Some brown stuff on my tank!!!!

[tsukiowns]

so after in my tank into 2 i have noticed that some brown stuff has increases growth..... it looks like brownish algae and its quite nasty.... it is all over my unfiltered side, on the plants, and the decor... what can i do to get rid of it asap.... can 2 snails help or should i buy some shrimp..... my Bettas are calm enough they don't even flare at each other when they see each other thorough the filter... will some GS help me clean the brown gunk of everything???.... how many can i put in??? its a 10g divided fairly evenly. plz help and thank you for the comments in advance

[Draug Isilme]

Sounds like it's brown algae, or another name for it, diatoms. It usually appears in newly established tanks. I'm currently going through the same thing. It's supposed to go away in a month or so, so it's really not a big deal, the main thing is it looks bad. The thing I'm not sure about is if it will mess with your plants, which I'm assuming are live(?) If so, maybe you need more of them to out compete the algae... Also, snails don't usually tend to eat the brown algae, they prefer the green over the brown (my snail doesn't touch the brown algae in my tank). You can use something like a toothbrush to scrub off the algae on your decorations and tank to help keep it controlled. It's a bit of work, but it helps control the algae and if it is brown algae, it should go away in time...

[tsukiowns]

that makes since my tank has been running for a good solid 2-3 months and the brown algae just appeared... thanks for the info i might get some moss balls because i know they help with algae control so i might get 2 one for each side and yes the plants are living...

[Draug Isilme]

I've been meaning to get me a few more marimo's myself for the algae ^.^; I have one right now, but I remember someone on this thread saying they had a 5g (which I have one, too) and that two-three moss balls was a good amount for the tank.. Although, I've also come across other readings saying that faster growing fast will help out compete the algae at a better rate, but if a good amount of plants in general will take care of the job, I don't really see too much of a difference either or so long as you can find the right balance for your tank. Buuut that's just my opinion, I'm just now dabbling in low maintenance plants myself. The algae is still running rampant, but I'm having to buy plants at a slower rate than desired... >.>;; Good luck with your tank ^.^

[SmokeNLark]

Yeah, they're diatoms. Pretty much everyone gets them at some point. You can scrub it if it bothers you. It's not harmful. It does go away after a while. I also don't think snails will help. Just hang in there. lol

[tsukiowns]

thanks for the advice... yeah im concern for my live plants.... their leaves just keep getting covered with the brown stuff it so nasty....

[Hallyx]

My Nerite snails love munching that brown "stuff." I have the cleanest Anubias, rocks, dividers and glass I've ever had. Now I have to worry about feeding the darn snails.

Also have slower diatom (?) buildup since getting rid of the gravel. But that may be, as others have indicated, that it just goes away.

I wish that smell would go away, too. Even when the tank looks clean, it still has the earthy, musky smell. I wonder what the fish make of it.