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	Algae problem
patman Small Fry Posts: 3 Kudos: 3 Votes: 0 Registered: 24-Jun-2007	I have a lot of brown algae growth on the petrefied wood and artificial plants I have in my tank. Is there a safe way to efficiently get rid of this? Currently, I soak them in hot water when I'm cleaning my tank. Also, I was told by someone who works in a local pet store that algae eaters really won't eat the brown algae but will go for the green algae. Is this true? Pat
Posted 22-Jun-2008 21:38
brandeeno Mega Fish Posts: 929 Kudos: 636 Registered: 13-Sep-2007	thats good, you could add a small amount of bleach to that soak and then rinse well after soaking to remove some most of the algae... or you could just get a few snails or plecos and put them into your tank... also keeping some live plants (easy growers?) might help to eliminate the excess nutrients that the algae is able to consume. there are also commericial algae removing formulas that may help, but putting chemicals into your tank might not always be the best answer! \\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"
Posted 22-Jun-2008 22:34
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	I think brown algae is often what're called "diatoms". According to my research, diatoms are supposedly a problem in new tanks or tanks that don't have enough lighting. Diatoms utilize silicon to make their microscopic casings that protect their cells, and so high silicon is sometimes blamed to contribute to diatoms. However, personally, I have had brown algae and didn't really do anything about it; it cleared up on its own over a few weeks. While algae eaters will not necessarily eat brown algae, their foraging behavior over surfaces can help to rid these objects of algae. Some plastic plants can be hard to clean for algae eaters though. I personally would skip the bleach so you don't have to worry about not rinsing it enough. -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 23-Jun-2008 02:45
djrichie Big Fish Rough but Honest [img]htt Posts: 366 Kudos: 309 Votes: 45 Registered: 29-Jan-2007	Shin is correct it is a "diatoms" it is a new tank problem generally worsen by not washing the gravel enough.... Also if you don't vacume the gravel correctly it tends to appear in mass amounts. If it really bothers you otto cats love the stuff..... a good maintence fish to have in the tank.... depending on the tank size would determine the number od fish to get.... I read that they need a min number of fish to be 4 to 6, with a very small bioload. Djrichie "So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams
Posted 23-Jun-2008 04:26


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