If you decide to start an aquarium at home, or you already have one, then you know that a lot of problems can arise with it if improperly maintained. Our article is dedicated to the care of the "fish house", you can learn about all the nuances of keeping it clean, so that the inhabitants feel as comfortable as possible, and you admire the underwater world without inconvenience. The main topic of this publication is brown algae in the aquarium. How to deal with this pest - read the further contents. You will also find out how often you will have to change the water, which cleaner to make for the neighborhood with the fish, what the optimal water temperature and light should be. Following our instructions, you will not have additional worries about caring for your home underwater kingdom.
What is brown seaweed?
If your water quickly becomes cloudy in the aquarium, and you have to change it excessively often, be sure that a malicious brown alga has settled in it. Of course, we decorate aquariums with decorative algae, but diatoms (brown algae) do not look aesthetically pleasing. Besides the fact that they spoil the appearance of the "reservoir", they also cause discomfort to its inhabitants. This creature is a unicellular organism that multiplies rapidly. They have a silicon shell, and many are able to move! The importance of brown algae in natural marine ecosystems is large, since they form a solid part of plankton and form almost a quarter of the organic matter of our planet.
In artificially created reservoirs, including aquariums, this alga is an undesirable guest. It forms a slimy coating, especially in darkened corners, near the bottom and in places with the wrong focus of light.
By the way, when we say “brown”, we mean their color, and not their systematic affiliation, because Brown alga is a separate section of highly developed marine organisms with large thallus bodies.
Most often, brown algae forms in a new aquarium, where the ecosystem has not yet been established. In the long-acting ones, they start up due to weak and incorrect lighting, but there are also a number of reasons that we will discuss in the future.
Brown algae in an aquarium: causes
In a new aquarium, which was installed less than three months ago, diatoms appear due to an unspecified nitrogen cycle, where ornamental plants have not yet taken root. During this period, the oversaturation of water with organic matter will become the activator of the propagation of brown algae, this is an inevitable process of decay, which plants and microorganisms have not yet learned to absorb. In addition, freshly salted water has a slightly alkaline or neutral pH, and under such conditions, many compounds are simply not available for most plants. Suppose, at pH less than 7, most of the ammonia contained will be in the form of NH4 + (ammonium ions), which can be used by plants living in the aquarium. If the pH is more than 7, then ammonia will remain ammonia and will form the basis of algae nutrition.
The most common mistake of many beginner aquarists is too long daylight hours. When you start a new aquarium, you can not immediately turn on the lamp for all twelve hours. A good remedy for brown algae in the aquarium is antibacterial powder.
If you dream of beautiful ornamental plants in the aquarium, then do not rush to add fertilizers to the water for their growth and health. In the first two months, no top dressing other than potash can be launched into the water, this can contribute to the appearance of brown algae.
If this pest appeared in a long-running aquarium, then the cause may be a pump for the aquarium. It can work poorly due to the accumulation of organic matter that overfished fish reproduce. Excessive fertilizer additions, irregular water changes and cleaning can also cause blockages. Do not forget to monitor the condition of the filter and pump for the aquarium.
The cause of the appearance of diatoms in your aquarium may be the old lamps. Just do not change everything at once, but with an interval of a month, so that all the inhabitants have time to adapt normally to the lighting.
The temperature of the water in the aquarium also plays a huge role. Brown algae loves to settle in cool places. If the temperature of the water in the aquarium is below 22 degrees, then you run the risk of having this unpretentious and very harmful plant.
If the fish were treated in a common aquarium, then this can also cause the appearance of a brown coating. Preparations containing toxic components such as copper or iodine can disrupt the microflora and cause serious damage to it. In this case, diatoms will live with you until the ecosystem is fully restored. The use of salt can give exactly the same result.
Brown plaque in the aquarium may appear after a change of owner or service person. For example, the previous owner forgot to change water, lamps, make the necessary fertilizers, and his aquarium was transparent, like a tear. And then a new owner appears. He begins to repair, change, create coziness, and immediately a brown clouding of water forms. How to deal with it - read on.
Symptoms of the appearance of diatoms
The appearance of brown algae in your tank is a brownish, dusty coating. It appears on stones, snags, glasses, leaves of plants. Initially, it is almost invisible, but every day it becomes darker.
