# Brown Algae on glass and on slow growing plants



## Johno (14 Dec 2014)

Hiya, Just wondering if anybody is able to give me any tips on trying to stop this, Its a day to day battle with the magnet cleaner for brown algae! 
I have a Juwel Trigon 190
Dose excel every 2 days
and Leaf Zone every week

Lights are on 7 - 8 hrs a day ( 2 x 28w)

Thanks!


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## Andy D (15 Dec 2014)

How long has the tank been set up?

Diatoms are typically down to too much light. I used to run 2 Juwel Rio 125s and would suffer from Diatoms unless I reduced the photoperiod to 5 or 6 hours. The issue I believe is the power of the T5s - assuming this is what your Trigon is running? T5s are very powerfull and because they are fixed to the hood about an inch from the surface the tank does get blasted with a lot of light. Due to the way it is set up there is no way to control the intensity of the lighting - the lights cannot be dimmed and they cannot be raised. Therefore the only control you have is the duration.

I would clean as much of the algae of as possible, do a large water change and reduce the photoperiod to 5/6 hours.

As an aside, I would also consider a different fert. API Leaf zone does not include all vital nutrients and dosing with Excel will increase the nutrient requirements of the plants. Granted the may be enough nitrate etc in there already but just keep an eye on the plants for any signs of defficiency.


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## darren636 (15 Dec 2014)

I had the same issue with my juwel 260 litre

I blanked off one light tube with foil.

Happier plants.

As andy has said- you need full spectrum fertilizer. Those lights are too intense without it.


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## ian_m (15 Dec 2014)

If it is brown algae, it is brown (obviously ) and can be wiped off surfaces with soft cloth or piece of filter floss.

Also if brown algae it will occur even with low light, it often caused by "new tank" syndrome, sometimes also after heavy tank rearrangement, possibly due to excess silicates and also ammonia due immature filter.

I got brown diatoms couple of weeks after setting up my high tech tank and I have had it again once or twice after a really heavy plant rearrangement session.

Generally it will go away of its own accord (and wiping off), reducing light will help prevent it in the first place, though I got it with a Vision 180 with T8 tubes half covered with reflectors to reduce light level.

Best of all for me I got a couple of Otto's and they scoffed the lot in a day or two. You could see the "munch" tracks left diatom covering where the Ottos had been busy.


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## Johno (15 Dec 2014)

Hi, Thanks for the reply,
My tank has been set up around 7 months or so now,  I will keep it to 6 hours now, and see what happens., which fert would you recommend? , All my plants seem to be okay, except amazon swords that are showing 1 or 2 
see through leaves.

Cheers


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## darren636 (15 Dec 2014)

Transparent leaves is a light issue, in the regard that light drives the metabolism of the plant, and can damage plant structure if not enough co2 is available.  Its the light brightness  not the duration  that can harm plants ( in my experience)
Or a new plant is adapting to life under water and shedding older leaves.
Have a look at the. EI STARTER KIT by aquarium plant food UK.
All the plant food you need.


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## Andy Thurston (15 Dec 2014)

I'd think about adding excel daily or get pressurised co2 too


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## naz (15 Dec 2014)

im going though exsackly the same as you,now, i have had diatom for 3 months now,tank is fairly old 7 months,tryed every thing,some say to turn the lights up,so the plants start to grow more,and out complete with the algea,i have found an old thead that cegs says to do a 3 day blackout,every day changeing 50% of water,then to reduce the light and turn the co2 up as much as you can  without gassing the fish,this is what i am doing now,and i am starting to win the battle,i can see i am not getting any more diatom on the glass anymore,and i have rubed most of the diotoms of the plants,i am going to keep this low light for about a month,i an doing easycarb as well,and making sure that i an vacuming the substate,every week,and cleaning filter,just trying to keep the tank as clean as i can.....


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