Brown Algae...still.......

[MeganL3985]

Okay, so for a while now i've been having issues with brown algae. I'm so fed up with it. I change my water weekly....atleast 35%....mostly 50% though...I also keep the lights on 12 hrs...what gives?? I hate it.....it makes my sand, plants and decor look sooo dirty!! What else can I do? Any water treatments I can do....or any fish that would eat the brown algae (that will fit in a 20 gal). Help....I'm seriously going nuts here.

[smaug]

How many watts and what spectrum lights do you use.12 hrs may be too much,I only have mine 10.5

[MeganL3985]

I'm not sure exactly.....I want to say its a Hagen Sun Glo.....either 15 or 20 watts.

[cocoa_pleco]

any direct sunlight?

[smaug]

It really sounds like an insufficient lighting problem.

[Lady Hobbs]

You may have high phosphate/silicates in your tap water, Megan. I have to use a phosphate pad or I'd have phosphates at 2.0. The phosphate pad brings it down to .50.

My unplanted tanks have the lights on for hours each day......12-14 hours a day without even having brown algae. The only tanks that gave me that problem was my planted tanks. Low lights on unplanted tanks should be fine, I would think.

[smaug]

You may have high phosphate/silicates in your tap water, Megan. I have to use a phosphate pad or I'd have phosphates at 2.0. The phosphate pad brings it down to .50.

My unplanted tanks have the lights on for hours each day......12-14 hours a day without even having brown algae. The only tanks that gave me that problem was my planted tanks. Low lights on unplanted tanks should be fine, I would think.
I thought she said it was on her plants as well?And yes,the phos thing completly slipped past me,brown algae was at it worse for me when my phos was very high.

[MeganL3985]

Plastic plants that is......lol

Do they have phosphate tests to see if thats the problem? And do the phosphate sponges effect the fish at all?

Cocoa--Nah, it doesn't get any sunlight. Its in the back of my hallway, in a little "nook".

[smaug]

Yes there is a phos test kit ny api.If you need to treat for it the treatments are harmless to the fish.What filter type do you have?

[MeganL3985]

I have an Aquaclear

I just ordered some HBH cut-to-fit phosphate reducing filter pads. We'll see how they work.

Btw, can anyone recommend lighting for my tank. The last one I bought, I just picked up the most universal light I could find that fit my tank. I really didnt know what kind to get, or which were good.

[cocoa_pleco]

i would imagine this should do it
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1383180/cl0/coralifefreshwateraqualight24powercompactlight1x65 w
or this
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1381727/cl0/currentusasatellite2465wattpowercompactfixturesing lestripwlunarlight

you could get live plants with those lights too