In the first stages of the lesion, plaque is quite easily removed from the glass, it can be shaken from plants. If you drag your finger along the surface on which the brown algae has settled, a cloud of dust will rise.
In advanced cases, it is very difficult to get rid of diatoms. The plaque becomes almost black, multi-layered. The upper layer will still dust, and the lower ones will not be removed. Plants look as if they were sprinkled with earth, visibility in the aquarium becomes poor due to a coating on the glass.
Danger to the aquarium
Brown algae does not affect the health and behavior of fish in any way, but are dangerous for aquarium plants. They, growing on the leaves, interfere with normal photosynthesis. If you do not take measures to get rid of the pest, then the plants will soon die.
Diatom reproduces very quickly, it affects every newly emerged leaf. It also becomes an ideal substrate for the growth and development of more difficult to remove algae, contributes to the appearance of black beard.
If you notice the first symptoms of the appearance of brown algae in the aquarium, then immediately take measures to eliminate it. It must not be allowed to grow. Algae itself will not leave a favorite place, so you should not hope that it will not become over time. In just a week, diatoms can completely hit the aquarium, depressing the atmosphere in it. Getting rid of this actively developing and growing creature will take at least three weeks. How to deal with brown algae in an aquarium?
New aquarium
If the attack of plants and glasses occurred at the start-up phase, then it will be enough to eliminate brown algae in the aquarium. How to deal with her? It is only necessary to adhere to the basic rules. Increase the temperature of the water by a couple of degrees, this will inhibit the growth of diatoms. Once a week, make a water change of 30%. In this case, do not forget to clean off the plaque from plants, stones and glasses. Soon, decorative algae will begin to actively grow and displace brown algae.
To brush off brown plaque, use a toothbrush, the leaves must be washed under running water. Perform these operations until no trace is left of the diatoms.
Stable Aquarium
If you have an aquarium for a long time and there has been an outbreak of growth of brown algae, you will have to try a little to get rid of it. Start with a stable water change of up to 30% twice a week. Thoroughly clean the plaque. A sponge, brush or scraper will help if several layers have already appeared.
Check filter and aquarium pump. Perhaps the water intake was clogged or the filter could become airy, and the speed and quality of filtration decreased, which contributed to the appearance of brown algae. If necessary, clean, rinse under running water.
Daylight hours
To facilitate the propagation of brown algae can sunlight. If your aquarium is located in a well-lit place, then remove it to a darker place for a couple of days so that daylight hours do not exceed six hours. Then, slowly add time over the course of two weeks so that at the end of the term the light penetrates the water for ten hours.
If the lamps installed for lighting are more than a year old, then you will have to change them. As we already wrote, you should not change them all at once. One at a time, within a month, replace. To maintain such a deadline is very important so that plants can adapt to a new, brighter lighting.
Organic matter
To get rid of brown algae and prevent its appearance, it is necessary to properly feed the fish. There should be enough feed so that the underwater inhabitants can eat it in two minutes. If food remains after this time, then this is surplus. Do not worry that your fish will remain hungry if you reduce feed intake. They are able to eat too much, such is their nature. The amount of organic substances in the water depends on the amount eaten, and the more of them, the higher the likelihood of diatoms. If they are already wound up, then reducing the amount of food for fish will help to get rid of it sooner.
Dense vegetation
If diatoms appeared in your aquarium, then plant a few more bushes of ornamental plants. They will consume more microorganisms, minerals, and there will be nothing left for brown algae. Over time, with stable water changes, they will simply disappear.
Who eats brown algae in an aquarium?
Diatoms - a favorite delicacy of catfish, otocinclus. A dozen of these fish are able to maintain constant cleanliness in the aquarium for 200 liters. With such inhabitants you will have no problems with the appearance and reproduction of brown algae. Get snails of theodoctuses, mollusks, plecostomuses, girinohlejlusy or Siamese algae eaters. These inhabitants will help you in the fight against annoying diatoms and diversify the fauna of the aquarium.
Emergency measures
If none of the methods help, and brown algae continues to multiply in the aquarium, a pet store consultant will tell you how to deal with it. He will select the best chemicals to eliminate the pest from your underwater kingdom. Do not buy any funds without professional advice, as you can only exacerbate the problem by negatively affecting other, useful vegetation. Chemicals should be such as to inhibit brown algae and promote the growth and development of ornamental plants. You can try to introduce a preventive dose of algaecides into the water, which are aimed at plant growth.
