Brown fluffy algae

[Ice222]

My tank's been set up for 2 months now and this algae appeared about 1 month ago, started slowly, but now it's become a real pain. Grows mostly on my plants and is very hard to remove. At first it started on a red stem plant I have, the plant never grew, but didn't rot either, but I figured that the plant must not have been doing well and the algae took hold. But then it also started appearing on my feeding ring soon after.

The more I try to remove it, and do water changes the worse it gets, each time I do a water change, the algae doubles what it was overnight. Whereas if I leave the water alone it grows slowly. Doesn't seem to discriminate between plants either, my Ambulia which is growing well has a bit growing on it too so it's not just weaker plants. I'm thinking it must be related to phosphates, since I don't have trouble with nitrates and my lights are on a 10h per day, just the default tank lights of an AR380 so they aren't particularly powerful.

Aside from reducing light period, and cutting back feeding, is there anything else I can do to try get rid of it . I rather like my current plants so would be a shame to have to get rid of it all. My bristlenose doesn't seem to touch it either. Will get a phosphate test kit to see if that might be the problem. It basically looks like hair algae, but brown, not green, and it's hard to remove.

[FishBen]

You can probably get treatments for algae at your local fish store if it's that bad a problem. As far as I know there are blocks (look a bit like chocolate, but white), or bottles with chemicals and stuff. I'm no expert, just passing on what I was told at my local fish store.

[alanmin4304]

Sounds like blackbeard algae. Do a search on hear there is heaps of info and discussion.

[Zev]

Here is my lovely Black Beard Algae crop or BBA in my AR380

It's actually more red than magenta, but the lights muck the colour up a bit with the camera.

It is phosphate related and I find I get it in this tank when I feed Tetramin flake, I usually feed Sera but have run out over the last few months.

[alanmin4304]

Most algae problems seem to be related to an imbalance of phosphate to nitrate. The phosphate excess is usually caused from feeding and some overseas sites suggest adding nitrate as a cure. Plants need both but a lot less phosphate than nitrate.Water changes and low phoshate food would be a good start.

[Caryl]

Very pretty. You should get a prize for that zev!

[Ice222]

Hmm no it's not black beard algae. It's light brown, like the colour of brown algae, but from what I know bron algae says , and fluffy not furry, fluffy like candyfloss. Except I wouldn't go around eating this stuff and my bristlenose isn't keen on eating it either.

I suspect it's probably brown algae.

'Brown algae

Forms in soft brown clumpy patches. In the freshwater aquarium, these are usually diatoms. Usually indicates a lack of light or an excess of silicates. Increased light levels will usually make it disappear. Easily removed by wiping the glass or siphon vacuuming the affected area.' http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/algae.html#brown

If it's lack of light, I'm not sure if they mean the strength of the lighting, or the amount of time exposed to light, and what exactly are silicates? If it's from sand, the sand has been in the tank for almost 2.5 months now, and my QT has the same algae even though there's no substrate in it.

[Ira]

Hmm no it's not black beard algae. It's light brown, like the colour of brown algae, but from what I know bron algae says , and fluffy not furry, fluffy like candyfloss. Except I wouldn't go around eating this stuff and my bristlenose isn't keen on eating it either.

I suspect it's probably brown algae.

'Brown algae

Forms in soft brown clumpy patches. In the freshwater aquarium, these are usually diatoms. Usually indicates a lack of light or an excess of silicates. Increased light levels will usually make it disappear. Easily removed by wiping the glass or siphon vacuuming the affected area.' http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/algae.html#brown

If it's lack of light, I'm not sure if they mean the strength of the lighting, or the amount of time exposed to light, and what exactly are silicates? If it's from sand, the sand has been in the tank for almost 2.5 months now, and my QT has the same algae even though there's no substrate in it.

Silicates are compounds containing silicon dioxide. Like many sands, glass, silicone used for sealing tanks, tapwater if it's from wells...It's EVERYWHERE!

[Stella]

Brown algae is flat though, not furry/fluffy. It can become thick, but never filamentous.

[Sophia]

Ice222 did you get to the bottom of this one?

I've found a clump of brown candy floss growing in a part of my riccia which is right under the light. It can be twirled out on a stick etc.

Stuff I could do: stop the ferts (daily flourish comp), add the other bulb to make it 2 x 8 watt T5 14,000K colour, turn the lights off, stop feeding the fish for a while, plop it out and wash it in algae rid... the only other algae I've had in the tank has been a bit of green spot on the glass that appears occasionally and is currently on holiday. Never had diatoms or any other pains. My theory is that the 14000k light has little or no red colour that feeds algae and plants??

anyway - what of brown candy floss. I'd eat it but it doesn't look tasty. Do oto eat it?

[fordayzbro]

I've had the same algae in all my new setups...... Just imbalances in nutrients.

The way I got rid of it was siphioning it out using an air hose. Just attack it every day, should suck up the air hose easy. If plants get pulled just replant them. Also this algae seems to appear when you move hardscape around and stir up mulm etc.

Does take a while but you'll get there, not a hard algae to get rid of really......

Good luck

[Sophia]

thanks

it seemed to take off after I removed the duckweed but that could have been an optical illusion - I wouldn't have seen it very well before