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February 13th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| new to algae!
I've read a lot lately on algae seeing as I'm finally getting some - I've got small spots and clumps of goldy-brown algae that comes off easily with my fingers. I've read it's healthy for an aquarium to have algae - not sure if that means this kind of algae, as I've also read this kind is a result of too much phosphates, too much silica (?!) or just plain too much light. Is this the 'bad' algae?
I have this in all 3 of my tanks. Recently I started turning the light on in the morning and turning it off at night - which means it's on 15-16 hours a day (too much light? check!) This was so I wasn't turning it on for say an hour in the morning then leaving it off all day til I got back home. I think the fish are happier this way. I'm being really careful not to overfeed (phosphates!), and all the tanks get a gravel vac and a 25% wc once a week. ammonia, nitrites are consistently zero, nitrates rarely go above 5 sometimes 5-10.
So my 3g has white gravel - which is now coated in goldy-brown algae. It looks really gross actually. I didn't think I could take it out and wash it, I might as well change it out (have considered that, thought of changing over to live plants). Is there anything else I can do about it? or how to prevent it in the future? | 
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February 13th, 2009
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| | Fish Bum
| im not sure but i dont think its bad, if youre gonna change the gravel buy some live bacteria, and i would just use like an algae sponge. | |
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February 13th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| hmm, brown algae is usually diatoms but since you can pull it off it definitely isnt....i'll have to see if i can find something closer, can you post a pic? | |
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February 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Pictures
The white rock pics are from the 3g, and the leaves pics are the silk plants in my 20g, which had a fine coating of yellow-brown dusty stuff on them until 2 days ago when I found I could remove most of it with my fingers, so it probably doesn't show up too well, I took most of it off. The 20g doesn't have any on the gravel (which is a really light tan-white) but all the leaves closest to the top (light) were covered in it. The 5g doesn't seem to have any, maybe? it's got tan gravel and a tan ornament and, until tomorrow, holds 3 cories so who knows.
tigger: I didn't think an algae sponge would work on gravel? I should try that.
Do you think it's the light? | |
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February 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| The 3g got an extra-special gravel vacuuming today and voila! you can't even tell there was anything on the white rocks. The ornament in there sported a lovely coat of gold fur, all on the top, until I rubbed it all off today.
The 20g, meanwhile, has a fresh coat of goldy-brown funness on the leaves nearest the light. I only rubbed it all off 3 days ago...that's fast.
Because of what I'm seeing, I'm tempted to say it's algae and it's due to the amount of light the tanks are getting. Agree, disagree? Any advice on what it is and how to minimize it coming back, is much appreciated. 
*One particular concern: if it is the light, would the fish be adversely affected by having the light on for 2 hours in the morning, then off all day, then on again for 3-4 hours at night? I could play with the lengths there but I'm mostly concerned by the 2 periods of light. | |
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February 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| if you want you could get some otto cats for your tanks, not sure about the betta tank... | |
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February 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Tried that recently - short version is otos are adorable but didn't work out for me. Thanks though.
Do you agree it's algae?? | |
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February 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| i know i have some brown stuff in my tank but only on the glass, its part of having a new aquarium. you may just need to find another type of algae eater  | |
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February 15th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| It's definitely algae  check here to see if you can Identify it. http://www.plantgeek.net/
carol | |
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February 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| get a black molly, they will eat the algae if you dont feed them | |
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February 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Hi prairielilly (Marsha) I had the same thing in my 75 gal when it was only 2 months old I got some Siamese algae eaters and they went right to work and with in a week or so it was gone and they now keep it in check... And I cut my lighting back' it will not harm them if you spit it up I have mine on from 7am-9am then from 3pm-9pm when my moon lights come on till 12am....
Hope this helps Rob | |
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February 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| i feed my balloon mollie 2x a day and he still eats a ton of algae | |
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February 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Bum
| try putting your light on a timer. I have timers on both my tanks & it gives the plants plenty of light without creating a lot of alge. They come on for 1.5 hr in the morning & 4 hrs in the evening. Also, I have a rubberlip pleco in my 36g & he does a great job.
Last week I had a slime on my 20g & I had to remove all the gravel & decorations. I cleaned them in a weak bleach/water solution & gently brushed the plant leaves. I did a 20% water change because I wanted to maintain the bacteria. So far, so good. No slime. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Thanks everyone for the replies.
I don't have the option of adding any more fish (should have stated that initially). I've also pretty much decided to stick with the silk plants in all 3 tanks. What I really wanted to find out:
- why is the algae there (what caused it? some excess, deficiency in something chemical, the light?)
