How to get rid of brown algae in recently cycled tank

[BayFish28]

Hi new member here.

So I have a cycled tank that's planted pretty well and have the brown algae (diatom) growth. Not sure if it's preventing the growth of my plants as I see the microsword ,dwarf hair grass, bacopa, some crypts growing slow but the pogostemon octopus is doing ok as is the hornwort. 

I have an aquaclear 30 HOB with sponge, ceramic rings, and a small bag of crushed coral in it, fluval heater, and a Nicrew Classic LED plus running 10 hours a day. Substrate is fluval stratum.

Water parameters: pH 7.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 10-20ppm. Water changes weekly 25-40%. I do use Easy Green once a week.

 

Any ideas? Will it eventually sort itself out? Thanks!

 

[Scapexghost]

Algae is caused by an imbalance, either light or a specific nutrient are in excess and the algae is using this to grow. So you could mess with decreasing or increasing the duration of the light, the amount of fertilizer, or the frequency or size of water changes.

 

Honestly though I would just pick up a bristlenose pleco or a nerite snail depending on the size of the tank.

[Patrick_G]

It’s pretty common with a new tank and it will sort itself out eventually. It’s easy to clean with a toothbrush and in all my tanks I’ve helped the process  along with Amano Shrimp and Otocinclus catfish. Not only do they do a great job clearing the diatoms but they’re terrific creatures to have in your tank. 

[BayFish28]

On 11/24/2021 at 2:12 PM, Scapexghost said:

Algae is caused by an imbalance, either light or a specific nutrient are in excess and the algae is using this to grow. So you could mess with decreasing or increasing the duration of the light, the amount of fertilizer, or the frequency or size of water changes.

 

Honestly though I would just pick up a bristlenose pleco or a nerite snail depending on the size of the tank.

Ok I'll play around with the lighting and see what happens and I'll also change my fertilizer dose and see how things go. Thanks! 

On 11/24/2021 at 2:17 PM, Patrick_G said:

It’s pretty common with a new tank and it will sort itself out eventually. It’s easy to clean with a toothbrush and in all my tanks I’ve helped the process  along with Amano Shrimp and Otocinclus catfish. Not only do they do a great job clearing the diatoms but they’re terrific creatures to have in your tank. 

I actually have 2 Amano and a mystery snail in there now with 4 pygmy cory. I was planning to add 6-8 Endlers. I actually like Oto's but I know they are the schooling type and I'm afraid that I may overstock the tank if I get like 3 Oto's. 

Do you think it would increase the bio-load too much?

 

Thanks!

Edited November 24, 2021 by BayFish28

[Gator]

@BayFish28; Remove the crushed coral, and when you change the water, wipe the glass clean. Crushed coral makes the water harder than it should or needs to be. You'll need to clean the glass each time you change the water, but the water will continue to level itself over time and your plants will recover. They may start recovering just as soon as you remove the crushed coral.

[BayFish28]

On 11/24/2021 at 3:44 PM, Gator said:

@BayFish28; Remove the crushed coral, and when you change the water, wipe the glass clean. Crushed coral makes the water harder than it should or needs to be. You'll need to clean the glass each time you change the water, but the water will continue to level itself over time and your plants will recover. They may start recovering just as soon as you remove the crushed coral.

So I put the coral in there to help buffer the pH as my pH was getting really acidic for whatever reason. My tap is 7.0 pH and I don't think I have anything reactive that would cause the pH to drop so low, maybe the fluva substrate?

Anyways, I'll take the coral out but a bit concerned if the pH starts getting acidic again.

[Flumpweesel]

You seem to have some wobble room on those parameters stocking wise but get the fish you really want and see what happens  and then look at adding  more algae eaters also I was warned when I got my 4 Oto's is that you need a plan ready for when the algae runs out  as they don't always accept wafers and the like.( my tank gets the sun so that ain't ever happening for me). 

You have a new set up the plants are establishing and things will keep changing. You don't want a clean up çrews with no work but the ones you have might just need a little bit of time to get on top of things

[Gator]

@BayFish28; What type of fish do you have? If you have African cichlids, leave the crushed coral in the filter as African cichlids  prefer hard water, if you have any other species of fish, they prefer their water softer.

