Brown algaes on my sandbed

[PinStripes]

I have two 10 gallon tanks with brown algae on my sandbeds and around my tank? how do I get rid of it ?

 

Pin

[Ryan_H]

that's just diatom algae. how old is the tank? if it's new, that's just part of the cycle. you need hermit crabs and snails (astreas are the best!) to eat it, and most of it will slowly go away over time anyway as the tank matures. if it's an older tank, then you definitely need a clean up crew (aformentioned crabs and snails).

[Clownfishcrazy1117]

It might be cyanobacteria. Cyano is not eaten by anything at all. It is part of having a tank. Pretty much every tank has a cyano bloom at least once.

[mad921]

Assuming your tanks are cycled, I've been dealing with something very similar. Posted a thread last week asking about brown algae in a cycled tank convinced that it was diatom algae. I started watching it really close though and eventually started thinking that it was cyanobacteria.

 

My nutrients are under control, so my thought was that it was likely some reminent of the light cyano outbreak that I had while that I had as the tank finished cycling. Decided to use Chemi-Clean and so far so good at the 24 hour mark of treatment. Not seeing much of the brown stuff at all now.

 

If you're tanks are still cycling though it's just like pets_unlimited_fish_guy said.

[Clownfishcrazy1117]

Oh and one more thing. If you have high phosphates then it is possible it's cyano. That is what cyano feeds on.