06:17 PM

like mentioned, i'd do the oto treatment. they really like this stuff (but prefer soft green alga more)

SHAFTMAN · 11-09-2009, 12:33 AM

Will Otos get along with discus? Or will they try to suck their slime? Because Iam gonna put Discus back in the tank in about a month...I had 3 leopard skins in their to begin with but do to the ammonia spike I was getting I decided to sell them untill my water became more stable and fully cycled..'THE NITRIFYING JUNK IN THE BOTTLE NEVER WORKED!!!!"...Now I think Iam getting close to that point and will probably give the angels and gouramis to one of my friends and put some Discus back in there with my green lemon spotted pleco........They say this pleco is not as aggressive as some of the other ones and should be ok with discus......he is one of the L2 variety
But unsure about the otos....I just dont wanna buy anymore fish that I will end up giving away in a month or two.

11-07-2009, 08:30 PM	#1
SHAFTMAN Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CHICAGO Posts: 10	What does this brown algae mean? I have had my 29 gallon tank set up for 2 months now and I have a Green Lemon Spotted Pleco, 2 Koi Angels, and 3 Blue Gouramis in it and I am having a takeover of Brown Algae in my tank....I read online somewhere it is Diatom....I have been cleaning it off my decor and plants daily but it just comes back the following day or 2...........Does this have anything to do with my cycle almost being complete........I dont have any nitrites and very little if any ammonia..under .25.......and maybe just a tiny bit of nitrates....Iam using a ASI master kit so its hard to give exact readings...But the fish seem happy and the water quality seems to be good....Iam doing water changes either daily or every two days just so my fish dont have to breath ammonia....But when I tested my water today the ammonia was still at 0 and it has been two days....and I keep my lights on for about 8 to 9 hours a day....and I also have one of those hydor volcanoes for aeration....If someone can please help tell me what the issue is with the brown algae and if it has to do with my tank maybe being close to cycling it would be appreciated Last edited by SHAFTMAN; 11-07-2009 at 08:48 PM..

11-08-2009, 06:52 AM	#5
homebunnyj Super Fish Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Western NC Posts: 1,299	Most tanks go through a stage of brown algae at around this point. It certainly isn't unusual. Feed no more than once a day, vacuum well. Keep up with the water changes. Are your light tubes more than eight or nine months old? If so, replace them, as poor light can also contribute to the problem. Does your tank get a lot of daylight? Otocinclus catfish eat brown algae. You could pick up two or three of them. They do best in well-maintained tanks with lots of water changes. After the algae is gone they'll eat cucumber, zucchini, algae wafers. __________________ Judy Down to 3 tanks... from 7!! 29g: 3 goldfish (temporary)... thinking of convicts instead 55g: 12 glowlight tetras, 3 yoyo loaches (planning for another school of tetras, some more yoyo's, and maybe a pair of rams... any suggestions?) 2g: 3 guppies waiting for a bigger home and a few more buddies

11-08-2009, 11:21 AM	#7
beckyd Medium Fish Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 357	I have brown algae too. I read somewhere that this is what you get if your water is quite hard, which mine is. I have one tank that is next to a window. That one has the quantity issue, although the brown algae is what I get in all my tanks. I just got some snails that are plowing through it. Unfortunately, I don't really know what they are. A friend gave them to me. They're cleaning up though! __________________ Save money. Earn money. Buy more fish! www.365days-in-the-black.com 75g Community tank: lyretail balloon belly mollies, black moscow guppies, red hifin lyretail swords, 10 cardinal tetras, cory cats 29g :2 fantail goldfish 55g :angels, 55g :turtle tank,ghost shrimp, 1 pleco, 2 tadpoles (until they grow legs)10g :female bettas, 1 ADF 5g: king betta, 2g: VT betta

11-08-2009, 02:47 PM	#8
homebunnyj Super Fish Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Western NC Posts: 1,299	Beckyd, the daylight is exacerbating your brown algae problem. I have a tank near a window, and I placed a piece of black foamcore on the end of the tank to block the daylight. It helps. __________________ Judy Down to 3 tanks... from 7!! 29g: 3 goldfish (temporary)... thinking of convicts instead 55g: 12 glowlight tetras, 3 yoyo loaches (planning for another school of tetras, some more yoyo's, and maybe a pair of rams... any suggestions?) 2g: 3 guppies waiting for a bigger home and a few more buddies

11-08-2009, 06:17 PM	#9
Newman Super Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 2,787	like mentioned, i'd do the oto treatment. they really like this stuff (but prefer soft green alga more) __________________ Credit goes to Lludu

11-07-2009, 08:53 PM	#2
epond83 Medium Fish Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 470	If you have had it running for two months and nothing has gone wrong you should be cycled. If you have 0 ammonia and nitrites, and nritrate is showing up then you are cycled. Your actual number would help here From what i rememeber brown algae is usually from over feeding, how long does it take your fish to eat all the food you give them? and how often do you do this?

11-07-2009, 09:05 PM	#3
SHAFTMAN Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CHICAGO Posts: 10	it takes just a few minutes for them to eat the food....and I have been feeding them small portions in the morning then again at night....I also stick a slice of cucumber in the tank every other day for the pleco to get......If I forget to stick it in there the second day the pleco actually just sits on top of his cave that he usually always hides in until I give him the cucumber as if he knows it coming......I have been giving them a mixture of blood worms, color flakes, brine shrimp and small cichlid pellets...not all on the same day of course ps.....the nitrate reading is very yellowish with a very slight tint of orange...so its maybe just alittle over 0 on my asi master kit

11-07-2009, 09:15 PM	#4
epond83 Medium Fish Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 470	You could cut back on feeding maybe, food manufactures reconmend way over feeding (go figure) My fish get enough that it is gone in 2 mintues or so about every other day and on sundays they get a bloodworm cube, they have been feed this way for about 2 years, all healthy and strong. They are pretty energetic when they get food so they are pretty effecient at gettiing it all

11-08-2009, 09:56 AM	#6
SHAFTMAN Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CHICAGO Posts: 10	The light tube has only had over 2 months of use....But the tank has been sitting for a about a year in the box.....

11-09-2009, 12:33 AM	#10
SHAFTMAN Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CHICAGO Posts: 10	otos? Will Otos get along with discus? Or will they try to suck their slime? Because Iam gonna put Discus back in the tank in about a month...I had 3 leopard skins in their to begin with but do to the ammonia spike I was getting I decided to sell them untill my water became more stable and fully cycled..'THE NITRIFYING JUNK IN THE BOTTLE NEVER WORKED!!!!"...Now I think Iam getting close to that point and will probably give the angels and gouramis to one of my friends and put some Discus back in there with my green lemon spotted pleco........They say this pleco is not as aggressive as some of the other ones and should be ok with discus......he is one of the L2 variety But unsure about the otos....I just dont wanna buy anymore fish that I will end up giving away in a month or two.