# Help - some type of hard, brown algae on glass



## jfritz42 (Nov 25, 2009)

I have been struggling for months with some type of hard, brownish algae (I also have GSA on plant leaves, but let's focus on the brown algae). I have to scrape like crazy to remove the brownish algae from the glass, e.g. using a scrubbing pad. Within three days it will be growing back again. I have many scratches on part of the aquarium glass (from previous owner) and the algae seems to grow the most here, but also grows on unscratched portions.

This is an "excel only" 55 gallon planted tank. I would say it's moderately to heavily planted. I try to follow an EI dosing strategy (more on that later). I have 110w of fluorescent light. 
I have a high fish load (maybe 70 inches of fish).

I've recently added 10 nerite snails (corona and zebra) which are able to eat it, but the production far outweighs their appetites. I could add more, but I'd rather solve the root problem.

These are my EI target ranges (note that I have reduced them by 1/3 of the normal ranges because Excel is only supposed to be about 60-70% as effective as CO2 gas in plant growth):
NO3 4-20 ppm
K+ 6-20 ppm
PO4 .6-2 ppm
Fe .12-.3 ppm
GH range 3-5 degrees
KH range 3-5

My tap water has negligible nutrients, about 7.8 pH and 2 dKH.

I dose each of the following items 3x a week:
GH booster: 3.45 grams, which is composed of:
- K2SO4: 1.48 grams = (3.19 ppm K)
- CaSO4: 1.48 grams = (1.96 ppm Ca)
- MgSO4: 0.49 grams = (0.23 ppm Mg)
KH2PO4: .10 grams = (0.333 ppm PO4, 0.14 ppm K)
CSM+B: .16 grams = (0.05 ppm Fe)

I do 50% weekly water changes, light vacuuming, and keep my filters very clean (Hang on back and canister).

Because of the high fish load, nitrates are always 10-20ppm, hence I am not dosing Nitrogen. pH 7.8. Temp 77-81F (usually 78F).

Thanks for any help! I'm going crazy, getting tired of the situation!!!!
- Jason


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## darkoon (Jun 7, 2010)

what's your co2 ppm? do you use CO2 injection?
low co2 ppm is the root cause of many algae problems. 
now to get rid of algaes, you need to have about 30ppm of co2 concentration, or dose excel.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi darkoon,

I believe he stated his tank was "Excel Only". I was thinking Diatoms at first but they are not that hard to remove unless the problem is the scratches in the glass.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Are you sure it is algae? Iron deposits are brown and take a lot of scrubbing to remove. What is your substrate?


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## jfritz42 (Nov 25, 2009)

Hi all,

Thank you for your responses/help!!!

Yes, this is an Excel only tank, dosing 1 cap per day. I have about 1" of flourite substrate underneath about 1" in gravel (about 3mm in size). The tank's been running about 14 months now. I occasionally add Seachem root tabs for some plants, but only about once every 3 months or more.

I did learn that I was majorly overdosing iron (CSM+B) about three weeks ago and have since done major water changes (75% at first) to try to cut down the levels. Last week I didn't dose any iron at all. But I'm not seeing any slow down in the algae production. And I've read so much (e.g. on this site) about not cutting nutrients to try to combat algae that I got afraid off too low iron levels, so I've since been dosing CSM+B at the rate in my first post.

Yes, I've read about diatoms, which I think are "normal" brown algae, but that sounds like it just wipes off. This stuff is so hard my magnetic algae scraper with a plastic blade hardly makes a dent. I have to use my hand and forcefully scrub with a scrubbing pad.

Iron deposits is a good theory, but my nerite snails eat it. Strange that they would eat iron deposits. I don't have an iron test kit, btw.

Thanks,
Jason


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

try a credit card, works really well and doesnt scratch the glass


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

A bit off topic but funny how toure still having gsa... With all that phopshate it should be gone. I had problems with gsa and bought mono sodium potassium phosphate from green leaf aquariums and the next day most of the gsa died


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## jfritz42 (Nov 25, 2009)

Regarding the GSA, I haven't cut away leaves that had GSA from a long time back. My point is that maybe now that I'm adding phosphate there is no more GSA being produced, but the old stuff is still laying around. Just a theory.

Regarding scraping the brown algae with a credit card, no luck. This stuff is so hard the flat edge of a credit card doesn't make a dent. If I use the corner of the credit card it works, but of course that's a ridiculous amount of work for a 55 gallon aquarium.

So at the moment, I'm hoping it was past high iron levels. I've been continuing to add very little iron and do water changes in the hopes of getting it down to a good level. I'm borrowing my brother's iron test kit this weekend, so hopefully I can find out what the levels are (although I've heard iron test kits are very unreliable).

Speaking of off topic, nerite snails have absolutely got to be God's gift to aquariums! Those old leaves I just mentioned with the HEAVY green spot algae get cleaned off one by one and look EXACTLY like new leaves right next to them. Very incredible. I plan to post pictures sometime soon. They also eat black beard algae on the edges of the leaves.


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## jfritz42 (Nov 25, 2009)

Hi all,

Just a quick update in case anyone else runs across this problem in the future.

I think that my original post was just sent too early. I had been overdosing iron for quite some time and had only given the Estimative Index about 3 weeks of time to correct the tank.

Now I've been doing EI for about 2 months and the hard brown algae is totally gone and not coming back (yes!!!!). I still get a small amount of normal green algae on the glass, but all my nerite snails, plecos, and SAEs keep it at bay and it's easy to wipe off if needed.

I still have some left-over GSA and BBA on some leaves (e.g. anubias) that I was hoping the snails and SAEs would get rid of, but it's not happening. I think I may just cut away those leaves. But all new leaves are clean and stay clean.

I'm very happy.... so nice to have a stable fish tank that is pretty to behold and not much work/stress.


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