Brown Algae

[gobucks1]

What causes this?

I only get it on 2 of 5 tanks and these are my two best filtered least stocked tanks?

I got it on my 55 comm. with just 5 serpaes 5 cories and two gouramis and two whisper HOB for filtration, plants and WC 50% every week.
I also get it on my 20H with two cons about 1.5'' and like 50 con fry. On this tank I have a AC 200 with the same WC schedule.
I don't get it on any of my other tanks which are all more heavily stocked and less filtered.

Neither of these tanks are in direct sunlight, nor do i overfeed horribly. The only thing i can think of is that both of these tanks are my only ones with sand substrate.

Any thoughts i why i'm getting this nasty brown algae and what i can do to stop it?

 

[LisaH]

I get brown algae on recently cycled tanks...Sand or gravel. Was your tank recently cycled? It takes about 5 months for it to go away. At least that is what I have obseverd with mine.

 

[Dr Joe]

What's the water chemistry?

 

[gobucks1]

I get brown algae on recently cycled tanks...Sand or gravel. Was your tank recently cycled? It takes about 5 months for it to go away. At least that is what I have obseverd with mine.

The 20 has been set up for about 5 months with fish and the 55 about 3 months with fish.

What's the water chemistry?

Nitrates are between 0 and .20 on the 55 and at .20 on the 20.

The pH is 8.2 on both tanks, not sure if that matters or not.

 

[LisaH]

Just be patient and keep scrubbing it. One day it won't come back.

 

[Dr Joe]

It may just be that those two tanks got contaminated and not the others. Cross-contamination form equipment is a big culprit.

The pH is a little high, (doesn't help the situation) but that can be caused by the algae too, if not by your doing.

Outside of starting over and cleaning the whole tank and drying it out nilly, scrubbing, darkening the tank, cutting back on feeding and a UV sterilizer to kill what floats around after cleaning will help along with a couple of algae eaters and some live plants to remove excess nutrients.

Dr Joe

.

 

[Fallen]

Some play sands are known to leach phosphate into the water. Which is one cause of brown algae. It will eventual stop.

 

[itzacraze]

phosphates for sure get a test kit manualy remove as much as you can before water changes good thing about ac filters is you can add some phos remover if necessary

 

[gobucks1]

Some play sands are known to leach phosphate into the water. Which is one cause of brown algae. It will eventual stop.

Hmm, they both had play sand in them at one point, that may be it.

It may just be that those two tanks got contaminated and not the others. Cross-contamination form equipment is a big culprit. That could be it too, the filter on the 20H was on the 55 a short time ago

The pH is a little high, (doesn't help the situation) but that can be caused by the algae too, if not by your doing. Well, out of the tap it is 8.6

Outside of starting over and cleaning the whole tank and drying it out nilly That's exactly waht i did on the 55 today, scrubbing, darkening the tank, cutting back on feeding and a UV sterilizer to kill what floats around after cleaning will help along with a couple of algae eaters and some live plants to remove excess nutrients.

Dr Joe

.

Red

 

[FSM]

The 20 has been set up for about 5 months with fish and the 55 about 3 months with fish.



Nitrates are between 0 and .20 on the 55 and at .20 on the 20.

The pH is 8.2 on both tanks, not sure if that matters or not.

Your nitrAte is .2, or nitrIte? My kit isn't that detailed.

There's brown algae (its diatoms, I thought?) in my 75, which has been up for like 6 months. Its not as bad now, although I did drop the lighting down to 40 watts from 80 recently.