# What type of algae, What do I do? pics!



## mtnmatt (Oct 23, 2008)

Here is my 5 gallon (very low-tech) tank. I fully admit that this is the first time I have attempted a tank with live plants. I now love the plants but have an algae problem. 

Specs: ~11 watt full spectrum bulb, no ferts, no CO2, water change about every week and a half, manzanita wood, java moss, hornwort, java fern, miniature lilly, one betta, one oto, a few ghost shrimp.

Its a newer tank and I got brown algae so I got an oto. The oto has done an amazing job at eating all of the diatoms off of the glass, java fern, and lilly. I thought that the algae on the moss and hornwort was brown algae as well but the oto does not want to eat it. I do not know if this is because it only like to eat off of the flat surfaces. However, I now have tons of this algea -- only on the java moss and hornwort. As the algae accumulates it seems to have a web-like structure. 

My plants have been growing great, besides the brown algae and a little GSA which I clean off of the front glass. Please help a newbie out!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

It looks like diatoms. One otto can't possibly eat all that. It will go away buy it's self. You could shake them when you do water changes to get rid of as much as possible. It happens with new set ups.


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## maknwar (Feb 28, 2008)

Add some Flourish Excel, make sure your nutrient levels are up.


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## mtnmatt (Oct 23, 2008)

Thanks for the responses. I thought it might be a different kind of algae since the oto has yet to try eating it. I guess the little guy gets the easy stuff off of the flat surfaces. I will look into Flourish Excel. Any other ideas are welcome.
Thanks!


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