# Brown Algae Issues!



## Katie656 (3 Jun 2018)

Hi all,


I have a 125 litre CO2 injected planted tank that has been set up for 2 years but has only been CO2 injected for the last 2-3 months. Most of the current plants have been added in the last 1-3 months. Tank specs are as follows:


Tank: Fluval Roma 125

Lighting: Fluval AquaSky 16 watt

Substrate: Pool Filter Sand

Fertilisers: Daily TNC lite and EasyLife Root Sticks

Water Parameters:

pH: 6.8-7.4

GH: 7

KH: 5

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: 25-30 ppm before 50% partial water change 

Phosphate: 0.5 ppm (same as tap)

Silicate: 2 ppm

Water changes 50% every other day to keep nitrates down

Stocking: Bristlenose Pleco, 2 GBR, 2 Guppies, 7 Cardinal tetra, 6 Head and tail light tetra, 3 False Julii Cories, 4 otos, 2 nerite snails


Planting:


Echindorus argentinesis
Crypt Wendtii Green
Crypt Beckettii
Crypt Petchii
Twisted Vallis (Vallisneria Torta)
Hygrophila 'Siamensis 53B'
Moneywort (Lysimachia Nummularia)
Brazilian Pennywort (Hydrocotyle Leucocephala)
Nomaphila Stricta
Lace Java Fern
Java Moss
Ludwigia Repens (diamond red)
Alternanthera reineckii 'mini'

Question 1. I get a fair amount of brown algae in this tank. Is there anything I can change to try and overcome this? The tank gets plenty of partial water changes, has fast growing plants and I don’t believe the lights are too strong or weak. I have a variety of algae eaters that keep the problem under control somewhat but there is still algae on most of my plants and substrate. 

The brown algae has only been a problem in the last 4-5 months, tank has been set up 2 years. I have no idea what triggered the algae 

Question 2. In everyone’s experience is sand and root sticks enough for my level and type of planting? Would I benefit from a more specialist plant substrate? Would this give the plants an edge over the brown algae? (One that doesn’t leach ammonia or alter water parameters) 

Thanks for any advice and input


----------



## Zeus. (3 Jun 2018)

Katie656 said:


> fair amount of brown algae in this tank. Is there anything I can change to try and overcome this?



Plants look pretty healthy from pics, so I suppose you mean the brown algae on the substrate. I dont get it on my substrate or what I should say is with mined being brown AS I dont see it . Never used a white inert substrate before, but son does on his tank in a few areas, when it starts to look dirty he removes it and puts fresh in 'solved'. Think its one of the joys of having a white substrate.



Katie656 said:


> CO2 injected for the last 2-3 months.





Katie656 said:


> The brown algae has only been a problem in the last 4-5 months



So just after CO2 injection started 

When we go high tech and use CO2 we introduce a wealth if CO2 related issues with increase plant grow more waste production and we need more water turnover. You didnt mention your filter/powerheads output ? we normally aim for x10 filter/powerhead output to tank volume so 1250lph (litres per hour) for your tank.



Katie656 said:


> In everyone’s experience is sand and root sticks enough for my level and type of planting? Would I benefit from a more specialist plant substrate?



Your using TNC lite which is for high fish loads and no CO2, you would be better off with TNC Complete if you wish to stay with the same brand as TNC Complete is for planted tanks with CO2

Stop testing your water as your are wasting your time and money, test kits at hobbyist level are inconsistent with there results so the result is meaningless, plus your plants need Nitrates


----------



## rebel (3 Jun 2018)

Where is this brown algae? I cant see it .


----------



## Katie656 (3 Jun 2018)

I like the light substrate but it is a total pain, before this I had black gravel, it hid a multiple of sins .

The algae is on the plants, you can’t really notice from a distance but it drives me crazy when I get up close. It wipes off the leaves easily and feels slimy to the touch. I will attach some older close up photos, I can’t get any current ones as the tank lights are off at the moment.

I agree in regards to the testing, I have tried various different makes, strips and liquid, the results are always inconsistent.

Maybe the brown algae isn’t as big a problem as I think it is, but I hate it. I suspect if it wasn’t for the Otos and the nerites it would be a lot worse.

Thanks for your replies!


----------



## rebel (3 Jun 2018)

It is suspicious for brown diatoms. My suggestion is to increase light by 20% . no harm bumping co2 as well .

Is the filter very clean?


----------



## Katie656 (3 Jun 2018)

Yes filter is clean. I cleaned it about a month ago including all of the pipe work, then again last week (not including pipes). 

I did turn the CO2 up yesterday as my drop checker is on the bluer side of green. I will turn the lights up a bit as well, in addition l will switch from TNC lite to complete.

Thank you for your suggestions.


----------



## AverageWhiteBloke (3 Jun 2018)

Katie656 said:


> I did turn the CO2 up yesterday as my drop checker is on the bluer side of green. I will turn the lights up a bit as well, in addition l will switch from TNC lite to complete.



