Brown Spots HELP!!!

Why did I ever choose this hobby?!? I love it, but there is always something else! Maybe that's why I enjoy it so much...

Anyway, I was just doing my weekly water change on my 46 gallon tank. It was setup on March 5th. I did a fish in cycle with TSS and I have been testing with my API master kit at least twice a week.

For the past month I have had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and up to 10 nitrates (if tested right before water change).

I noticed that I have brown spots on my fake wood and fake plants. It rubs off easily with my fingers, but it is now on my glass, that I just wiped off an hour ago!

I have been removing fake plants and replacing with real, and I am currently 50/50 real/live.

What is this brown stuff? How do I get rid of it?

Thanks!

 

Diatoms?

 

I don't know?! What should I do?

 

There are 3 things that every Diatom mother tells her many, many Diatom children: 1. Eat everything that you can and then some, 2. Enjoy the Light, 3. Be wary of the enemy that is the Plant Kingdom

Since you mentioned that you don't have any fish, overfeeding isn't exactly a problem. However, you could try shortening the amount of time each day your lights are turned on and by making sure no natural sunlight is hitting the tank. The second thing you can do is replace the rest of your plastic plants with real ones. Real plants compete with algae for nutrients and resources, provide oxygen to your fishy friends, and just look so darn good.

 

Actually Diatoms do better with less light, unlike green algae.

While unsightly, diatoms are harmless and will go away on their own eventually.

 

Thanks!