what does brown algae in my fish tank mean?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tropical fish tank that has some brown algae growning on the inside walls of the glass - what is it from,and is it normal? What is the best way to get rid of it or prevent it. ... of course without harming my fish. I'm a new fish keeper, the tank is fully cycled, and has been up and running for about 3 months now. thanks!

FYI- I do not want to add a pleco because it will get too big for that little tank. I already have 9 fish and a snail. I clean my tank with the gravel vac once a month and do a water change at that time - the water tests ok and looks clear - it's just the light brown algae on the surface. I suppose I could just use an algea scrubber - I just didn't know if there was a way to prevent it.....

I also keep the tank light on from about 7 am - 9pm daily.....

Answer 1

You say Plecos get big, yet suggest a Clown loach?? (thanks Mr. Nazi!) They themselves can get 16+"!! Jeeze people, c'mon, the question was about algae for gosh sakes!! Get your stories right before you go pointing fingers at each other! Get an oto catfish (midget suckerfish), they are small and stay small. AND they eat what you need them to.

Anyway, brown algae. Several reasons for it. Over-feeding is one reason. Also, be sure you are keeping your water clean. Excess nutrients are a main culprit of brown algae. Specifically silicates and nitrates. If either are high in your tap water, get used to cleaning the stuff. You can get a master test kit for your water, and also specific tests for silicates. Test your water and see if it is high in these things. You will be cleaning a lot if it is!

Other causes can be low oxygen levels and low light. Try adding an extra oxygen stone, and maybe leaving your light on just a little longer (I find that leaving the light on more doesn't really help much. Sometimes no matter what you do, you'll still get it.

Here's a great site to check out: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_cleaning.html Not only this article, but if you navigate around the website it's got a LOT of awesome information!!

Well, I hope this helps a bit. Good luck!! ;o)

Answer 2

Brown Algae In Fish Tank

Answer 3

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/axlYi

1. unless you have live plants, turn out the lights, they don't need to be on all day. if the tank gets a lot of sunlight, change the blinds or cover the tank so it doesn't get all that light. Algae is a plant, lots of fish poop/fish food and light and you grow algae. Less food, and less light and you don't grow as much. 2. the only reason you have to do so much cleaning is that you overfeed, and leave the lights on all the time. 3. I don't know what you mean by complete cleaning, but if that's really what you did, there's nothing more damaging or dangerous to the tank than a "complete cleaning" 4. get a siphon gravel cleaner and learn how to use it gently to remove more filth and less water during your small water changes. wipe off whatever algae there is, but don't try to super clean the tank. A healthy tank is not super clean. 5. do not overclean your filter, the more you leave dirty in the filter the better the tank will be. once you stop doing all that, the problem will go away.

Answer 4

There is many ways that you could get rid of algae Algae is formed by moisture and heat. If you have a heater in your tank you can try turning the temperature down. The algae might also be forming from your light as that produces heat. A light for your tank is not a need. You can try reducing the time of your light. If these still don't work you can try getting a fish called a Pleco. The algae is food for the pleco and it is a guaranteee that the algae will be gone in a short time.

Answer 5

Brown Algae In Aquarium

Answer 6

You need more light. If you have more light then green algae will begin to grow and replace the brown algae in your tank. Green algae is generally considered better than brown algae because it looks a little nicer and is eaten by more fish than brown algae. Also, green algae is richer in nutrients for the fish than brown algae is. If you increase the amount of light coming into the tank you could also get some fast growing plants, which will outcompete both kinds of algae for nutrients and cut back on the amount of algae growth. Java moss, java fern and watersprite are good, easy to care for, fast growing plants that don't take a lot of light or expensive fertilizers or CO2 injections to grow.

Answer 7

It isn't a true algae, it is a cyanobacteria that doesn't receive enough light and gets too many nutrients. Common Plecos will eat it, but they get huge (2 feet) (so they are completely unsuitable for a 10 gallon tank) and poop so much that they practically neutralize their efforts by creating even more algae food. The best way to prevent it is to feed your fish less and keep up with weekly gravel vacuumings. This will lessen the amount of nutrients in your tank, starving the algae. Until it is gone, you will need to scrub it off with a scrubber pad or sponge. Avoid chemicals because many can be harmful to plants, inverts, and certain fish. Email me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: Clown Loaches and Cory Cats don't eat algae. If you want some small algae eating fish, get 3-4 Oto Catfish.

EDIT 2: Turning down your lights can actually lead to an increase in brown algae. It isn't a true algae and forms most often when there is not enough light for green algae. Cyanobacteria has the ABILITY to photosynthesize, but can also live without it (in the form of brown algae).

EDIT 3: Once a month isn't nearly enough for such a small, crowded tank. With that many fish, forget any algae eating fish! You NEED to be doing weekly gravel vacuumings to reduce your phosphates and other nutrients.

EDIT 4: Usually, prolonged exposure to light doesn't help, but a higher intensity light does. Try to get about 2-3 watts per gallon. Most lights that come with 10 gallon hoods are only 15 watts (meaning 1.5 watts per gallon). A higher light intensity will allow the brown algae to photosynthesize, making it green (it would still be best to limit your nutrients so you don't have to deal with it at all).

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
what does brown algae in my fish tank mean?
I have a 10 gallon tropical fish tank that has some brown algae growning on the inside walls of the glass - what is it from,and is it normal? What is the best way to get rid of it or prevent it. ... of course without harming my fish. I'm a new fish keeper, the tank is fully cycled, and has been...

Answer 9

Brown algae is generally a sign of poor water conditions. Regular water changes will help.

PS- There are a lot of different kinds of pleco. Some like the sailfin grow to 2 feet. A clown, or rubber lipped/ bullnosed pleco will stay fairly small. For a 10 gallon you might want to see if you can get a oto. Also apple snails will eat it, and not reproduce wildly.

Answer 10

The best algae eaters are bristlenose catfish. I have two in my aquarium, and they continously to eat the brown algae. I also have a ten gallon aquarium. Also having a filter system with the bio-wheel is very helpful.
The bio-wheel effect will remove any nitrites and nitrates from getting into your tank.