# serious algae problem



## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

i have a 75 gal planted tank 3 years old.water is crystal clear,but in about 3 days after a water change my filters are loaded with brown algae, the glass is in some areas are covered with light green algae.filters are ac 70 ac 110 uv unit and co2. ph 7.6 gh 5 kh 15 po4 2 no3 5. this has been a consistant problem. can anyone give me advice, please? thanks


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

How many fish do you have in there, maybe its over stocked?


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## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

about 24 neons 12 corys 2 black bearded tetras 4 2 dwarf gouramies guppies ,4 assassin snails 4 shrimp


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Neons are small so it doesnt seem over stocked to me.


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## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

any idea on what my problem is???


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## JohnniGade (Dec 22, 2011)

What about lighting?


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## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

have 48 inch glo lights 2 t5ho bulbs. on 6 hrs/day,also kept them off for 3 days at a time. did not do anything


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

I use the same ammount of light on my 90 gallon planted, my co2 is running about 5bps. If i dont keep up with water changes i end up with algea. I dont know why yours happened after a water change.


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## LaurenK (Mar 18, 2012)

Couldn't the algae on the sides of the tank be from sunlight hitting the tank?


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

Are you running any co2 on the tank? sometimes if the amount of light exceeds the rest of the nutrients for the plants it will cause algae.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I have a tank that gets brown algae when the fluorescent bulbs get old. I assume it's a change in the light spectrum - the lighting looks fine, but when I change the tubes, the algae barely comes back after I remove it manually. A year or two after, it begins again.

It is in a very bright room - not in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes daily, but in a bright part of the house. I assume that's why the problem is limited to that tank (my others are in a darker part of the house), but if your conditions are like that, maybe a new bulb would help.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Are you dosing with ferts? If the green algae spots of bright green algae? Is the only place you get the brown algae on your filters? Does it hurt anything?


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## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

navigator black said:


> I have a tank that gets brown algae when the fluorescent bulbs get old. I assume it's a change in the light spectrum - the lighting looks fine, but when I change the tubes, the algae barely comes back after I remove it manually. A year or two after, it begins again.
> 
> It is in a very bright room - not in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes daily, but in a bright part of the house. I assume that's why the problem is limited to that tank (my others are in a darker part of the house), but if your conditions are like that, maybe a new bulb would help.


 installed new bulbs 2 weeks ago


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## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Are you dosing with ferts? If the green algae spots of bright green algae? Is the only place you get the brown algae on your filters? Does it hurt anything?


 using seachem ferts yes only on filters. just problem with clogged filters


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## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

LaurenK said:


> Couldn't the algae on the sides of the tank be from sunlight hitting the tank?


 no sunlight near tank. window is about 15 feet away


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Personally, I don't worry about brown algae. It will and has grown around my filter intake but it does not clog and I don't clean it.

Do you also get green algae of any type?

And not sure how you afford the Seachem ferts to the amounts you need? You need a decent quantity dosed with that amount of light. I would shift to dry ferts. Much cheaper and easier.


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## blue water (Nov 1, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Personally, I don't worry about brown algae. It will and has grown around my filter intake but it does not clog and I don't clean it.
> 
> Do you also get green algae of any type?
> 
> And not sure how you afford the Seachem ferts to the amounts you need? You need a decent quantity dosed with that amount of light. I would shift to dry ferts. Much cheaper and easier.


i'm starting to use IE method ,thanks for your input. I notice that you are frequently on the forum. I always look for your responses.let you know how my tank responses.


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## afremont (Mar 1, 2012)

blue water said:


> have 48 inch glo lights 2 t5ho bulbs. on 6 hrs/day,also kept them off for 3 days at a time. did not do anything


Try running the lights more instead of less for now. Diatoms (brown algae) require less light than green algae that's why it often appears first. Giving the green algae some more light will help it take hold and displace the diatoms. Then once the brown algae stops growing and you see green algae popping up, you can cut back on the lights. Keeping your nitrAtes down with water changes should help.


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