# Brown Algae Frustration: Can anyone help?



## redbouche (Feb 23, 2010)

I've had a 70G tanks set up about 8 months now. It's been planted for the last 2 months. And I've got some brown algae (diatoms?) that I can't really identify or get rid of. It's fairly slow growing. Takes maybe a month to go from a brown haze to a complete covering. It's on the glass, plants, everywhere. Once it completely covers a surface it's starting to get fuzzy or even hairy on some of the java ferns (though this may be a different algae). The moneywart are like an algae calendar. The bottom leaves are 2 months old and are completely covered. The top half dozen pairs of leaves are algae free. It's pretty hard. I've got a generic algae magnet that doesn’t' do a very good job of getting it off of the glass, but the magfloat will take care of it. However, it definitely doesn't rub off via casual contact. I've tried to rub it off of anubia leaves, but it requires scraping with my finger nail to make a dent, to the point that I'm sure I'm damaging the plant. I've got 4 otos, and they don’t' even seem to make a dent in it. They are definitely losing ground to it. I see them grazing on it, but I never notice them get any off. I put a adult bristlenose in, and he mysteriously died the next day. Seems like it's too hard to be diatoms, but I'm not an expert any ideas on what it is, or how to kill it? 

Other Stuff to Know:
-Low light about 1.3wpg
-I dose with the recommended daily amount of excel. 
-Ammonia 0ppm
-Nitrite 0ppm
-pH 7.8
-Nitrate 20-30ppm (Fairly stable as balance by the plants)
-Water changes every 2 weeks
-Water is crystal clear
-Add a Tetra fertilizer occasionally
-large bio-wheel filter
-Plants (Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias, Amazon Sword, Dwarf Sag, Crypts)
-No CO2

Sorry, I don't have a picture of the algae. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

JUST a guess... have you cleaned out/COMPLETELY changed filter media recently?? 
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algae/68914-diatoms-established-tank.html
Ammonia spike is the 'book answer' for diatom growth... but that's typically in a brand new setup.... unless for some reason the new plants (2 months) caused the ammonia to spike....


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## redbouche (Feb 23, 2010)

No media changes recently. And when I do I only change one of two. Also this algea issue has been going in consisantly for months, with zero ammonia and zero nitrite. The tank is well cycled. Water quality is good. There are German Blue Rams in there. They are like a canary in a coal mine. If the water quality was bad they'd be toast. That's why I'm not even sure that it's diatoms, sence it is so much harder than I expect diatoms to be. I wonder if it's something else.


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## Elohim_Meth (Nov 4, 2007)

It is brown algae, not diatoms. The most common reasons for it are hard water and excess of organics.


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## agy (Sep 18, 2009)

Hello. Yours PH to high first. Diatoma-brown algea became when silicate levels ratio higher as phosphate levels(found in web), that explain why many users lost algea by itself. I personaly had some experiments with diatoma or brown algea and sure. There is silicate concentration problem in aquarium and low light, and not sucifient nutrients for plants. 
Is necessary fertilizing in small amounts even when algea become. Possibly Yours light to low, 1w is weak and + shadows. If You switch of lights, that don't help fight with algea. But don't exceed 10hr lighting period.
Buy some cheap stem plants like elodea, for more ****es removal, like Yours 20-30 nitrate is too very high with so low light, good plant for startup.
All problem - plants starve and produce harmfull toxins,amonia.
Try to find some balance, aquarium need full cycle, plants need full photosynthes, more light, process with micro and macro nutrients.
Try give only Potasium some time(K2So4) and little micros(depend on Your aquarium stock and feeding, filtration)

Possibly You have wrong stones, important watch all white what looks for sea not freshwater, can test with vinegar, if reaction - bubbling then can't use in freshwater. That can explain why so high ph. Also don't use any sea shells and other products with high calcium.
Add some proper woods like bogwood, they change chemistry and lower ph(I'm not tested, found in web).
Looks like Yours tap water is bad, ph too high, too much silicates, e.g.
RO unit can help, but need very good membrane, silicates are so small for membrane as go trough even after some cleaning times. If cycle, photsyntese in aquarium is good plants eat silicates, make stronger stems e.g. and phophate levels are higher as silicates.
Also if You don't have co2, then make good air injection so much as possible. Also more water circulation, if need ad some cheap powerhead or second filter.

But also all depends on proper tank maintenance, clean your filters in old aquarium water, use water conditioners before top up water or keep min. 3 days before ad with open top(my some experiments with 3 days water without any chemicals show result better with plants as with API and Saechem conditioners) change every week min. 20-25%, ...................


Remove all chemical produced things from aquarium so much as possible, all cheap plastic ornaments e.g.

And i recommend don't use any chemicals for tank maintenance like algea killers 
Almost all companies lie about self goodies-products and no body know how will be affected fish tank and stock.
I personally with experiments found some situations where companies lies about products.
here some 
* water conditioner - need min. normally over 1 day period to detoxifies water(min. 4hr with risk add to aquarium unknown chemicals)
* substrate from manual don't alter ph, but in real life alter over 1 month period

Also good option if You have cash, activated carbon + saechem phsphate and silicate remover for removal all organics and toxics.


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