# Reddish-brown algae!



## RackinRocky (Feb 11, 2012)

Here's a pic of my petite anubias with this reddish-brown, rusty looking algae. This plant has been with me for years, and has been very healthy. In places it looks a bit hairy, and in other places it doesn't. So I'm not sure what kind it is, but I know that one of the castles is developing a rusty brown color too. What is it, and how do I get rid of it without killing the plant? Thank you! Great, the pic attacher doesn't seem to be working today. Anyway, any ideas until I can get a pic up?


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## Jasperdog (Jul 12, 2014)

wheres the pic, oops


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## BamaPlants (Sep 9, 2014)

brown algae is actually NT an algae at all but diatoms.. usually a high silica content is blamed for diatom growth but this is not always the case by a long shot.. overly high carbon availability and overly high nitrogen availability often can cause the start of the issue.. Honestly the best way to stop it is to encourage a little green algae growth by increasing the light( this only goes for freshwater the opposite regimen is appropriate for salt) CO2 use will also limit the diatom growth by making the nutrients less available to them than the complex plants ( non algae)


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## RackinRocky (Feb 11, 2012)

Is anyone else able to attach pics? Because mine won't respond at all when I click on anything to do with photos, above. Anyway, thank you Bama! So now you're telling me I need to have TWO kinds of algae? LOL. Diatoms, okay, I'll Google that. Thank you very much.


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## BamaPlants (Sep 9, 2014)

the green algae is true algae and WAY out competes the diatoms for nutrients .. increasing the light increases "complex " plant growth ( there by their ability to uptake nutrients) and the same for green algae.


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## kiddevo (Sep 7, 2014)

BamaPlants said:


> the green algae is true algae and WAY out competes the diatoms for nutrients .. increasing the light increases "complex " plant growth ( there by their ability to uptake nutrients) and the same for green algae.


Ive had trouble with pics too...


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## RackinRocky (Feb 11, 2012)

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble with pics. I thought it might be my computer.


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