If brown algae has hit many plants, attacked the bottom of the aquarium, you can not do without an antibiotic. Erythromycin is the best option. For the period of struggle with diatom antibiotics, transfer the fish to another aquarium so that they do not suffer by accident. Leave only catfish and snails, they will help to overcome the pest much faster.
The period of activity of diatoms
The most dangerous time for brown algae to appear in the aquarium is winter. Daylight hours during this period are too short, and insufficient lighting is a threat of diatoms. It is necessary to create good artificial lighting to prevent the appearance and reproduction of brown plaque.
How often to clean the aquarium in winter? It is necessary to produce this action at least once a week. Do not change all the water, this will adversely affect the microflora of the aquarium, which will lead to diseases of fish and ornamental plants. Change from 20 to 30 percent of water, be sure to clean all decorations, glass of the aquarium from dirt and organic substances.
If brown algae appeared in the winter, in the spring it should completely disappear as soon as daylight resumes. During this period, clean the aquarium up to two times a week, use a scraper to remove glass deposits.
Water for aquariums
We examined the characteristics of brown algae and the main methods of dealing with them. We offer you to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for caring for the home underwater kingdom. In order for scaly pets to live in comfortable conditions, not to get sick, to live as long as possible, you need to know how to care for the aquarium at home. If you are a beginner aquarist, then this publication will come in handy.
The first thing everyone should know is that water cannot be poured into the aquarium from a tap, or immediately brought from a pond. In order for the inhabitants of your underwater world to feel good, water must stand for at least three days. There are species of fish for which water that is left standing for a day is unacceptable, as many do. It is considered too fresh, saturated with oxygen. In such an environment, fish can get sick, after which they will recover for a long time.
If you do not have enough time to settle the water, you can bring it back to normal more simply and quickly. Take the required amount, place in a metal container, heat on fire to seventy degrees. It is important not to miss the moment and prevent boiling! After warming up, cool to room temperature and proceed with replacement.
Throughout the article, we wrote that you need to change 30% of the water. This is an optimal weekly substitution, but there are fish that do not tolerate such a replacement, it is acceptable for them to replace only a fifth of the volume. But if brown algae appears, they will have to tolerate, and you will have to get rid of the pest according to the scheme recommended by us.
Turbidity of water
If you carefully monitor the cleanliness of the aquarium, change the water stably, but turbidity still appears, do not immediately worry. This effect on the water can have food left over after a fish meal. For a while, stop giving the fish this type of food, go to another and do not sprinkle it a lot.
Perform a general cleaning in the aquarium to clean all the decorations and glass. If the water still continues to get cloudy, an unpleasant odor emanates from it, move the fish to another tank, and put daphnia in the aquarium, it will clean everything perfectly.
Turbidity of the water can be caused by the aquarium itself, which has outlived its own. If the tank is too old, you will need to replace it.
Adaptation of a new aquarium
Having bought a new house for fish, do not rush to populate it. It is necessary to adapt it for a week. Pour water into it, change it every other day. Thus, you can eliminate from plastic and glass all harmful substances that can adversely affect the health of the fish.
Replacing the water twice, you can fill the bottom with soil and plant decorative plants in it. During the week, observe the behavior of the soil: if it begins to cake, change, as all microflora can be disturbed. Most often this is what causes the death of plants and fish that happily lived in another, old aquarium.
Fish populations
Maintaining home aquariums seems simple, but in reality it is far from the case. When planted ornamental plants have taken root, you can start fish, and this is also done according to the rules. It is necessary to select those species that are able to get along together, live in the same environment. If this is not done, then only the most adapted species will survive, while others will be oppressed. As a result, they will die.
If you have purchased new fish and they are suitable for living together with existing ones, then do not rush to identify them in the aquarium. It is worth waiting from a month to three, quarantine. The point is not that the pets may not make friends, but that the new ones can be sick and will infect other fish. They may also have microorganisms that are not adapted for life in the environment of your aquarium.
Conclusion
Home aquariums are undoubtedly very beautiful. Looking at the measured life of fish, you can calm down, relax. Knowing how to properly care for the aquarium and its inhabitants, you can achieve the maximum life of everyone.From this article you were able to learn about how to deal with brown algae in an aquarium, and this is the most common problem of many aquarists. Following our advice, you can keep your pond in perfect cleanliness.