Brown algae?
- mrgreen
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 dwarf puffer: Squirt
2 figure 8s: Escalator & Elevator - Location (country): United States
- Location: Michigan, USA
- Contact:
Re: Brown algae?
I've had the same problem. I bleached my fake plants and changed my bulb to a 50/50 (half blue) and set the timer to only have the light on for four hours in the evening when I'm relaxing. Not 100% gone, but its much improved.
"Puffs puff cuz they're puffs cuz they puff cuz they're puffs. - Nathan age 12
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Brown algae?
I wouldn't bother, it'll go away in time.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
- DarkStorm
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:19 pm
- My Puffers: Picasso Trigger,
Burma Trigger,
Golden Heart Trigger,
Clown Trigger,
Rectangular Trigger,
Porcupine Puffer. - Location (country): Canada
Re: Brown algae?
uv sterilizer plumbs in to return line on tank sold at any big box store or online i paid 230 cdn for each of mine there rated to 500 gallons each, they wont kill the stuff thats already stuck on things but will sterilize free floating algaemvbroadbill wrote:what is that?And how do I use it?where are they sold?
my understanding of diatom algae is its bacterial.,, perhaps im wrong
for me.. mine was part of the cycling process that i refused to look at.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... sterilizer
as pp says tho it should go away in time,( if it dosent get a uv )
- Dadof4
- Tech Team
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Brown algae?
A UV sterilizer is a waste of time and money with this. Like RTR said, this stuff is caused by dissolved silicalates (the same stuff as sand, glass, etc.) in the water. You cannot get rid of it with UV, well you can but it will take just as long to get rid of it without UV.... Diaotoms aren't bacterial they really are an algae. Now, to confuse you, blue green algae (BGA) is a bacteria. 
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
- pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 3979
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:04 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffs & Stuff:
1 x M Abei
1 x M Turgidus
1 x T Palembangensis
1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
1 x T Leiurus
1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: Brown algae?
My Otos are doing a very good job at cleaning up the brown algae, really happy with their success! 
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
-
jennybugs
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:33 am
- My Puffers: Carinotetraodon Travancoricus x 3
Tetraodon Biocellatus x 2
Tetraodon miurus x 1
Canthigaster valentini x 1
Canthigaster leoparda x 1 - Location (country): UK
- Location: Swinging London
Re: Brown algae?
My initial brown algae issues in my brackish tank went away in time too. I get hair algae in the tank now but it's encouraged for the flagfish as they love to graze on it 

- DarkStorm
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:19 pm
- My Puffers: Picasso Trigger,
Burma Trigger,
Golden Heart Trigger,
Clown Trigger,
Rectangular Trigger,
Porcupine Puffer. - Location (country): Canada
Re: Brown algae?
every day i learn something new here, (waste of money tho i disagree) but nice to know its not bacterial 
-
mvbroadbill
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:33 pm
- My Puffers: 1 GSP
- Location (country): LOMPOC CA,
Re: Brown algae?
Well it would be nice if it just goes away. I will keep cleaning intill it dose.I just hate the way it looks!
I must catch up to the others for I am there leader!
-
bigfatfish
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 938
- Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: GSP "Puffy" RIP old friend 1999-2009
GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump. - Location (country): United Kingdom
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: Brown algae?
When I started my BW tank, I had 6-8 weeks of a lovely clear, algae free tank, then it went mad with the brown stuff!! I was cleaning everything every couple of days to try & keep on top of things. Then, as the tank matured a little (after about another 6 weeks or so) it stopped. I just get a little algae build up now, so I think its just something you have to go through!
-
mvbroadbill
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:33 pm
- My Puffers: 1 GSP
- Location (country): LOMPOC CA,
Re: Brown algae?
Sounds about right.I had nice clean well everthing and now this stuff. My girlfriend takes care of them when I'm gone but this week she has been sick so they have just been geting fead.I'm sure there's more of it to play with when I get home tomorrow and two happy puffs as well!
I must catch up to the others for I am there leader!