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Ok I have done some tank movements and have everything setup as I want it but I have alot of brown algae in my 20H. I have 6 pepper cories in it but they don't do anything for the algae. I have a couple live plants and a few other fish in the tank. Is there anything I can put in there to keep the brown stuff down to a min. I am looking for a type of fish to add. I think it has a lot to do with my tap water so I know there will most likely be a steady amount of it in the tanks. I also have a 20L but no bottome feeders so what would be good for that one. My water is very hard and has a higher pH so I would be looking for something that can handle the prams. You can look below to see what fish I have and were.

20H
2 Bleeding Heart Tetras
4 Pristella Tetras
1 Painted Glassfish
6 Pepper Cory

20L
1 Fancey Male Guppy
4 Gold Barbs
6 Harlequin Rasbora
4 Cherry Barbs

I am looking for something that can be kept single and not need to be in a group and will go good with the other fish. I only have problems with brown algae but do have algae wafers that I will add if needed.

I also wanted to add that I do water changes every week. I do what I am supposed to to keep up with the tanks but I still cannot get rid of the brown algae. I really enjoy my cories but as stated before they don't tend to eat the brown stuff. I also want it to be know that I do enjoy the bottom feeders that I do have and don't want everyone to think this is the only reason I have them. I don't have a problem with the algae on the glass just on the plants and decor in the tank. Not sure as to why it is only in them areas and not all over. Thanks

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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You should get a small type of pleco

-Vincent

What kind of pleco would be good then. I have read that the BN might be a good one but not sure. I think I have seen them around my area though. Would one get along with my cories? I will most likely be putting one in each tank. Thanks

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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bristlenose sounds good.


-Vincent

I think the Bristlenose may get to big for your size of tanks.

Also, they tend not to eat algae once they get large.

Perhaps if you can find the cause of the algae and try to get rid of it that way you might be better off.

What are your water parameters and how much lighting are you using?

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

Well I have been reading and have the idea it is simply coming from my tap. I live in the country and have very hard water along with high pH. I do water changes every week along with gravel cleanings. I also clean my filters every other week, one I do ine week the other I do the next. I have 2 live plants and a few plant budsin the tank as I thought this would help the algae but it has not. I leave my light on for about 10 hours a day for the plants. The light is only a 15W light though. I also have a DIY CO2 system for the plants and to help with the high pH and hardness levels. I have no direct sunlight hitting the tank as it is next to an inside wall. I just don't know what else to do. I clean it then the next week it is there again. The fish are all fine but the crap is just nasty to look at. My water levels are stable though and listed below..

pH - 7.2
Ammonia - 0
NitrAte - 40
NitrIte - 0
Temp - 76-78d F

I just don't know what else to do so I thought that since I wanted to get an algae eater sometime I might as well get one that will eat the brown algae. Any other ideas as I don't think shrimp or snails would be a good idea plus I don't really care for them. Thanks

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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I'm not full bottle on CO2 but I think you should perhaps have more plants and higher lighting if your going to use it.

The more plants that take up the nutrients the less there is for the algae to feed on.

Do you dose ferts and if so what and how much?

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

By brown algae, I assume we're talking diatom algae which otocinclus (otos) simply love. Get 3, watch it all disappear...

Eric

I currently have 2 grown plants and I have 1 small lilly bud that is sprouting now that I added the CO2. I have about 5 other little plant buds I just added and hope they will sprout soon. I don't use any type of fert in my tank.

I was thinking about Otos but I hear they are really picky and my water is so hard and high pH that I don't want to get them just to pretty much kill them. I have headr a few people say that BN are also good to have but they get bigger the Otos and don't want to crowd them in a tank as I have 6 pepper cories already in the 20H.

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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Your water params above are more than fine for otos. My duo (the third died a few years back) have lived in pH 7.2 to 7.8 over the past 5 years...and they were full grown when I got them so I have no clue how old they really are. I think otos, if they make it the first few weeks in your tank, are pretty tough.

Eric

The prams are for the 20H tank but the main reason is due to the DIY CO2. This is what is helping to keep my pH levels down. I was thinking about taking my cories out of the 20H and putting them in the 20L as I think they might enjoy it more. I think this would then aloow more room for the Otos if I got some. What do you think? I just worry I am going to have the same issue with the 20L as I beleive the problem is due to my tap water that is used for cleanings.

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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Can you get a pic of the stuff? Brown algae is usually diatoms. As was already mentioned, otos will eat the stuff up in no time, but it's caused by silicates in the water. It usually coats everything in a tank when the tank is first started, particularly if you're using regular silicone gravel. If it's on the glass just wipe it off with a towel, same if it's on other hard flat surfaces like rocks or something. It grows back slowly so just keep wiping it off and it'll eventually go away.

Alos, try not to disturb the substrate too much. You mentioned you just did some re-arranging. When you move the substrate around a lot of gunk can get stirred up into the water, organic stuff that can cause different kinds of algae. Let it settle and let it be.

This stuff occurs in just about every tank when it is first put up, no matter how densely planted or if planted at all. Conditions affect how much develops - in a large tank with silicone based gravel I had an absolute ton and it lasted a while. In another tank with plant substrate I had a coating on the tank walls for about a week, I wiped it off and it didn't come back.



p.s. an overlooked method of algae control, I believe, is the simplest: if you see it start somewhere, wipe it off The first step towards fighting it is not letting it get a foothold to begin with

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Back in the saddle!

Ok again I setup the new tank not the one that is having the brown algae problems. There is nothing on the glass just on the plants and other decor. I didn't stir up any gravel as I didn't need to move anything of that type. I do have a RUGF with 2 Penguin 660R unit which pushes most anything up from the gravel that gets that low, the HOB then sucks it out of the tank. The tank also has been setup for alittle over 6 months. I try to clean it off but it just comes back.

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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Since your water is the likely cause, otos would help out since they just love the stuff (brown algae). I'd give them a try. When buying, lurk at your LFS for a few days, observe the otos, and if they look healthy and appear to be eating, buy them. I've found if I get healthy ones that have been at the LFS a few weeks, they tend to do fine.

Eric

I think the 15w of lighting could be the problem, doesn't this kind of algea thrive in low light conditions?

Brown algae or diatoms are usually associated with modest light levels, but can occur under just about any kind of lighting conditions if the nutrient situation suits them.

However, Otocinclus will graze their way happily through the stuff at a rate of knots. The best control by far for brown algae is something that regards it as lunch, and Otocinclus pile in and chomp their way through it with a degree of relish so great you'd swear they were smiling at you as they ate it.

Plus, Otocinclus place modest demands on space. In a 20, a team of 4 or 6 would be VERY happy if they discovered a huge sprawl of brown algal coated surfaces to graze. Chances are you wouldn't have a brown alga problem for long once they got to work.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002