FishProfiles.com Message Forums

At first I thought it was some sort of algae, but I don't think so anymore. It is more a light brown colour, instread of green. It clings to the glass from one end, but at the same time, it's lose at the other end & sort of sways in the breeze. I noticed yesterday my fish nibbled on some it - should I worry. I clean it off the glass & back it comes.

The tank is 23G, has a 50% water change weekly, is filtered by eheim 2224 & has a UV.

Does anyone know what this is and what I can do to get rid of it.

Attached Image:


Cheers
TW

Hmm. Usually, when someone mentions 'brown algae', the word 'diatoms' springs to mind.

Diatoms are unicellular plants. They differ from other plants in certain key respects: one principal difference being the existence of an exoskeleton made from silica. This contributes to the diatoms possessing striking beauty under the microscope, as many have intricately sculpted silica exoskeletons.

while diatoms are unicellular, some species can aggregate into colonies. It's possible that you have one of these species if you're noticing a growth that possesses a visible extension into the water perpendicular to the glass.

The diatoms possess chloroplasts and chlorophyll, but this is usually associated with assorted other pigments (principally fucoxanthin) which accounts for the brown colour that diatoms possess when they appear in sufficient numbers to form a surface film.

Diatoms are probably among the most numerous aquatic organisms after bacteria. The oceans are full of them (phytoplantkon contains masses of diatoms).

As to their presence in your aquarium, well, you have few worries other than the need to clean the glass to see your fishes. In fact, they're a valuable food for a number of fishes, Otocinclus Catfishes being particularly fond of them. Let a team of Otocinclus loose in your aquarium and you'll soon see the diatom numbers brought down to much more manageable levels.

Basically, classify these organisms as "inconvenient but harmless".


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Hi Calilasseia

Thanks for news that is safe, although I had sort of been hoping for something along the lines of "use this product & it will disappear". I have 2 ottos in there but they aren't they ones I spotted nibbling on it as yet - the juvenile kribs were the ones caught snacking.

So apart from glass cleaning & fish eating it, there's no suggested way to be rid of the ugly stuff?

Oh, & I guess I shouldn't use the same cleaning sponge in another tank - I assume it might travel by sharing cleaning sponges?


Cheers
TW

I recently set up a tank and did not rinse the gravel enough. I got brown diatom algae on the glass and everything else too. Now that there is no more dust to make more, and I cleaned it off with an algae scour pad, it is not coming back. Wohoo!

Thanks for the input - but it is not that. The tank has been set up already for around, or maybe just under, one year.

Cheers
TW