Currently battling some brown algae since my last pleco passed away. Water parameters are perfect, lighting on only 6 hours a day (on timer), fully cycled and doing 25% water change weekly, and feeding ever so sparingly once each day maybe 5 days out of 7 (i am 100% sure its not overfeeding).
I went ahead and scraped a lot of it off, and got a new pleco yesterday, and its gone down a lot. I have kicked up the water changes a bit to compensate, but not messed with changing any filter pads, etc.
Anyone think it might be the heat wave we had here the last two weeks? i know the two main causes are overfeeding and lighting, but those i keep controlled tightly. Any input appreciated as always...
Spongebob
Brown algae
25 posts • Page 1 of 3
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spraky1413 - Posts: 66
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 11:47 pm
I had that problem after I gave my pleco away (outgrew the tank). My new little pleco tries, but I need to use anti-algae sparingly to keep it under control.
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ChristinaBug2890 - Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:15 pm
I'v got brown algae too...only on the back wall though near the filter. Probably because i'v been overfeeding. I bought a little spongie thingie with a long handle so i can scrub it off every once and awhile.
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Peterkarig3210 - Posts: 1980
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am
May-be-our-heat-wave-I-guess,-but-all-I-know-is-that-my-7-inch-pleco-keeps-my-100-gallon-super-clean.......No-more-brush-algae-since-I-reduced-the-number-of-fish-and-subsequently-reduced-the-food-I-put-in-the-tank......Are-you-keeping-the-lights-on-the-same-amount-of-time?....The-sun-goes-down-around-8:00-now-and-I-was-just-guessing???.....I-guess-there's-plenty-of-munchies-for-your-new-pleco.
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spongebob4460 - Posts: 603
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am
yeah my new pleco is hard at work... or hardly working... lol.... he hides a lot, so hopefully he's eating all night long, but yes my lights are on timer at the same time each day and the room stays nice and shady all day as i keep the blinds half open, and the sun never reaches that window regardless. Only other time I had brown algae was when i first set up the tank last year and was cycling.
I have kicked up the oxygen going into the tank from the venturis.... i heard oxygen helps minimize the brown algae.
I have kicked up the oxygen going into the tank from the venturis.... i heard oxygen helps minimize the brown algae.
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gumbii - Posts: 1695
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:31 am
diatoms...???
maybe you need moar lighting... right now my south american tank has brown algae because one of my bulbs blew out... i need to pick up another full spectrum bulb stat...
maybe you need moar lighting... right now my south american tank has brown algae because one of my bulbs blew out... i need to pick up another full spectrum bulb stat...
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spongebob4460 - Posts: 603
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am
gumbii... i thought about this... my bulbs are about 7 months old, running 6 hours a day. You think im ready for new ones? it would explain why my green algae is never around.
