Getting rid of algae

[SkarloeysMom]

My 10g has a bit of algae growing in it since I set it up a couple months ago. Its cycled and water parameters are 0-0-10 and Ph is 7 or 7.2. The algae grows just above the substrate around most of the tank. Its kind of goldish brown and grows in round patches mostly. I've been removing it just by wiping it off with a towel but I was wondering if there's a fish or snail that would eat up this kind of algae without creating too much bioload. (I ask that because I'm under the impression that snails poop a lot. Don't know if that's true)

[Chrona]

My 10g has a bit of algae growing in it since I set it up a couple months ago. Its cycled and water parameters are 0-0-10 and Ph is 7 or 7.2. The algae grows just above the substrate around most of the tank. Its kind of goldish brown and grows in round patches mostly. I've been removing it just by wiping it off with a towel but I was wondering if there's a fish or snail that would eat up this kind of algae without creating too much bioload. (I ask that because I'm under the impression that snails poop a lot. Don't know if that's true)

Snails only poop a lot of they are fed a lot, but it sounds like you have brown algae. Oto cats will happily eat it.

[cocoa_pleco]

3 otto cats will do.


how long do you have the tank lights on/day?

[SkarloeysMom]

3 otto cats will do.


how long do you have the tank lights on/day?

I think I was leaving the light on too long for a while and that was what started the problem. Since I noticed the algae I started only turning it on for feeding and viewing - only a few minutes a day.

Would a few day blackout help kill off the problem?

[gm72]

Blackout would help, but let's think about how much daylight the tank is getting. Any direct or indirect sunlight that might be contributing? This time of year I leave all of the tank lights off until about 6 and then turn them on until 10. My house is full of windows, so the fish still get the light they want and we can see them clearly after work when we're home!

[Chrona]

Brown algae thrives in low light, so it will have to be a complete blackout. Simply shortening the photperiod won't help, and will actually keep the other light needy algae from outcompeting the stuff.

If you don't wanna get otos a silicate sponge will work well too. (or any silicate removing filter media)

[gm72]

So for brown algae would you recommend not changing the light schedule at all?

[SkarloeysMom]

If you don't wanna get otos a silicate sponge will work well too. (or any silicate removing filter media)

Thanks for the info. I'll get the sponge. I had 2 otos for a while and I'm liking my panda corys as community fish a lot better even though I know they're not gonna eat the brown algae. The pandas are fun to watch. The otos I had were very reculsive. I was constantly seaching to see if they were dead somewhere. I never saw them working just hanging out on the glass. Maybe I didn't have enough of a school to make them happy.

[Chrona]

So for brown algae would you recommend not changing the light schedule at all?

It really doesn't make much of a difference either way, but more light actually allows green algae to grow, which outcompetes the brown stuff. Of course, then you have to deal with green algae, lol.

[SkarloeysMom]

Blackout would help, but let's think about how much daylight the tank is getting. Any direct or indirect sunlight that might be contributing? This time of year I leave all of the tank lights off until about 6 and then turn them on until 10. My house is full of windows, so the fish still get the light they want and we can see them clearly after work when we're home!

The tank is in my son's room and in the summer I hang room darkening curtains so I can get him to go to sleep before the late sunset. I could very easily cut out all the indirect daylight from that room. I'm just not sure I could stand that for enough days to kill off the algae. How many days would I need to blackout totally to kill the algae?

[gm72]

3 or 4 days maybe? Not exactly sure to be honest.