brown algae

[reds_21]

a little while ago i posted a thread about brown algae developing in my freshwater tank (55gal). i was asking why this was happening and it came down to the following reasons:

1. over feeding
2. to much light
3. high nitrates

i have cut back on the feeding to once each day rather than twice as i was doing. so far the fish seem to be doing well, no starved animals :fish:

as for my light, i have them turned on/off for 12 hours a day. the tank is not by "sunlight" at all. right now im only using (2) 32wt8 lamps.

my live plants are nice and bold colored BUT it keeps getting a trim of black around the leaves. all of the leaves have it. its either black or really dark brown. this started appearing once i noticed the brown algae started showing up. so i put the two together.

i have been doing a 50-60% water change each sunday night. i didnt have time to do it last night so i will be doing it when i get home and i will check my levels as well.

QUESTION #1: i cant figure out how to stop this algae from appearing. how do you control this? anything i can try that i havent been doing thus far? my oto's arn't eating any of the algae, if they are its very little.

QUESTION #2: i have tried using hot water on the live plants and rubbing the leaves with my hand but i cant get this algae off them. what can i use to clean these up to look like new?

[souly]

Seems like you might have the beginigs of black brush.

Either way, you can take the plants and dip them im a peroxide diluted with water and that should kill the algea. Also, if you Flourish Excel that kees algae in check pretty well. And helps your plants :)

[reds_21]

thanks for the response. when you say peroxide, your talking that brown bottled stuff which cleans open wounds right?

what is Fluorish Excel? never heard of it

[souly]

Floruish Excel is a plant fert. I dose my tank either once a day, or every other day to my plants. It's also know to help keep algae down because you plants are thriving well enough.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
I'm on the verge of getting the entire line for my plants!

Yeah Hyrdogen Peroxide should killt he algea on the plant, then rinse it will. You'll still have to try and clean it off....its just easier once its dead. You could also trim the leaf after dipping.

[Irish2539]

just get a few flying fox's or siemese algae eaters. (they have few names) Make sure its non-aggressive type. I had the same prob with the black algae.. all gone now.

[rich311k]

Flourish Excel is not a fert it is a liquid foirm of carbon which plants can use in place of CO2. It does seem to kill some types of algae. BBA comes from low or fluctuating CO2 levels. It can be a royal pain.