HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

[kidslikefish]

Can't get ahead of the brown algae in my Shell Dweller tank. It's on everything, sides, rocks, plants, shells…..

Here's some facts:

Tank is 48X12X12 (about 30 gallons, probably 25 actual gallons after substrate / wood)
48 inch light fixture has a 32wt bulb in it (I run the lights about 6 hours a day).
Two HOB filter's, one on each end (Aqua Clear 20's with carbon and bio filtration) pushing the water back to the middle of the tank (a lot of circulation).
11 fish currently in the tank:
5 Lamprologus ocellatus 'Gold'
6 Lamprologus sp. 'Ornatipinnis Zambia'
A few plants on a piece of drift wood, 4 Anubias plants.
Feed once a day with Cichlid pellets, very small ones, and only enough that I see they are all eaten each time.

Have been doing 25% water changes every 3 days (and using Excel) and scrapping off the brown algae from the glass with a razor blade and pulling out the shells that the shell dwellers aren't using and cleaning those.

But, I can not get ahead of the algae.  Any suggestions ?  Nerites ? Amano Shrimp, will they mess with and/or get along with Shell Dwellers ? Would plecos get along with Shell Dwellers ?

And what should I change with what I am doing to try to help, less light ? Less food ? More water changes ??

Suggestions, and particularly ideas about what I need to change with the set-up / on-going operation of the tank would be greatly appreciated !!

[marauder_77868]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

What type of bulb? And I think the nerites would be best. Of course I'm prejudiced though because I just got a shipment of them in.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

Some things that get my attention from your post....

The tank is a new setup so parameters are stabilizing.
The lighting is somewhat high light since your tank lacks height so penetration is more effective.
Lighting photo-period is slightly high for a new tank which is probably high in algae fueling nutrients.
There is nothing to "use" the excess nutrients fueling the algae.... anubias is a slow grower so it's nutrien intake matches.
Water change amount is slightly low but then again if the problem is with your tap then it's counter productive.
How much excel are you using and when are you adding it?
Substrate?

As for what you can use in a shelldweller tank that will not bother the fish but yet work.... Nerites. and that's an un-bias suggestion  



For right now if you are not into testing water parameters I would cut back on the lighting or split the photo period for when you want to view it. If I remember right this is on a window sill as well right? That will also add to the photo-period.

Add Nerites since it sounds like you have Diatoms and Nerites will tear that stuff up! Bristlenose will work too but they are viewed as a threat from my experience with shellies. The Amano shrimp work great for hair algae but do almost nothing for Diatoms and if you add them they will just add to the problem since it's just more bio-load.

[kidslikefish]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

Charles, bulb is an "All-Glass" Aqurium bulb.   Only thing it says is 32W.  Nerites are what I was thinking also.  I live in Kingwood, and work downtown.  I normally take the park-n-ride to work, but I'll drive in to work one day this week and take a long lunch and come out to your store.  I've wated to make it out there ever since you've opened, but that's a heck of a drive from Kingwood, but this will give me an excuse to make the trip.

EK, tank is on a window sill, but windows have plantaion shutters on them that I never open, so there's not much light getting in that way.  I'll cut back on the light for a while to just when I'm in the room in the evenings. Substrate is CaribSea Argonite.

[marauder_77868]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

Ok...if you can't make it I'm giving some serious thought to organizing a nerite group buy. I get a pretty good break when I order 1000

[eklikewhoa]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

It could be the Substrate.... did you ditch the "live water" and rinse the substrate?

[fishlady]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

i would agree with EK.....that you needed to rinse the live water out of that substrate before you used it for this kind of tank....
when you set this tank up we thought of those windows in the back of it....even though you have plantations shutters on there you might be getting light in the midday thru them to affect the growth of the algae....it doesn't take much i assure you...
but it would seem to me that you definately need some nerites in there to help control the algae....they are wonderful...
and charles if you do order the 1000 let me know i want to come get some of them from you...i could only find a few when i went looking for them...so i would love to have quite a few more....
good luck on your algae problem and keep us updated....

can you take a picture of the tank as it is now with the algae in it? let us see how much your talking about?

[kidslikefish]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

I did rinse the substrate before putting it in the tank, and it was not the type with the "live water", it was dry. Here's a link to what I have.

http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/dry_aragonite.html

I will cut back on the light and get the Nerites.

Fishlady, I cleaned the tank last night, but will take a picture in a couple of days if it comes back.  The shells that the Shell Dwellers are using I haven't cleaned, so I'll get a picture of those tonight and post it.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

Another thing that could be fueling the algae is heat.

[kidslikefish]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

EK, good point on the heat.  I haven't checked it since I set it up, but I'll drop a thermometer in the tank when I get home this evening and see what the temp is running at.

[jetchanic]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

Usually when i set a tank up it has a period of brown algae.  After a while the algae will start to subside and eventually go away entirely but i have a uv light on the tank.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

You are giving that UV too much credit.


Every tank will go through it depending on your water source and it goes away. Some tanks battle it forever due to the unstable water quality/parameters.

If you have an understanding of it it's not much of a problem/issue.

[JStrider]

Re: HELP !! Getting over run with Brown Algae !!

I have a couple of nerites in with my multis and they dont seem to bother each other...

I have pool filter sand for my substrate.

I do notice some of the brown algae showing up if I leave the light on longer then usual, or do a water change a few days late.