Help please.

[Xandict]

This has probably been asked 100 times, but im gonna ask anyway. What would be causing my green algae? I had no problems till i added the plants, then brown diatoms started showing up. Now it's mostly green on the sides of my tank and hanging from the filter. I bought a Oto cat today. Was going to get 3 but they only had 1. It's an 18 gallon tank, the lights stay on from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and I used Flourish tabs for the plants when I first put them in about 1 month ago.

[rich311k]

Try cutting the lighting to 8 -10 hours a day. 14 hours is way to much.

[Xandict]

So like from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.?

[Northernguy]

Rich is right! Thats way to much.
Is your tank getting direct sunlight?
I would not get more otos.You do need more corys!

[rich311k]

Yes. That would be better. Give it a few weeks if it still is advancing then go to 12 to 8. It is not unusaul for new tanks to go through all of this

[Xandict]

the cory and the danio are just in there temporarily. the tank has been set up for almost 8 months but no algae problems till i got plants and raised the watts on the lights. I'll try your suggestion and we'll see how it goes

[Northernguy]

The corys do not eat algae but with the right numbers they are a lot more fun to watch. They get lonely and mope around when they are not in schools.