[BayFish28]

On 11/24/2021 at 3:58 PM, Gator said:

@BayFish28; What type of fish do you have? If you have African cichlids, leave the crushed coral in the filter as African cichlids  prefer hard water, if you have any other species of fish, they prefer their water softer.

Just pygmy cory and shrimp for now, the pH has been maintaining at 7.0 with the coral (small bag of it in the HOB). I'll take it out and monitor pH as the days pass and see if it drifts.

[Patrick_G]

If you’re maintaining at 7 ph I’d leave the crushed coral in, especially since you have shrimp and are planning on adding livebearers like Endlers. 
As for the Ottocinclus, I love them and have them in three tanks. I feed a variety of foods and they always seem to find something to keep their bellies fat. 

[BayFish28]

On 11/25/2021 at 10:41 AM, Patrick_G said:

If you’re maintaining at 7 ph I’d leave the crushed coral in, especially since you have shrimp and are planning on adding livebearers like Endlers. 
As for the Ottocinclus, I love them and have them in three tanks. I feed a variety of foods and they always seem to find something to keep their bellies fat. 

Yeah I was going to ask if the crushed coral was related to the diatom growth.  So with my current tank inhabitants of 2 small Amano, 4 Pygmy Cory, 1 mystery snail do you think I could add 2-3 more Oto's and 6 endlers? 

 

I figure since Oto's like to be in groups I'd get at least 3 but do you think it's too much with the endlers I plan on getting? I wanted more colorful mid schooling fish because as of now the pygmy aren't very colorful and I hardly see the shrimp. My mystery snail is actually my centerpiece fish LOL.

[Patrick_G]

I think a Mystery Snail is a great Centerpiece. I love those guys! 
I think your stocking will be fine, all those fish are tiny and have a small bioload and you have lots of plants. Add one group at a time and watch your parameters. 
One thing I’ve learned from the forum and Coop related YouTube is that stocking levels depend on the fish keeper as much as any rules of thumb. I’ve seen tanks packed with crazy amounts of very healthy, happy fish because the keeper has lots of plants and is willing to do frequent water changes. 

[Gator]

@BayFish28; Your pH can be 7.0 and your water can still be hard water, your shrimp and snail need hard water to form their shells, they actually need Calcium carbonate and Potassium, crushed coral provides both, but your choice of fish become somewhat limited. Think of African cichlids, Guppies, Halfbeaks, Mollies, Platies, and Swordtails that all prefer hard, alkaline water.

 

[BayFish28]

On 11/25/2021 at 3:41 PM, Gator said:

@BayFish28; Your pH can be 7.0 and your water can still be hard water, your shrimp and snail need hard water to form their shells, they actually need Calcium carbonate and Potassium, crushed coral provides both, but your choice of fish become somewhat limited. Think of African cichlids, Guppies, Halfbeaks, Mollies, Platies, and Swordtails that all prefer hard, alkaline water.

 

I just tested my KH and it was 4dkh and my GH was 5dGH so this is with the crushed coral removed yesterday. Perhaps at these ranges I could probably leave the coral in and monitor.

On 11/25/2021 at 1:12 PM, Patrick_G said:

I think a Mystery Snail is a great Centerpiece. I love those guys! 
I think your stocking will be fine, all those fish are tiny and have a small bioload and you have lots of plants. Add one group at a time and watch your parameters. 
One thing I’ve learned from the forum and Coop related YouTube is that stocking levels depend on the fish keeper as much as any rules of thumb. I’ve seen tanks packed with crazy amounts of very healthy, happy fish because the keeper has lots of plants and is willing to do frequent water changes. 

I actually used aqadvisors stocking calculator and it said with an added 3 oto and 6 endler it would be still ok and that's not taking into account the plants. I'll be diligent on doing the weekly water changes as well as the constant water testing. 

Yeah, the mystery snail is crazy active and every time I drop any food in the tank he immediately starts to hunt it down. I've seen him sleeping in a corner somewhere and and soon as the food hits the water he wakes within seconds and goes to forage!