Brown algae

[Wild Turkey]

Hey guys, my grandmother is currently having brown algae explosions. Not something i didnt expect, as we just vastly improved her water quality and she just replaced her tank light with a nice new bright fluorescent. Im cutting the light down to half, she keeps it on all day so i'll get a timer and set it to 12/12. Im also gonna get out the scrubber tomorrow and the test kits. I suspect her lvls are good but i'll have an update tomorrow. Any other suggestions on controlling this algae? Man the brown species grows fast!! jeez. My main problem is its all over her decor, not just the glass. Any help is appreciated as always and u guys know i love to give rep :)

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Diatoms. Diatoms are caused by a couple of things. They are a natural result of a freshly cycled tank. They show up when there are plenty of nutrients in the water. The additional light is no doubt helping this. I suspect that the light in combination with water quality is doing this.

[jbeining75]

Brown Algae is definetely a diatom. The way to treat it is to do some regular water changes to deplete the nutrient/silicate levels and actually to increase the lighting in the water.

[Wild Turkey]

Brown Algae is definetely a diatom. The way to treat it is to do some regular water changes to deplete the nutrient/silicate levels and actually to increase the lighting in the water.

Increase? Y? Ive never had brown algae before, but i figured turning down the lights would help as it always has with other types of algae. BTW her tank has been cycling for probably 3 years or more, but it might as well be freshly cycled as her nitrate levels were deadly no matter what ur opinion of the deadly lvl of them is for probably a year or more. Bleck.

[MandyL]

Yes I've heard as well that brown algae can be caused by not enough light. Totally goes against what we're used to for algae, but that's what they say!

[xoolooxunny]

More, high light for the brown algae. I think that deadly nitrate level you mentioned has something to do with it as well. Did you really mean 3 years?? Has the water ever been changed? is there a sand substrate?

[Wild Turkey]

More, high light for the brown algae. I think that deadly nitrate level you mentioned has something to do with it as well. Did you really mean 3 years?? Has the water ever been changed? is there a sand substrate?

Yea dude i mean three years, insanity i know. She had just been topping off the tank for 3 years. Somehow she managed to keep 4 black skirt tetras in there alive, but i gave her a gift when i moved in, a mystery snail. I asked her if she did water changes, and she said yes. Of course she thought i meant topping off the tank so when the snail died i broke out my kits and found those lvls. It took her a long time to understand what she had been doing to the fish. Shes old, and stubborn. Shes an animal lover and so i had to use the lock ur dog in a closet for three years analogy and it hit home....so now im in charge of the tanks maintenance. lol Score?

Her lvls are decent now, around 20 NA. And all else is nominal. As soon as i fixed the damage the brown algae exploded, and i estimate its multiplying itself by about 30 - 50% per day.

[xoolooxunny]

give it time, just keep up the routine maintenance, your stirred the hornets nest. Keep the light on for 12 hrs a day, and eventually it will pass. Those poor tetras....

[Wild Turkey]

give it time, just keep up the routine maintenance, your stirred the hornets nest. Keep the light on for 12 hrs a day, and eventually it will pass. Those poor tetras....

Im telling ya, makes me sick. But then again its not her fault. Shes come from a time when you put the fish in water, and give them food. Thats it. And the fish store wont tell her any different.