- does having this algae mean there's something wrong with my tank?
- I've read it will 'eventually go away'. True?
- is there anything mechanical I can do about it (since a double-thorough gravel vac appears to eliminate most of it, that seems to be answered)
- would the fish be adversely affected, in FishLore members' opinions, by having the light on for two periods each day rather than one long one (this wouldn't be hard, I just thought one long light period was better for the fish).
Sorry for all the questions, I thought some clarification was in order.
The advice is very much appreciated, I'm still pretty new at this and whenever something 'new' comes up I want to learn as much about it as possible. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| i'm pretty sure adding live plants will help with the algae problem, because they feed on the same things and adding live plants means less for the algae to consume. also, if it's diatom (brown spot) algae, then it's perfectly normal and just sort of happens in new tanks. it should go away after a couple of months or so.
one long light period IMO is better for the fish as it is a more accurate creation of their natural habitats (12 hrs on 12 hours off)
honestly, algae isn't really a big deal, if you just buy an algae scrubber you can remove it pretty easily when you do water changes and tank maintenance and the like. now there are some kinds of algae that are actually bad, but most of them are harmless. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Thanks Alex. I have an algae scrubber, I use it once a week. This is the first time I've had algae this noticeable, before it was just a thin film on the glass, which is why I was posting about it.
The issue w. the live plants was that my 2 little tanks have really strong lights - both 10W in 3g and 5g. So they can't have the standard 'easy' low light plants all these nice ppl keep recommending like java fern and anubias. I was referred to a site listing high-light plants, most of which were rated 'difficult' and required CO2. I don't see CO2 happening in my itty bitty betta tanks, and I'm completely new at plants and don't want to start with 'difficult'. I also don't want to monkey with the current lights. I thought I'd leave well enough alone.
I get up at 5 am, leave at 7 am, get back home at 6:15 pm and go to bed around 9-10 pm. Just explanation of why 12 on/12 off for light doesn't work so well. I like to feed them in the morning and again at supper, but I don't want to turn the light off a half hour after I get home, I want to enjoy my fish.
If the algae's nothing to worry about and will eventually go away, that's wonderful news (sorry for the verbage...) I may just keep all as it is then. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| yeah, i just use my algae scrubber. i also have snails (by accident, hitchhikers from live plants) so whatever i can't reach they normally get.
wow, yeah i see your dilemma with the lighting.
you can probably set your lights on a timer (i've never done this but i know of many people that do) so that they turn on around 9 or 10 am and you can just turn them off when you go to sleep.
diatoms will eventually go away, the other kinds probably wont, but like i said most are harmless. now....if you get cyanobacteria, that's something else entirely. pink had a really long battle with cyanobacteria...... | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by agabr123  wow, yeah i see your dilemma with the lighting.
you can probably set your lights on a timer (i've never done this but i know of many people that do) so that they turn on around 9 or 10 am and you can just turn them off when you go to sleep. | I've been told that fish won't eat in the dark, and I like to feed them twice a day (once in the morning, once around supper).
Do you think it would adversely affect the fish to have the light on for two periods each day (few hours in the morning, then off all day, then on again when I get home and turn off when I go to bed) instead of leaving them on all day?
Edit: sorry Alex you answered that one already (I'm getting sleepy here). If fishies are happy with 16 hours of light, I guess I'll just keep wiping off silk leaves 
Last edited by prairielilly; February 16th, 2009 at 12:51 AM.
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| actually a lot of people recommend feeding some fish after lights out if you've got aggressive fish in the tank to make sure everybody gets to eat. so i don't think that that would be a problem.
if there is enough natural light in the room where the tank is then IMO it shouldnt be too much of a problem. i know some people that have lots of natural light only turn the tank lights on when it starts getting dark | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| It's a pretty dim house, especially in the winter (all my houseplants have gone to my office bc I couldn't keep them alive at home, even right by a window). It faces south (fabulous for petunias in the summer) but there's a stairwell/balcony in front of the living room window so the inside's a little dark. So no light during day = fishies in dark all day = two very short days/24 hours for my fishies, doesn't seem healthy to me either.
No aggressive fish (well my DG likes to boss the cherry barbs around). They all know their routine pretty well. When I turn the light on in the morning it takes a good five minutes for everyone to wake up | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| hmmm....yeah i'm not sure. it's probably not a big deal to leave it on longer then. i leave my lights on for closer to 14 hours depending on my class/work/other stuff schedule.
Lol, yeah but they should still be able to find the food and eat in the dark. | |
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