The Puffer Forum

pufferfreak wrote:Your tank is so....NEON!!! lol.

Lil' Swimz$ wrote:I know. Ugh. I really don't like it.

It's bright. Actually, I think "perky describes" it best. It's a good fit for a puffer named Peaches. And she's happy, that's the most important thing. You can always change things out as your budget allows.

Did the gravel and plants all come in one set?

No. I got a kit with a tank, heater, and filter, that's it. I picket out the rest. Why? And does anyone have any ideas on the brown algae?

How big are the patches forming on the silk leaves and do they come off easily? Are they anywhere else in the tank? Could they be diatoms?

I asked about the gravel and plants because it looks like your plants match your colored gravel perfectly. I thought that it must have taken quite some time to put it all together. Then Captain Obvious called and said they could all be part of a packaged set.

I like your tank a lot. It would look good with a black background maybe? Peaches looks like she's doing great!

Sounds like brown algae to me. It's the plague of my fresh tanks too. If you figure out how to get rid of it let me know. I have to mag float the glass on the 120 twice a week and i just gave up on the fake plants.

Brown algae is very common in new, uncycled tanks, after a while, as the tank matures, they will be replaced by green algae.. UNLESS you have poor lighting. So, if it's an old tank, time to up your lights!

Beautiful puffer by the way. I'm gonna get a M. Abei for my new planted tank, my first puffer ever!

Uncycled? This tank has been up and running since August and I did a test yesterday and everything's in order! The lighting is strong too... but I took out the rangeri and now I'm trying to starve it out.

Good luck on the abei!! And that was your fist post, congrats!! You seem very smart!

omplmpa3 wrote:How big are the patches forming on the silk leaves and do they come off easily? Are they anywhere else in the tank? Could they be diatoms?

I asked about the gravel and plants because it looks like your plants match your colored gravel perfectly. I thought that it must have taken quite some time to put it all together. Then Captain Obvious called and said they could all be part of a packaged set.

Thanks! The brown doesn't come off at all and the patch is probably an inch in diameter and is on one leaf.

qtrhorse89 wrote:I like your tank a lot. It would look good with a black background maybe? Peaches looks like she's doing great!

Sounds like brown algae to me. It's the plague of my fresh tanks too. If you figure out how to get rid of it let me know. I have to mag float the glass on the 120 twice a week and i just gave up on the fake plants.

Thanks so much! I try, I try.

Lil' Swimz$ wrote:Uncycled? This tank has been up and running since August and I did a test yesterday and everything's in order! The lighting is strong too... but I took out the rangeri and now I'm trying to starve it out.

Good luck on the abei!! And that was your fist post, congrats!! You seem very smart!

It's a fairly new tank then. Some parameters (Ammonia, nitrites and such excluded) may still be a bit off. A key thing to get rid of these algae is stability. Algae hates stability. Set a specific day of the week to do a water change, and don't change it!

Also another thing. I see you don't have many/any live plants. And we all know puffers are food machines that poop alot. Poop: nutrients, and what will eat those nutrients if there are no live plants in the tank? That's right, the algae! So, in an unplanted tank, more water changes is key to keep it fresh from algae.

Thank you. I'm really eager to keep this puffer!

Regards
Johan

Also, the lights being bright you say. How many watts are there? And how big is the tank?

Does the brown stuff feel "slimy" when you touch it? If not algae, is it possible that the fabric is starting to degrade and this area is doing it the fastest? They must put some sort of coating on fabric plants, perhaps they missed a spot and everyday particles in your water column are staining it? Where in the tank is this plant, top, bottom, middle?

No, its not slimy. Its probably 3 quarters of the way up.

I have no clue how many watts it is. And I do a 50% a week on Saturday and water params are amonnia 0, nitrite 0, and nitrate 5.

If its not slimy then that doesn't sound like aglae to me. I agree with omplmpa3....maybe the plant is discolored? Is it spreading any lil'Swimz? If it's algae it would make sense to me that it would spread. I know it does on my 120. One tiny patch turns into five overnight for me.

It hasn't spread at all, but I haven't turned on the light. (I'm trying to starve it if it is algae)

If you get a chance, try to post a picture of the anomaly.

I'm getting worried. I didn't think that her stomach would go down so fast inbetween meals. I might deworm her. Oh and my LFS carries Praziquantel!! Woot!