# AH! Can't rid of brown algea!



## Franman (Jul 20, 2007)

I have a tall 45 gallon planted tank. Light is good (3.1wpg), CO2 good(23), PH good (6.6)and hardnes good(3phm), nitrates (0.3 mg/l) and the tank isn't new. But I still can't stop brown algea from atacking my cabombas and back glass in a matter of just two days. None of my friends that have planted tanks can tell me what's wrong. I've tried everything. If their is anybody out there that can help please do. "Help me Obi-one-canoby your my only hope"


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Waterflow and watersource would be my guess. Increasing waterflow would be my first change.


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## Franman (Jul 20, 2007)

Thanks I'll add a biger power head the one I have is very small.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

Brown algae normally means not enough water flow and too much light.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/maintenance1/p/algaebrown.htm


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

I just don't buy that it being about "not enough light" - both serious bad outbreaks of it occurred one in a tank which was in direct sunlight nearly all day and the second one in an office where lights were on all night and tank wasn't being covered.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

read the link I posted..it says " excess silicates and nitrates as one cause,


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

inadequate light and low o2 levels.....one or more may be the cause..it's up to you to figure out what's going on in your particular tank


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## Franman (Jul 20, 2007)

I don't think its my nitrates their low in my tank or the light. Now cilicates from tap water could be the cause. I don't know what cilicates are, but I notice that every time I change my water the tank gets this whitish residue on my plants, rocks... Then the next day the algea that I cleaned up starts coming back. If this is exess cilicates could a water softining pillow work. It removes calcium, magnesium and heavy metals. My KH is 3ppm but my GH is 7.5ppm if it helps in anyway. Is there anything to measure cilicates.


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## audzter (Oct 29, 2007)

Change your lighting(i mean lessen).. thats my first method to get rid of the algea. then mollies will love eating those brown algea.


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