Algae problem and how I am gonna remove it

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Pyramid_Party

Pyramid_Party

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2008
4,916
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Monterey, CA
I think I got brown algae. I get this brownish algae stuff in different sections in my tank. Its kinda patchy and spotty, not really sheets of it. I read a little about it and Im not sure if its brown algae or spot algae. Both sounded the same. Anyway, it keeps coming back after I clean it.

I read around about the removal of it and I get mixed answers. It says that not enough light causes this to grow, but also things like nitrates and silicates. I know other algae could be killed with turning off the lights. But some info says I needs more light and some says no light. Its kinda confusing because algae is helped usually by too much light, but I also read that sometimes its from not enough light, or maybe it just applies to this type of algae.

So I am taking a different approach. My next water change I will manually scrub as much of it out as I can. I bought some stuff called: PhosPure plus Zeolite & Carbon. I am gonna add it to my filter. It removes phosphates, Nitrates, silicates, ammonia and more.


I dont overfeed, I regularly maintain my tank with weekly 25-30% water changes. So I think it may just be excess nutrients in the water. So hopefully after I scrub it out and use the PhosPure plus Zeolite & Carbon, it will go away.

Think this is a good plan?
 
how long has the tank been set up? youll see the diatoms for up to 6 months. and youre right, it has to do with silicates and too many nutrients in the water.

i would cut back a little on the feeding, just keep scrubbing it out (it will eventually go away... then youll get green algae) and maybe bump up the percentage of water you change out.

id run the phospure, but if youre running carbon also just keep in mind that carbon really doesnt have a long life-i used to use carbon (i dont anymore on any tank) and id switch it out every two weeks..
 
Its been up for over 6 months. Ive had green algae before, but it never got out of control. I would do water changes plus scrub it and its virtually disappeared. Now I am getting this patchy brown algae stuff. It grows in different spots, some of it grows even on plant leaves. My main concern is the health/safety of my fish and plants. Its not really the look of it.

I do have carbon but I am going to start removing it and adding better media for chemical filtration like the stuff I bought. Problem is, the cartridges I have are disposable. So I had to buy the type that comes in a clamshell so I can add and remove whatever media I want. I also had to buy some mesh-style baggy thing to hold the PhosPure for me. So I had to waste a few extra bucks.
 
I cant add ottos because my fish will kill/eat them. I could always get a bristlenose pleco, but then again, I dont really wanna add another fish to just produce waste and take up tank space. I figure I could just do the cleaning myself.
 
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