# Brown Algae! help a newb pls



## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

I've have a 55 gal with 2wpg of lighting, no sunlight. I've had it set up for about a month now and was only able to put fish and snails in about 1.5 weeks ago b/c my nitrites and ammonia were high (see my other thread) Anyway, I started getting brown algae about a week after I set it up. My plants are growing well, especially the water lettuce and cabomba. My photoperiod is about 10 hours a day. The algae has been spreading nicely and has now taken over the tank quite nicely. It's on the glass and all the plant leaves. I had all my anacharis die off right after I planted it  and I'm still trying to get all the dead plant matter out. I get a little more every day, but I know that can't help. I'm going to get some ramshorn snails soon and that should help too. I have a few snails that hitchhiked in, but not enough to help any. How can I kill this stuff? Is it my nutrient levels, lighting? Just tell me what you need to know so you can help me out.


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## treepimp (Apr 13, 2006)

new tank set ups often get brown algae. adding a few otto's to the tank will usually clear up the problem in a weekend. It's really an easy algae to take care of.


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## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

Well, thanks a bunch! I'll get the ottos pronto. I hadn't really considered ottos b/c they don't go with my long-term tank setup, but I might get a few and then take them back after a few months. I know the guy at my LFs pretty well.


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## jude_uc (Feb 7, 2006)

Ottos are small and worth having in almost any tank, unless, the other fish you are planing on having will eat them. Otherwise, they are extremely unintrusive and very helpful.

-Adam


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## Sherri W (May 8, 2006)

As a fellow newbie, I'll second the positive comments about the ottos. I struggled with the brown algae for months and adjusted everything I could think of. Then I got the ottos and the algae was gone almost overnight. Now I can't imagine a tank without them.


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## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

I just got 2 ottos and plan to get 4 more in a few days. The only reason I hesitated was because I have goldies and I heard that sometimes they can stick onto a goldies slime coat. I certainly don't want that! But they are beneficial and I desperately need them, so I'll keep them and hope it doesn't become a problem. If it does, then I can always give them back to the LFS. Thanks for the replys.


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## onemyndseye (May 12, 2006)

They shold be pretty ok for awhile.... but they can develop should pretty nasty habits with age as I hear.. 

Great for brown algae though.... I have a trio of them on the very same mission 

Good Luck!
-Justin
One Mynds Eye


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## beznsarah (Aug 1, 2006)

Otto's are great for brown algae/diatoms, I think every tank should have at least some. I think you might be mistaken about nasty habbits with age. I've heard that about SAE's and Chinese algae eaters but not Otto's, of course I could be wrong. 

Another option is Amano shrimp, great algae eaters and nice addtion. I don't know if those do well in a E Natural tank, anyone have experience in that?



onemyndseye said:


> They shold be pretty ok for awhile.... but they can develop should pretty nasty habits with age as I hear..
> 
> Great for brown algae though.... I have a trio of them on the very same mission
> 
> ...


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## onemyndseye (May 12, 2006)

very well may be  ... I cant say I've ever had any trouble with them but I sure thought I read that somewhere ..

Thanks for the clarity 

-Justin
One Mynds Eye


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

I haven't heard any reports of otos acting like plecos and injuring goldies that way. What I have seen several times is otos getting stuck in a goldie's mouth. That sharp lead ray on the dorsal fin makes it very difficult to extract them.

With goldies, I prefer ramshorn snails. They do a great job eating brown algae and the babies are free live food for the goldies. The adults have to be larger than the goldies' mouths. The only issue I've had with ramshorn snails and goldies is something a goldie will get a snail stuck in his mouth. That's usually pretty easy to deal with, with a pair of tweasers.


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## schaadrak (Aug 18, 2006)

Is there anything that your goldies haven't gotten stuck in their mouth?


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## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

Well, the 2 ottos are very happy in my algae ridden tank but they just weren't able to keep up. The algae did have a substantial head-start though  I love watching the ottos play and eat together. I wasn't able to get any snails locally though, so a friend on another board shipped me some ramshorn snails. In just 2 days time those little buggers are going to town!! MY front glass is spotless and my biggest rock is almost as clean. Way to go snails. Of course, my tank will shortly be overrun by snails. But my goldies will eat the babies. Thanks for all the help. My tank is still covered with brown algae and now some green too, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. And my dojo loaches love to chase the snails, but they don't eat them. I guess they don't have that in common with other loaches. One even landed on the loache's head and I thought "dumb, dumb snail", but my loach sniffed it and ran away :rofl:


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