Persistent Brown Algae

I have had brown algae in in my tank for months now. I clean it off but it keeps growing back. I do frequent water changes. I have a second tank that uses the same tap water and has never had this problem. I am considering buying some water from Petco and trying that. Any suggestions? should I also change my filter cartridge when I change the water?
I hate cleaning everything and risking getting rid of the BB.

 

I have had brown algae in in my tank for months now. I clean it off but it keeps growing back.

Could you take a picture and/or describe how extensive it is?

should I also change my filter when I change the water?

No need: filtration is not immediately related to the presence of brown algae. Mainly an excess of silicates, nitrates and phosphates (see Egge (1998) 'Are diatoms poor competitors at low phosphate concentrations').

I hate cleaning everything and risking getting rid of the .

So long as you're not scrubbing out your filter media, you should be fine. While beneficial bacteria does grow on most surfaces, most of the nitrifying bacteria in a tank will be housed in the highly porous filter media.

Any suggestions?

RO water would remove the silicates (along with any trace phosphates/nitrates) from your tap water. But given that other forms of algae flourish in the presence of excess phosphates/nitrates, it simply might lead to a bloom of a different variety of algae in your problem tank once silicates are removed. And as you mentioned, it seems that whatever silicates are present in your tap water aren't causing an issue in your other tank.

Phosphates generally enter aquariums via decomposition of excess fish food and solid fish waste. While nitrates enter tanks as the end product of the nitrogen cycle. So my first recommendation would be to moderate feeding, vacuum the gravel more thoroughly to remove excess fish food/solid fish waste, and to do larger water changes (50% weekly).

 

Diatoms (aka brown algae) is very common in newly set up tanks. It thrives on silicates and guess what the silicon that that holds the glass together contains...you guessed it, silicates.

Eventually all the silicates that are going to leech into the water, will have leeched into the water and the diatoms will go away on their own.

While unsightly, diatoms are harmless, and can easily be wiped off.

 

Is the tank with the brown algae using sand substrate? I think I've read that the silicates in sand add to the brown algae issue.

 

Is the tank with the brown algae using sand substrate? I think I've read that the silicates in sand add to the brown algae issue.

no it’s gravel.

 

Diatoms (aka brown algae) is very common in newly set up tanks. It thrives on silicates and guess what the silicon that that holds the glass together contains...you guessed it, silicates.

Eventually all the silicates that are going to leech into the water, will have leeched into the water and the diatoms will go away on their own.

While unsightly, diatoms are harmless, and can easily be wiped off.

Thank you

 

In the meantime, it's free fish food. Plus diatoms may seem unsightly from our vantage point, but they are super pretty when you get close enough


https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/microscope/diatoms.jpg
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-7e0125a86e9a6a25242dd522116d6a56

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/diatom-6.jpg

 

I have the same issue. I clean it off and a week later my tank, plants, and decorations are covered in brown, black, and green algae. I have a sand substrate and the tank has been cycled for at least a month. I don't overfeed and my light is on for 10 hours a day. I think I may try cutting back on the light and/or intensity (by covering some of the LEDs). I've been adding Flourish Excel every other day dosed at 1mL per 10 gallons.

 

OP: it doesn't look like a terrible diatom problem. I've seen thicker accumulations. By "frequent" water changes: how often and how much?

I have a and the tank has been cycled for at least a month. I don't overfeed and my light is on for 10 hours a day. I think I may try cutting back on the light and/or intensity (by covering some of the LEDs). I've been adding every other day dosed at 1mL per 10 gallons.

I think, in a lot of cases, much of the initial algae in cycling/new cycled aquariums tends to dissipate over several months.

If you're using Flourish Excel as an algaecide, I find it much more effective if you use a syringe/eyedropper to spot treat algae: turn off your filter, take up Seachem's recommend dose for our water volume, squeeze a little bit on algae areas, leave the filter off for 15 minutes, then turn it back on.