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View Full Version : brown stuff on everything , algae?

scotty
07-31-2009, 01:14 AM
i have a newly cycled 125g (fishless cycle) and have had fish for about 2 weeks . all the fish are really small and some will be moving to the pond soon , there is brown stuff growing on everything in the tank . what is it ? is it something that needs to be addressed ? oh btw waterparams are good amonia 0 nitrites0 and nitrates are staying between 10-30ppm (when it gets to 30 i do a water change) i dont have a problem with it as it looks natural and i can wipe off the front glass easy enough with a magnetic glass cleaner ( the coolest tool ever~!)
any ideas on what if anything i need to do ? the fish all look good and healthy and are really taking to tank life ...they will beg for food any time you walk by the tank ...lol
Sir Tristen
07-31-2009, 01:20 AM
It sounds like diatoms, a brownish algae common in new tanks. You can just scrape it if it bothers you, but it doesn't hurt anything and should go away with time. What are you doing for lighting?
rich311k
07-31-2009, 01:21 AM
Sounds like diatoms. It is a microscopic organism that feeds on silicates. It will go away on its own. It is quite comman in a new tank.
scotty
07-31-2009, 01:36 AM
that good to know thanks for the quick replys . will a rubberlip pleco eat this stuff ? ( saw one the other day and they are pretty cool looking )
as for lighting all i know is they are the chaep ones thatcame with the tank this will be my next project (just finished building a 20g sump/trickle filter ) i am looking at some 36" t5 fixtures
Sir Tristen
07-31-2009, 03:19 AM
I'm not sure if the plecs eat diatoms, but I imagine so. Sometimes you can actually beat diatoms w/ more light rather than less from what I've read, but I would just scrape what annoys you for now and just let your tank settle in.
Archman66
07-31-2009, 04:05 AM
Otto's will eat it. I have diatoms, and on the advice of a good LFS got 2 ottos for my 25 g. Overnight, the cleaned the glass, now they're working on the rocks and plastic plants.

One thing, though. If you can't see any diatoms or algae, you'll need to feed the ottos some algae wafers.

I've heard SAE's eat it, but they get to big for my 25 g.