rust colored sediment???

[Punkin]

Hi,
Our tank is fairly new...afew months....just 2 orange gouramis in there...
An orange/rust colored sediment is coating the stones. We have removed them and rinsed them and put them back.It came righ back. Today we have gone to get now stones for the bottom. Does anyone know what this is from?
Thanks for any help!

[freshwaterfishlover]

It is plain old alge. I have the same stones and they are the same color. If your tank is not near a window the stones will get slight colored and when you wash them they will stay clean for a month or two. If your near a window they will get colored in 2 days.

Has your gravel got discolored?

[NorthernBoy]

That is a type of algae typical to new aquariums. you should check your light bulbs. INCREASE or buy newer bulbs if they are really old. That will help to supress brown algae. eventually it will become green algae and then you can decrease the time your lights are on. brown algae is typical of new tanks and tanks with old lights or poor lighting. brown algae feeds on organic matter too so make sure you are not over-feeding. You could as well buy a catfish and it will help maintain the tank as well.

[TehTANK]

I have a problem with brown alge right now. i am doing the best I can to kill it off. More frequent water changes and cleanings. It just happens. My wife complains of the smell but she knows I can never get rid of my fish!

[Fishguy2727]

Depending on the gouramis, you could try an otto. They are one of the algae eaters that will eat brown algae.

[Whitney]

Did it look sort of like this?

I started my first fishtank about two months ago and began getting this stuff within the first month.....

I got an albino bristlenose pleco- he did a great job of cleaning up the rocks.....I noticed a huge improvement overnight. A few weeks later I added some cherry shrimp and they get into all the hard to reach places the pleco missed...they also eat hair algae, which is also common in tanks.

Otos are supposed to be great cleaners as well...though I've heard that they can be a bit sensitive and often die. If you go with a pleco...be sure to get a dwarf plec if you don't have a large tank because many species get to be about a foot long. My little bristlenose probably won't exceed 4 inches.

Good Luck!

[Whitney]

I'd like to add one more thing...

If you do get an algae eating fish, you should know that just because they're cleaning up the algae and saving you from having to scrub your rocks, they are still adding to the bioload of your tank- so the overall "cleanliness" of your tank will not be improved-you may infact need to do more frequent water changes.

Also, you should keep in mind that they will also need to have their diets supplemented with algae wafers and driftwood.

I've found that this isn't a bother at all- as I already do frequent water changes and throwing in an algae wafer every couple of days seems like a very good exchange for having a tank that doesn't look brown and dirty.

[Cichlid_Man]

I have it in my 30 gallon tank and I sort of like it.
My tank is partially in the sun so it grows nicely.

An Otto is an excellent choice as Reptileguy stated.

I think somebody already mentioned it but, don't clean off any rocks and things in your tank. There are tons of beneficial bacteria on those rocks needed for good water chemistry.

[Fishguy2727]

MY rubberlip/frogmouth plecos do a great job in my 40 community, better than the 2 bristlenose in my 55 discus. My otto must be an exception, because I would move it from tank to tank (goldfish with a little salt, platy tank with no salt, convict tank with heat) and didn't even acclimate (don't do this) and he never had any problems, just kept eating.