# brown algae



## Johnnyfishtanks (Apr 21, 2010)

so i have brown algae on my vals my hygro and water sprite are fine . butt the current kinda has a current going threw it and brown growing crap is growing all the time on my vals . i have a xp4 running in a 75 gallon should i go back with my fluval 404 does this matter . our what should i do my ph and kh are good i just dont under stand there getting 8 our so hours of light . and blue marine glo at night is this to much . should i get them on timers and this would be better . help


----------



## Johnnyfishtanks (Apr 21, 2010)

anybody help?


----------



## blue_eden (Apr 23, 2010)

i got it too 
all plants are covered with it.
supposingly there are a few causes for brown algae (diatoms)

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/maintenance1/p/algaebrown.htm

the causes, in a nut shell,
excess silicates/nitrate
low lighting
low oxygen

i am guessing you have enough lighting, so could it be too much nitrate? and low oxygen?

as for me, i use dose mine with all the recommended fertilizers, use more than enough lighting, but i STILL get the brown algae. i uploaded some pics.

the first picture shows new plants leaves are still quite green, while the older ones are going brown 
the second picture shows my taiwan moss turning a bit brown too. also if anyone can ID the long green hair algae, it would be appreciated! i got shrimps and SAEs, they rarely eat it...

anyone encountered these types of algae and have successfully got rid of them please help!


----------



## Johnnyfishtanks (Apr 21, 2010)

hmm will i do just got my canister running under water. is this to low oxygen people ?
i need more bubbles . what would be a good idea . i don't want a air stone


----------



## blue_eden (Apr 23, 2010)

if it's a newly setup tank/filter, brown algae tends to be there.
if it's not, then either you have too much nutrients or not enough oxygen.
try to feed less, or inject oxygen. remember there is always a lag (close to a week) for your changes to apply. feed less for a week before you can notice any difference.

since you have a canister filter, you can try to connect an airpump right up to the out-take of the filter.

i am going to give airstone a try. hopefully it works.


----------



## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

I use an xp4 on my 75 g also. I let the outflow hose sit just slightly above the water level and it airates and agitates the surface well without making alot of noise. That should really increase oxygen for you better than most air stones could provide. 
Oddly enough after reading the article on brown algae I made a connection as to shy its in my 20 gallon tank (2 hob filters and airstone). I am using using white silica sand which would obviously increase slica levels (one of the causes of brown algae.


----------



## Johnnyfishtanks (Apr 21, 2010)

im thinking of drilling a hole in the end of my out take a see if i put a tube in it , and out of the tank and see if that will do a siphon effect with air and putt more oxygen in the water


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

If you have diatoms as a cause of brown algae (very common in a newish tank setup or when water flow is low) then otocinclus can clear this up quite quickly. Just add some otos to your tank, about 4 otos per 10 gallons, and the diatoms will disappear, especially from plants! 

My experience is only with planted, low light tanks. I have never used CO2 and so I don't know anything about low oxygen as a cause of diatoms. But I've noticed that increasing the flow and filtration can help sometimes, especially if brown algae is affecting one area of your tank, such as a bottom edge.


----------



## blue_eden (Apr 23, 2010)

@johnny, you can try using a T-connector, drilling can get all messy and stuff especially if you don't seal it properly, or you can bring the output hose above water surface to get some oxygenation thru surface agitation

@morainy, agree, otos will do a very good job cleaning up. i got 2 filters (one canister + one fluval 4 plus) established for months in a 72gallon, so i think i can rule out poor flow/filtration. i do admit i have some nitrate because i dose potassium nitrate on a weekly basis, but i don't think that's the cause. gonna give oxygenation a try, all else fail, get some otos.


----------



## Johnnyfishtanks (Apr 21, 2010)

i have a large fahaka puffer LOL


----------



## darb (Apr 21, 2010)

personally I would go by an O2 test kit before I did that, but I doubt it if it was low O2, your fish would probably be showing signs.

I can say that nerites do a great job of eating it, but that doesn't really help you ...


----------



## blue_eden (Apr 23, 2010)

lol, yummy otos


----------



## Johnnyfishtanks (Apr 21, 2010)

well i bought a timer . it six hours a day now so will see . hopefully that will help


----------



## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Johnnyfishtanks said:


> im thinking of drilling a hole in the end of my out take a see if i put a tube in it , and out of the tank and see if that will do a siphon effect with air and putt more oxygen in the water


Let us know how that works, I am curious if it would work but is a cool idea. I think as long as the air pressure is a little higher than the water pressure it will be fine. With the high velocity of the cannister it should have lower pressure. (I know it sounds backwards but it is physics)
Maybe a venturi type fitting would help.


----------



## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Do snails eat brown algae? 

I have brown algae in my eclipse 3 gallons. At first I was just scrubbing them off the walls, but now they are on the plants. I don't have room for Otos


----------