I would leave the lights and use the complete for a month or two and see how this pans out. Adding co2 increases growth and demand on nutrients especially nitrate as nitrate is the plants staple diet. Sounds like you increased growth with co2 addition while at the same time tried to take away their food. Upping the light right now will make this worse as the plants will demand even more food. Increase co2 and ferts and let things stabilise before thinking about upping the lighting would be my suggestion.


----------



## Katie656 (3 Jun 2018)

Thanks, AverageWhiteBloke, that makes sense.

I’ve had some really good advice today and feel like I have finally got a plan for beating this algae. For so long I haven’t known what to for the best so have done nothing, not wanting to make the problem worse.

Thanks again all.


----------



## AverageWhiteBloke (3 Jun 2018)

No problem pal, the main thing you need to keep in mind when dealing with these kinds of issues is fertiliser (which includes nitrate) will never cause algae problems. Only the lack of them can do that.

Pushing plants to grow with no food weakens them and gives algae the upper hand. Think of it like drinking on an empty stomach  recipe for disaster.

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


----------



## Zeus. (3 Jun 2018)

What filter/powerheads do you have?


----------



## Katie656 (3 Jun 2018)

No powerheads. The filter is an all pond solutions 1000EF with spray bar.


----------



## PARAGUAY (4 Jun 2018)

Have you tried moving your drop checker around the tank or getting another as well,it could be inconsistant CO2 if its not lime green. Any sign of blue slowly increase CO2 as Rebel says. TNC complete or Neutro+ are good high tech all in one fertilisers for high tech with added slow release root tablets. Try water changes daily or at least every other day for now and adding some more fast growing stem plants may help


----------



## Katie656 (4 Jun 2018)

No I haven’t tried moving my drop checker around, I will give this ago. I already have TNC complete so will be switching to this as from today. I am also already doing 50% partial water changes every other day and will continue with this. Thank you for your suggestions, Paraguay


----------



## Sakura83 (4 Jun 2018)

I had the same, problem disappear after increased potassium dosing. I am not expert but that did the job in my tank.


----------



## Barbara Turner (4 Jun 2018)

How's your flow around the tank? Ideally, you should see the plants with the brown algae gently moving in the flow. 
Just wondering if you have some big dead spots.  Be interesting to know if you put the drop checker next to the plants that are struggling the most whether you see a drop in CO2.

Have you replaced the sand/gravel recently as this might cause temporary diatoms until things settle down? 

Also if you are doing daily water changes I would avoid washing the filter to often as it needs to build up bacteria.

 you say that you do partial water changes daily, do you still do a big clean followed by 50% + water change weekly?


----------



## Katie656 (4 Jun 2018)

Thank you Sakura 83, any suggestions are most welcome.

And thanks Barbra, I believe the water flow to be good, but I am not certain of this. The filter turns over 8 times the tanks total volume per hour and the spray bar is situated directly above the plants aimed at a 45 degree angle towards the front of the tank. I hope this means the flow hits the front glass then goes back towards the plants, avoiding dead spots. 

The plant worst affected is the Moneywort which is dead centre, although most of the plants along the back of the tank are affected to some degree.

My CO2 defuser was placed on the right side of my tank, drop checker on the left. I have now moved the defuser to the back centre so hopefully this will make a difference. I have also set the CO2 to come on 1 hour earlier at 11am. The lights come on at 1pm. The CO2 goes off at 6pm and the lights go off at 8pm. I will leave the drop checker where it is today. Then move it to the opposite side of the tank tomorrow. 

I changed the grave to sand about 2-3 months ago, but the algae became a problem a month or so before this change. 

At present I am doing 50% partial water changes every other day, giving the surface of the sand a good vacuum each time. I clean the filter (swish the media in old tank water) about once every 3 to 4 weeks.


----------



## Zeus. (4 Jun 2018)

Katie656 said:


> The filter is an all pond solutions 1000EF with spray bar.



so with a 'claimed' output of 1000lph you should be in the right ballpark. How much and what filter media are you using ?, planted tanks dont need as much as fish only tanks as the plants filter the water themselves. If your DC moving gives a blue colour you may need to review your filter media and/or your spraybar positioning to give better distribution/flow for the tank which should then give better CO2 distribution for the tank. Sometimes a small change yields big improvements. Worth timing about


----------



## Katie656 (4 Jun 2018)

I must admit my filter is well packed. It contains all of the media from my old Fluval 206 + Fluval U3 filters. I have mainly sponges on the lower and middle tier and Seachem’s matrix on the top tier.
If the changes I have made so far do not have the desired results I will certainly look at reducing this.

I have received so much useful information on this thread, thanks all


----------



## peaches (10 Jun 2018)

My brown algae started a few days ago when I started the co2.  I only added co2 to get the carpet going now I'm not sure whether to continue.  I increased the movement with a power head just after co2.


----------



## Jayefc1 (11 Jun 2018)

Is the spray bar gassing off the co2 too fast is it pointing up or down


----------

