# Brown algae



## RogueWarrior (Dec 23, 2017)

I need some major help, I have a 40 gallon breeder that has been setup for around 2 years. Around 3 months ago a brown algae outbreak started and its just gotten out of hand now. I do a water change around every 5 days and its back a couple days after. I have 4 yoyo loaches, a couple cory cats, and a rhino pleco. They don't seem to clean it up at all. I just started running co2 for a couple plants that are in there, I want to get it to a nice planted tank status. Any ideas on how to kick it?


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## Illion (Aug 24, 2017)

*Algae*

Well I'm pretty new to the forum. And I'll say hello! And others should be along to welcome you soon.

I also have 40Breeder. And, I have a brown algae taking hold on the back glass, and on some of the décor. 

I believe It's not something that will go away by doing nothing. It's doubled in the day.. I bet if I had a microscope I could watch it grow..:surprise:

I'm using Seachem Stability, and Matrix bio, but I have yet to use the seachem product that deals with scenarios such as algae. I'll be looking into it a bit after I scrape the glass, and pull the effected décor out. (plug nose) 

I plan to move the décor pieces to the sink and scrub the brown off with a toothbrush. (plug nose) Maybe a spray with H202 (Hydrogen Peroxide). And then I'm throwing it back in.

As for the activity in the aquarium!! I know that the brown algae I see ain't floating in the water. So, no water-change for me.. It's crawling like a slug from where it spawned, only to encompass all substance. Unless I stop it!:wink3:


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## Illion (Aug 24, 2017)

I'm surprised to return to only my reply! Usually, there are at the least, a few trolls that are all about throwing in their advice.. worst advice yet, "get naked and wrestle a gator..:laugh:



> =Illion;7459025]As for the activity in the aquarium!!


Have you checked your Ammonia levels? 

I checked mine, and I attached an image of my test results.. (left to right: PH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia) The brown algae seems to be a definite sign of my aquarium re-cycling, which I somewhat suspected.. so I obviously get to cope with that.. I typed up a thread on "Haziness.. ... Substrate selection" (cloudy water) 



I'm sure the test example is one you haven't seen before, although the test kit may look familiar.. 

I don't exactly play by the rules, yet my science is theoretically sound.:surprise::grin2: 

Explanation: The green tint on the Ammonia test just confirms that it's there. When I follow the directions of the test, I'll know the accurate result in ppm. :nerd:


>It's like swatting flies with a sledge hammer! You need to be able to swing it:grin2:


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Algae is normally due to an imbalance of lighting, ferts, CO2 and circulation..

How long is your photoperiod? What are you using for filtration/water circulation? Do you use ferts?


Does the brown algae look like diatoms? If so, its common in aqua - especially new ones - abd will go as the tank matures. Keeping it heavily planted and having fast growing plants - like floaters or stem plants - will help compete with algae outbreaks as well.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

FWIW, this site has had only a handful of "trolls" over the years and they, thankfully, don't stay around long because they are deprived of validation. A majority of members are like AussieDude and have practical long-term experience and donate their time to help educate others.

An Internet troll "is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion, often for the troll's amusement." From Wikipedia






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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Sometimes it’s necessary to troll the trolls, in order to drive them back to their caves and safe spaces.

I have no idea what Illion is talking about - ignore it and follow Aussies advice, is my advice.


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## Illion (Aug 24, 2017)

*scientific method*

Why are there -0- trees on the moon? Because it is bombarded with radiation! 
The fact that it lacks rain, or that it has no people floundering about, has nothing to do with the lack of life upon it.
So, the question of why is there brown-algae in the aquarium is simple!
It is a hospitable environment for algae to grow.. 
A study of the metabolic pathways of such algae would reveal the possible methods to annihilate such substance from existence in our aquariums. However, too many of us aren't equiped to perform such studies, so were left with our hands up in the air saying "duh.. "brown-algae" (the first book I found was $165USD) (note: remember, the sun does'nt qwench my thirst anymore than the bottle-cap of the water bottle I purchase to do so. Yet all life is survived by the sun, so all life is attributed to it.. Thats a long chain of requirements before the interjected, "The plant needs light." It may in fact need stimulae before cytoplasm performs. Who knows!)
Beter than fruitless remedial action day after day, were it to even be conducive, is to monitor and observe the actions taking place. With observation, the potential for understanding the mechanism of that which is functional is increased... And to keep it short..
The best advice I found yet came from a reefer. simply put.. "if your not sure" "do nothing" 
And support for any ideas of action provided: big change= big swing... small change= small swing..

If a moderator closes the thread you start! You've been trolled!:surprise:


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## Illion (Aug 24, 2017)

Back to RogueWarrior, on the Brown-Algae subject.. and update.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

IMO, the advise to do nothing is seriously alarming. Please, dont do that. A sign that there is something wrong indicates that you must do something, if your not sure... ASK! (Thats why there is aquarium boards like this one.) Sitting back and going, I'll do nothing does not resolve the situation.... Not even in reefs IMO, that just sounds like a recipe for the loss of expensive corals, inverts, fish and equipment.

No one can eliminate algae from our aquarium setup, its naturally present in our water supply as spores, as well as im our air as spores once again. What we can do, is make conditions for algae unpleasant so they dont outbreak - such as not pumping a high PAR bulb in a low light tank, excessive photoperiod, poor circulation, imbalance of ferts regimen and swings in pH/CO2...

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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

RogueWarrior said:


> I need some major help, I have a 40 gallon breeder that has been setup for around 2 years. Around 3 months ago a brown algae outbreak started and its just gotten out of hand now. I do a water change around every 5 days and its back a couple days after. I have 4 yoyo loaches, a couple cory cats, and a rhino pleco. They don't seem to clean it up at all. I just started running co2 for a couple plants that are in there, I want to get it to a nice planted tank status. Any ideas on how to kick it?


Can you post a photo of the algae to help us identify the exact type? Thanks!


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