My 29 gallon freshwater tank is just getting rid of an ammonia infection. I know it is normally green but it is brown. If you could also help me on how to make it green. Also, we just got it about a month ago. There were 9 fish but five died from the high ammonia level so we have 2 dwarf gouramis a barb and a blue gourami.
2007-02-10 14:05:10 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Brown algae in a new tank is bound to be diatoms which will clear up on their own after a while, since their only food source is the silicates leftover from the manufacturing of your tank. I've heard anything from a couple of weeks to a few months. (Actually, you can get it and sustain it longer if you have silica sand in your tank... just thought I'd mention that.)
It's not harmful to the fish but it is ugly, and if you'd like to get something that will help eat it, mystery snails and siamese algae eaters like it. So do otos BUT they are pretty sensitive to water quality so I wouldn't recommend them for your tank so soon after ammonia problems. I don't believe plecos will eat it at all. Be careful with buying the algae eater. You don't want a chinese algae eater and they're often mislabeled at fish stores. Here is a GREAT page for telling them apart:
http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/
I'm dealing with it right now in my newest tank and find that it stays under control if I just brush it off the plants, filter surfaces, and tanksides while I'm doing water changes so that it gets sucked up in the siphon. It's very soft and easy to rub off, even with my fingers. You can do 2 smaller water changes a week rather than one larger one in the meantime and it will probably clear up faster, but the only guaranteed fix is time.
2007-02-10 18:48:57 · answer #1 · answered by ceci9293 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some types of algae are green while others are brownish, or blackish in color. Brown algae and green algae have roughly the same requirements to grow except lighting and the fact that brown algae can usually live off of nitrites better than green algae which does better on nitrates. You will probably see more and more green algae and less of the brown algae as time goes on. If you want Green algae leave the lights on an extra hour each day. If you want to get rid of the algae you need to do regular weekly water changes. You need to do that anyway for the health of the fish, but instead of about 25% (the normal amount) you would need to change a bit more to get rid of the algae.
MM
2007-02-10 14:13:04 · answer #2 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I also have some brown algae in my tank(4 out of 6 tanks actually) and I have researched it a little bit. From what I have read you can't "change" the brown to green. I believe they are two totally different types of algae. I haven't really done anything to my tanks to get rid of it, it has just kind of disappeared. I would recommend planting your aquarium with a number of real plants. If you can get a number of plants to thrive they should combat the algae by removing the nutrients and such the algae needs to survive. If you are wanting green algae, I think the best way to get it(green algae), is put a rock in a jar and place it in a window with lots of light. In a couple of weeks it should get fairly covered.....then you just put it in your tank and see if it spreads.
2007-02-10 14:34:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is brown diatom algae. This is very common in newly set up tanks because it feeds off of silicates from the new glass. Eventually it will eat all of the silicates and won't have anything to eat. Then it will die off. It usually takes 3-4 months for this to happen. You can speed the process by doing lots of partial water changes.
2007-02-10 14:17:23 · answer #4 · answered by fish guy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Below, under resources, is one of the most easy to understand sites I have found, as I recently was wondering the difference of brown and green algae.
As most other users have said, there really isn't a difference. One easy thing to do, that this website advises is to turn of the gravel every feew weeks, or weekly. This will help to deprive the algae of light and it will die off.
Plants are also very good, as algae and plants compete for the same nutrients, and Plants, being bigger (normally) win.
2007-02-10 14:41:21 · answer #5 · answered by tigerlilly2255 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like you need to clean the tank more often.
2007-02-10 14:12:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Vannilla ice is a good rapper. Sorry i don't know 2 much about fish
2007-02-10 16:45:30 · answer #7 · answered by Maximus 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
color change is probably from antibiotics used. but at any rate dont change more than 25% of water at a time also get a good pleco. about 4-6" long
2007-02-10 14:15:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
do more water changes more often
2007-02-10 14:21:31 · answer #9 · answered by mrs.russell 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the four fish that lived may be immune to the effects of pneumonia. you should harvest them for their valuable hemoglobin
2007-02-10 14:13:25 · answer #10 · answered by Jennifer S 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