# Brown Algae....



## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

I know many threads like this exist, but I just can't really find a good solution to my problem....

I have a bunch of brown algae growing in my 2.5 gallon that I let my sister "take care of", it's mostly on the one plant in there (water wisteria) and on the rocks around it. I can't do anything to change the lighting because it's an LED light (it came like that, go figure) and the algae doesn't look nice at all. It looks like a bunch of plants died and are decomposing everywhere. 

What's weird is that I have water wisteria in both the 2.5 and 5 gallon tanks that both came from the same bunch, yet the brown algae is only in the 2.5. Could it be because I have more plants in the 5 gallon? 

Thanks for help guys!!


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

It sounds like the common diatoms that most new tanks get. They are a royal pain, but eventually they fade away again.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Oh. But the tank isn't really new, though; it was well established for a while before that. The algae only appeared after I put the plant in there.


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## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

Well, I had brown algae in my 2.5 for a while, and then I got snails... They cleared it up fairly, and the rest I did by scrubbing with a soft toothbrush and/or rag.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

So snails eat it? That's good... Do you think if I got a snail it would clean it up?


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Brown algae just means your tank isn't getting enough light for the algae to grow sufficiently. It also means there's probably something in your tap water that provides the nutrients for the algae to grow.


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## Danio king (Feb 25, 2011)

do you run co2 if not you should try i. your light to co2 ratio is probly off thats how my tank was


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

How "off" does the ratio need to be? Because I have a lot more plants in the 5 gallon and there's no algae in there.... Well, there's some green algae.


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## Danio king (Feb 25, 2011)

its not a set number. most people have to toy around with their light, plant, co2 setup.


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## Canadian_oto (Feb 3, 2011)

If your tank was bigger I would say to get some Otocinclus, they love that stuff but they like to be in groups and I wouldn`t recommend putting more than 2 into a 2.5 gallon hex and that may be pushing it.

Diatomes do go away eventually though.


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