Is This Algae? If so, What Should I Do?

[Benskoln]

Hi There,

1) Looking at the picture below, does this look like an algae issue or just the natural color of the water when lit?

2) If it is algae, I stopped fertilizing a few weeks ago and reduced light to five hours per day. Should I just let this ride or is there something further I should do?

3) Once the algae is resolved, what would you recommend for daily lighting duration and fertilization frequency given the relatively small amount of plants I have? Also, I'm about to stock the tank having just completed the cycle. Do the fish themselves have light requirements?

Thanks,
Ben

 

[carsonsgjs]

Doesn't look like algae - it's tannins that have been leached from your driftwood. Regular water changes will clear the water but driftwood can continue to leach tannins for some time, so the brown tint will remain. The fish won't mind though.

 

[SparkyJones]

yeah, I'd say it's tannin stained water form the wood in the tank. Not algae or diatoms. its tinted by it still too "clear"

 

[Blacksheep1]

Welcome to the forum.

As others have said , that’s just tannins leaching from your wood. Completely normal and actually beneficial to your fish if you don’t mind the colour. It may lower your pH a little over time ( kh depending ) but don’t worry about that too much and keep an eye on it , I’m assuming you have a way of testing since you’ve been cycling.

What fish are you planning on stocking ? It’s always the exciting part after cycling for so long

is that a sword plant on the far right ? Can’t quite tell with the reflections , but if it is , lift it just a little so the rosette is above the gravel ( the base where all the leaves grow from, leave the roots in though ). If it’s a crypt then leave it

I wouldn’t dose any ferts just yet with the amount of plants you have. No algea to resolve yet but if you get diatoms , don’t worry too much. It’s completely normal in a new tank whilst it settles in, especially with a low amount of plants . The fish will appreciate a night and day cycle but dependant on the fish you choose , some like dimmer light and some won’t care so much as long as they get a break. Don’t over do light in a new tank, 6 hours is fine. You don’t have difficult level plants but if you blast lights you’ll likely end up with algae issues.