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Hi everyone im new to the planted aquaira and am not doing to well.
My problem is my plants seem to be getting a brown film on them is this the plant dying or is it more likely to be algae of a kind? i have noticed little white things floating in my water and im leaning towards these being spores floating around.
the p[roblem seems to be at one end of the aquarium the other half of the tank is getting this way but no where near as severe.
the funny thing about that is that the less bad side is the side that has some morning sunlight(having trouble teaching room mates to keep blinds closed)

If the tank is newly set-up, you may have diatomaceous algae or brown algae. This is from freshaquarium.about.com.

Brown Algae

Algae

Other Names: Gravel algae, Silica algae

Color: Brown

Appearance: Begins as brown patches on the gravel and/or glass, then rapidly coats most surfaces of the aquarium with a thin, dark brown coating that is easily removed. Unlike blue-green/slime algae, it does not come off in large slimy sheets.

# Cause: Excess silicates & nitrates
# Inadequate light
# Low oxygen levels Brown algae is a common occurrence in a newly set up aquarium. It is generally caused by too little light, an excess of silicates, an abundance of nutrients, and too little oxygen. Silicates can build up through tap water that is high in silicic acid, and silicates that leech from some types of substrates.

Cure:
# Wipe off surfaces & vaccine gravel well
# Use silicate adsorbing resin in the filter
# Increase the lighting
# Stock a plecostomus or several otocinclus This type of algae does not adhere strongly to the tank surfaces, and is easily wiped away. Vacuuming the gravel with a siphon will quickly remove coatings from the substrate. Increasing the lighting will inhibit regrowth of brown algae. As a new tank matures brown algae is often eliminated naturally by plants and green algae competing for nutrients.

Some suckermouth catfish will readily eat brown algae, most notably plecostomus and otocinclus. If the problem is due to high silicates in the water, and the brown algae persists, a special silicate absorbing resin can be used in the filter.

Prevention:
# Use of RO water
# Regular water changes
# Regular aquarium cleaning
# Good lighting As with any algae, keeping the tank clean and performing regular water changes is one of the best preventative measures. Unfortunately it is still possible to get algae in spite of regular maintenance, especially in a newly established aquarium. Prompt attention to sudden algae growth will prevent more serious problems.


__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Really? not enough light i thought it would be other way around.
i got 75 watts on a 220L aquarium... how much more should i look at getting?
I think i have pinned the main reason down to big increase in bioload in last couple of weeks.
Does every bit of brown algae need to be removed? some of it could be difficult to find

People commonly talk about watts per gallon (wpg) for lighting. Over 3 watts is considered bright with 1.5 watts or less being low. You are at 1.3 wpg. I'm not sure what your lighting duration is but I would try to keep the lights on for at least 10 hours. I use a timer on my aquarium.

You do not need to remove every scrap of brown algae. Just knock down the large areas, do your water changes and add an otocinclus or two.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright