algae, dirt, other

[Z0da122]

so i was just looking at my tank last night i saw part of the gravel brown and some plants. i got some pics. please help. albums/ac262/zoda122/jc190.jpg[/IMG]

[bloo97]

It's Probably Algea

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

What size tank is he in? How often do you do water changes? How long do you keep his tank light on for? Algae will thrive in light.

[Mister Sparkle]

Brown algae (diatoms) are actually a result of good nutrients (nitrates & silicates) in the water, and light. Vacuuming the gravel ought to get most of it. You may not be able to get it off your plants (real or plastic). Live plants with adequate full-spectrum lighting is one way to avoid the buildup of diatoms, as the live plants will be more likely to out-compete them for nutrients. Finding and eliminating the source of silicates (tap water, substrate, etc.) is another way to prevent its recurrence. RO water can help with this. Frequent water changes will prevent the buildup of nitrates in your water.

Everyone will have to deal with diatoms at some point in their fish-keeping hobby. So you aren't alone!

[Z0da122]

sorry about the pics here

[Z0da122]

and the gravel..

[Z0da122]

Originally Posted by BettaxFishxCrazy

What size tank is he in? How often do you do water changes? How long do you keep his tank light on for? Algae will thrive in light.

the tank is 2.5. small water changes 2-3 times a week. the light is on from 8 to 10.

[Z0da122]

1 more thing should i clean it off?

[Mister Sparkle]

You can. It won't necessarily hurt, and an advantage to keeping it around is that eventually there isn't going to be any more food available for it to keep reproducing. Personally, I don't mind algae so much on certain places. But diatoms can be a bit unsightly. If you think it makes your aquarium look dirty, then you can clean it up to suit your own aesthetics. For a betta, there's really no advantage to keeping the diatoms (unlike some other fish, which might eat some of it). And, if the diatoms die for any reason (intentional or otherwise), then you have a new contributor to the bioload.