Brownish Algae Taking Over! Help!

[Sagecat]

I need some help with a brown algae problem I am having. At first, I didn't mind the stuff so much as I would scrape it off the glass before water changes. Now, however, it is growing on the plants and it really making the tank ugly.

When I touch it, it is a bit slimy but not at all furry or fluffy, and will usually come off the leaves of my plants when I rub it. It scrapes off the glass easily enough.

I should also mention I have tried to figure out what to do by scouring the web, but as of now, I have had little luck.

Tank Specs & Water Quality
10 Gallon Freshwater
6 Months Old
Lights on for 10h/day
18w full spectrum florescent

6 Neon Tetra
6 X-Ray (Pris.) Tetra
2 Cory Cats
(All fish in excellent health)

1/week water changes
35~40%/change
Seachem Flourish & Flourish XL used as directed

Ph 7.9 (Ph refuses to go down no matter what. Tap Ph is 6.2...)
Amm. 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
KH 3
GH 7


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You can see the algae on the plants and the back wall of the tank as well as on in tank the filter.

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In tank shot of the algae.

[Pulmonatus]

Seachem Flourish & Flourish XL used as directed

May be contributing to your problems?

On a side note... it looks delicious to me! I've been living with snails for too long. :drool:

[Lady Hobbs]

This is simply diatoms. It's from an access in nutrients/silicates/phosphates. You need to start cleaning that stuff off with a scrubbie pad, doing more and larger water changes and clean your gravel.

You may not have the proper lights for plants, as well. Are you using stock lights and trying to grow plants? If so, most plants do not do well in stock lighting. You also may not be needing all that fertlizer if the plants are not growing well and fast. Growing plants in gravel really isn't giving them a very good start either.

With gravel, I would simply get some java fern and attach it to driftwood and pull out those stem plants.

[Sagecat]

This is simply diatoms. It's from an access in nutrients/silicates/phosphates. You need to start cleaning that stuff off with a scrubbie pad, doing more and larger water changes and clean your gravel.

Okay, I'll redouble my efforts on scrubbing the nasty little things off and out.

You may not have the proper lights for plants, as well. Are you using stock lights and trying to grow plants? If so, most plants do not do well in stock lighting.

My light is a Aqueon 8000k Full Spectrum Daylight (hg) 15w 120v T8 18".

I was told this it is good "all-purpose" light for my tank. Although, if you have a recommendation as to a way I could upgrade my light bulb, assuming that my current light is poor, I'm all ears.

You also may not be needing all that fertlizer if the plants are not growing well and fast. Growing plants in gravel really isn't giving them a very good start either.

With gravel, I would simply get some java fern and attach it to driftwood and pull out those stem plants.

I did some research (on the forum) and I see that using gravel and an UGF (Though there seems to be some disagreement about the UGF) isn't the best solution to a healthy plant tank. I am going to pick up some Eco-Complete and scrap the UGF in favor of a bubble wand at the back of the tank. I'll half my fertilizer and CO2 usage till I make the changes as well.

Thanks for the advice, LH. :goldfish:

[Lady Hobbs]

Your light should be fine for that tank. 8-10 hrs is plenty a day. Your idea of reducing the ferts is a good one, too. Are you not using a filter other than the UGF? I would personally get a hang on the tank filter for your tank. The bubbler is not needed, especially if you are using CO2, but they do come in handy to use during the night time hours.

[Sagecat]

I have a Whisper i10-30 in-tank filter that I am completely not enamored with for many reasons. I plan on replacing it with a nice HoB filter but first I have to use up my stockpile of Whisper Bio-Bags before I make the change.

[Lady Hobbs]

I have a Whisper filter in my 10 gallon but since I'm cheap, I don't buy cartridges but instead use a piece of foam cut to fit the Whisper. Much easier to just squeeze the foam out in tank water than buying cartridges. You replace the cartridges, you loose the bacteria, too.

PS....I don't know about you but it seems to me that Whisper barely breaks the waters surface. I run a airstone just because I don't think it offers up much in oxygen. I may have to make a change there and get another filter.