Dane;3942076; said:
It's mostly from planted tank keeping that I've done. I've had brown water happen for a few reasons. Mold can cause it but it's uncommon, brown algaes can cause it, tannins from drift wood or peat, and I would assume that the water could turn brown from waste alone if the fish are being fed a brown food source or the pleco is eating brown algae off of the walls. I've never had the last, but it does seem likely.
I would recommend lighting the tank better. It will help in the event that the problem is mold or brown algae related. It will also encourage the groath of green algae which seems to be prefered by plecos over the brown stuff and is better for water quality.
Of course, with those fish in that tank you will need to keep the filter well maintained and do frequent gravil vacs in addition to adding more light. Just my opinion though.
