Brown Algae Vs Light?

[schmath]

How many hours should I leave my aquarium light (finnex stingray) on? I'm getting brown algae all over everything the light touches, so I've backed off the light to 4 hours/day, but is that enough to sustain my java fern and anubias? I'm also dosing .25ml Thrive once a week and performing 1-2 50% water changes per week. My tank has been cycled for about 7 weeks with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 5 nitrates. My nerite is pretty good at cleaning the algae off the glass and driftwood, but doesn't touch the plants. Is there something I can put in a 5.5 gallon with a betta and nerite that will clean the plants?

 

[Kathryn Crook]

Brown algae is diatoms most likely and will abate with time, it could take months. Keeping the lights under 7 hrs will help and your nerite should eat some of it...it just takes time.

 

[schmath]

I picked up a little horned nerite to help clean the plants yesterday. He's so tiny though! Maybe I should have gotten more...