Algae treatments?

Ok, I'm pretty much at a loss....tonight I had to clean out my tank again (I did it about a month ago). I'm battling some serious brown algae and I don't know where this stuff is coming from. hand feed my newts, so there's no excess food left in the tank. I keep the shades closed while I'm at work, so there's not a lot of light in the room and I don't put the fluorescent lights on until it's night. I check the water regularly and everything is ok (zero ammonia and nitrites, low nitrates, 6.6 pH) I went to the store and bought some new gravel b/c the gravel I used was white so it showed the brown algae pretty bad, it was also porous, so it was almost impossible to clean. I bought some darker gravel that's more smooth, so I'm hoping it will be easier to maintain. Does anyone have any ideas? I've also had an issue with sediment buildup; it's alarming me because I've never had to clean the tank once a month. I saw some algae treatments in the pet store today but I'm hesitant about adding any chemicals to the water. Has anyone used these algae treatments with any success? Or are there any solutions I haven't thought of?

Karen
Brown algae occurs when there is a LACK of light. In aquariums, lighting the aquarium for 10 to 12 hours a day can stop the growth of brown algae....I think you need more light. Brown algae is not like green algae - green proliferates in light - brown proliferates in darkness. Other reasons for brown algae can be lack of oxygenation and too high of silicate concentration in the water....and you mention you are having an issue with sediment buildup. If you are using dechlorinated tap water - that may be the reason...municipal water fluctuations in mineral content. If so, might you consider bottled spring water? Of course, too much food waste also serves to feed the algae once it is established - but it sounds like you have that under control. In my experience with aquariums, the chemicals sold as algae treatments work on green but not brown algae.

I've heard that UV light is good for reducing algae- is there any truth to this? Currently I'm using fluorescent lighting.

UV sterilization only works on suspended algae...

Ed

Fluorescent lighting should be fine for treating brown algae - a combination of a warm and a cool fluorescent bulb mimics natural sunlight. Other considerations: may want to increase the wattage of your lights; and, may want to consider using a silicate absorbing resin in your filtration system. There is also an outside possibility that your gravel is leaching silicates (I would say it is low probability)...however, this is often an issue when using silicate sand.

When you completely clean out the tank, you are setting yourself back a step. Brown algae is common in newly-set-up tanks (<6 months), but it usually goes away as soon as some green algae gets started - sort of a natural progression. There is no such thing as a healthy aquarium with NO algae, it's just a management issue.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Tank_critters.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml

Your tap water may also contain silica (mine does). But even so, I think the brown algae will go away if you just clean it off the glass and "ride it out". I have several aquariums that I have had set up for over 2.5 years and never completely dissassembled and cleaned. Yes, they've had algae, some of it annoying at times, but partial water changes and minimal cleaning usually triumphs eventually.

Regarding sediment, would it be possible to have a thinner layer of gravel? Do you have a siphon with a gravel-washing attachment?

(Message edited by jennewt on April 16, 2006)

Thanks everyone and thanks Jen for the links. I did read them and they were helpful. I have a pretty thin layer of gravel, just enough to cover the bottom but a little more around the plants to hold them down. I only have half the tank filled w/ water, so its about 6 inches and I tried one of those gravel vacuums but it didn't work well (I think you need deeper water for it to work).

When you say the brown algae will eventually go away, do you mean it will disappear on its own or that it will just stop "growing"? And is there any way to remove the silica from tap water? Since I have a duetto filter and use their filter inserts, how could I add the silicate absorbing resin to the filter?

Thanks for all your insights! Hopefully I won't clean the tank again for a long while!

Also, I didn't know there was more than one type of fluorescent bulb (warm vs cold)....does it say this on the bulb box? What is the difference, just the amount of heat generated?

Hi Karen,

I use a gravel vac in tanks with only three inches of water, to get them to work well, trim down the clear tube until it is about 4 inches or so in length.

You can filter the water to remove silicates but you need a RO or deionization system with the additional cartridge to remove it. I am unaware of any effective silicate inserts for filters. Silicates are usually added to the water supply to prevent corrosion to the pipes. Diatom control is typically all about controling the nutrients.
Brown algae will go away if you limit the nutrients in some manner, such as by other plant growth or limiting the nutrient content in the water supply, not overfeeding and doing routine water changes. It is very very common in newly setup tanks..

Cool white and warm white bulbs refer to the Kelvin (K) and color rating index (CRI) of the bulbs with warm whites having a lower K and CRI index than coolwhites (if I remembre correctly).

(Message edited by Ed on April 16, 2006)

Karen – re your question on warm and cool fluorescent lights, "Warm White" light is in the red/orange end of the light spectrum. "Cool White" is in the blue/violet end of the spectrum – combined = mimic of natural light. The designations are often encoded on the bulbs/packaging as: CW for Cool White, WW for Warm White. As Ed indicates, it has something to do with the indices he cites, and the particular coatings used on the bulbs. Unless you go to a store that specializes in lighting, you will generally find ‘cool white’ fluorescent bulbs. Another alternative is to purchase ‘full spectrum’ or ‘plant growing’ lights if you want to mimic daylight. Most important and least costly consideration re light is to assure that you have 10-12 hours of lighting and if artificial, that it is of adequate wattage... and consider other suggestions in the previous posts. Regarding experiences with brown algae, we probably all have experienced something different. I have a 150 gallon tank in an area of my home that doesn't get sunlight and I have fought brown algae for 7 years in it, never goes away. I do water exchanges frequently, keep waste products to a minimum and scrape the algae when it appears...it lessens considerably (really disappears ) when I remember to consistently keep the tank lights on. Of course in my other tanks, where they are exposed to sunlight, I fight with green algae....but at least there, algaecides (for fish not newts) tend to work. Best of luck.

(Message edited by jan on April 17, 2006)