January 22, 200818 yr comment_208072 Hey Just recently discovered a brown algae on the walls of my tank. Why is it there?? Any ideas/questions? Report
January 22, 200818 yr comment_208073 why is any algae there? why cannot I get the algae off my ambulia? If you want to get rid of it just do a total black out like any other algae Report
January 22, 200818 yr Author comment_208074 I don't normally have any lights going!! algae half is in fact covered (cover will be coming off shortly) maybe has something to do with filter being at other end?? Report
January 22, 200818 yr comment_208077 How long has the tank been set up? Sometimes brown algae is part of the maturing process and will go away over time. Report
January 22, 200818 yr Author comment_208080 fish and tanks started early dec, algae just recently Report
January 22, 200818 yr Author comment_208084 ok thanks thinking about getting bristlenoses... will they help?? or maybe snails?? (100th post yay) Report
January 22, 200818 yr comment_208085 No, they don't like brown algae. Some snails might but then we will be getting posts asking how to get rid of snails :lol: Leave it alone (wipe it off when you do water changes) and it will lessen on its own. Report
January 22, 200818 yr comment_208090 Brown algae feeds on silicate, which is leaching from your (new) glass. It will settle down and be replaced / displaced by green algae. I'd recommend you get some lights for your tank and plant a few plants if you wan't to get rid of the brown algae and prevent green algae taking hold Report
January 22, 200818 yr comment_208217 Brown algae is NOT an algae. It is a single celled organism with a sillica shell. Not a plant, more like a bacteria. Apparently it is from too much phosphate and sillica in the tank. (I would be surprised if it was leaching from the glass). It doesn't cause any harm apart from looking unsightly. It is not food for anything unfortunately (some things may appear to eat it, but it has little nutrition I think...) In your situation it sounds like it is a new tank thing. My tanks all have terrrible problems with it and I have no idea why. One tank has been going over a year. It is very frustrating. Report
January 22, 200818 yr comment_208222 It seems fairly easy to displace it if you want to - it definitely has a photo-component, so just optimise light and flow for some plants and it goes pretty quickly. Report
January 22, 200818 yr comment_208241 Brown algae is NOT an algae. Another cause of diatoms blooming (brown algae) can be not enough light. Report
January 23, 200818 yr comment_208264 Apparently it is from too much phosphate and sillica in the tank. (I would be surprised if it was leaching from the glass). It doesn't cause any harm apart from looking unsightly. Has the terracotta pot the angels lay on ever had earth in it? Could that be a source of phosphates? Or Silica? As your tank is an old one the tank itself probably isn't the source of the silica I would have thought. Because you used a filter off an existing tank when you started, the cycling should have been quicker than normal, as far as ammonia and nitrates are concerned anyway. I can loan you an apple snail if you want to see if that will help... Cheers, Sam Report
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