# Brown Hair Algae - Massive growth



## breathingdust (Jan 4, 2015)

I started this tank about 6 weeks ago.

It's a 60p, with an Aquasky light using Tropica soil, Fluval 106 filter and pressurized co2.

Currently stocked with:

2 German Blue Rams
10 Rasbora Erythromicron
2 Otocilincus
1 Amano Shrimp

Last readings (and very typical for the last month)

pH: 6.6
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
dKH: 70ppm
Temp: 24.5

I used filter media from my shrimp tank, so it was instantly cycled.

Fish seem happy, and plants are growing like crazy.

I started off dosing no ferts, and an 8 hour light and co2 period.

Within a couple weeks algae was starting to grow, first is was a vivid green, fine stringy hair algae, it got worse
and worse and was growing on everything. Glass, diffuser, plants, substrate everything.

I started to fight it:

Started to dose excel everyday (3ml a day). Upon advice from my local aquarium store, I started to add alkaline buffers
to increase my dKH (it was basically 0) to try get it it up to around 4 dKH, and alter my co2 levels to get my pH to around 6.8.
Started dosing with Tropica Specialized Fertilizer. Also reduced the light period to 6 hours.

All of a sudden, the green algea turned brown/olive and I thought it may have died.

Alas no, the brown algae is now even worse.

Within a few days its clogging up my filter, and growing in huge hairy bushes everywhere in the tank.
With a bit of work, i can clean it up, get the tank looking reasonably clean,
but it will be back within a few days.

I thought perhaps it was getting too much light where it was outside of the lights being on, so
for the last few days I've had it covered. It wouldn't have been a total blackout, but close.
Still the same, huge clumps of algae.

I'm not sure what to do at this point, I was thinking about a total blackout, but not sure how long
I should do that before the fish started to suffer. Any help would be appreciated.

Some pictures below.


























One cleaning effort.


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## battmanh (Jan 7, 2014)

Looks to me like it is far too much light for your plants which are all slow growers. If you want to salvage the tank as it is, I would manually remove as much algae as possible (you may have to dump a bunch of plants) and add fast growing stem plants and floating plants that can compete against algae.


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## breathingdust (Jan 4, 2015)

Thanks, for the reply. What plants would you suggest?

I have a lot of Alternanthera in the back, which grow like crazy. I have to remove a massive amount every week to keep in from taking over.

So you are saying its the light intensity that is too much rather than the photo period.

If the light is too much, would another option be to get a different light?


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## wslam (Dec 14, 2015)

Assuming the problem is the light intensity, what you could do is raise the light up. It doesn't seem like the photo period is too long (8hrs), but you could seperate the schedule to a 4hrs on/2hrs off/4hrs on. 

On another note, I don't think you are cycled yet as you still have ammonia and no nitrates at all.


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## Jousters (Jan 16, 2014)

I have the same light.I find it too much for my 6 gallon.I only turn it on for feeding.I use the stock light.I only have Java Fern and Anubias.


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## Dou (Dec 4, 2015)

I agree with what others have said - stem plants, floating plants and any plant that grows fast will help use up light/nutrients. Rinse off everything - change all the water. Anything left over has a chance to grow.

I agree that the Aquasky light intensity is probably too strong for the amount of plants you have in there as well. I would say change light period to 6 hours for now and monitor growth - or black out period for a week. You don't need to buy a new light... just change the time period. I think the fish will be fine and if you're really worried maybe just keep it to like 2-3 hours a day. Also it might be a good idea to start dosing half of what's recommend - once I did this my algae problems started to really wither (something that worked for me - others may disagree).

//Edit #1 - I had similar issues with lighting. My lights are way too strong... All of my tanks photo period is only 6-7 hours. When I had too much light I had green spot algae outbreaks. I think your algae issue is probably an abundance of micro nutrients. Tropica specialized fertilizer is the yellow one right? That one doesn't have P (Phosphorus) so I recommend you start dosing P (macro nutrient). Your other plants might not be able to compete for growth because of this. //Edit #5.. Nvm... but maybe you'd like to add more P anyway x).

*//Edit #3 - After examining pictures even more - I do see green spot algae (it is like fine hair eventually, hard to scrub off walls). I have a really good gut feeling that if you dose P and rinse everything off it's gonna turn around (as well as lowering light period and adding more plants).*

In terms of what plants to buy - any type of hygro will grow super fast. I also recommend rotala rotundifolia - it's growing super fast in my tank without CO2 already. I don't have any trimmings yet but if I did I would give some to you for free (I'll check back here later). Floating plants - duckweed (cheap, abundant), frogbit and really any type of floating plant will do.

Good luck! Hope to see a huge turn around picture in the coming weeks =D.

//Edit #2 - Also something that I find helpful is setting your filter to max flow - when I had low flow I had a lot more algae. Make sure the water is always moving.

*//Edit #4 - Hope you're not too discouraged! This is the most fun part ... solving problems and once everything looks great you can enjoy all the hard work you've put in (and your beautiful tank!)*


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

Dou, 
This is a helpful reply. I picked up a few tips as well...thanks
Brethingdust....any updates?


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## Jousters (Jan 16, 2014)

Not familiar with the Fluval 106 because I use Eheim.Do you have enough flow?More eater flow may also help.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Brearhingsky, is that an ADA Aquasky light? I had one on my 5 or 6 gallon ADA tank. It looked beautiful but the tank sprouted tons of green algae no matter what I did. Not brown, though. I switched to a nine watt fluorescent lamp that I had lying around, and the algae went away. Plant growth improved. I still have the Aquasky over the tank but it is not turned on. Maybe one day. I wonder if the Aquasky requires CO2


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## ordanjay (Apr 8, 2016)

A Siamese algae eater and a bristle nose pleco are always a good idea in a high light tank.
Since discovering EI dosing dry ferts 98% of my previous aquarium related headaches have disappeared. Its also much cheaper .


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